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Top Online Poker Sites to Play Real Money Poker 2024
1. PokerStars Casino
Best Poker Site for Industry-Leading Software and Diverse Tournaments
PokerStars boasts a highly-rated digital platform, featuring cutting-edge software and a user-friendly interface, positioning it as a leading choice among online poker sites. The site presents a remarkable array of real money games and competitions, attracting players of various skill levels due to its high traffic. In states like New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan, PokerStars organizes the Spring Championship of Online Poker, offering over $5 million in guaranteed prizes.
2. McLuck Casino
Best Poker Site for Generous Bonuses and US Regulation
888 Poker ranks among the biggest global operators for online poker and operates licensed sites in U.S. states like New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware, pooling players along.
The platform provides a generous 100% match bonus on initial deposits up to $1,500, along with a complimentary $20 credit simply for registering an account, no deposit required. The site features an extensive selection of multi-table tournaments boasting large prize funds, as well as Sit & Go events designed for a specific number of participants.
3. BitStarz
Best Poker Site for Cryptocurrency Gambling and Secure Withdrawals
Established in 2014, BitStarz is a relatively new online casino that welcomes players globally, with only a few exceptions. Despite its young age, the casino has earned a strong reputation, particularly among those who gamble using cryptocurrency. BitStarz is currently highly regarded for the reliability and security of its withdrawal processes.
4. Betway Casino
Best Poker Site for a Variety of Poker Games and Its Bonus
Betway presents a variety of digital casino poker games, including Three Card Poker, Caribbean Stud Poker, and Side Bet City. Its video poker lineup features choices like Deuces Wild, All Aces, and Double Double Bonus Poker. New players at the Betway online casino can take advantage of a welcome bonus that goes up to $1,000.
5. Bet365 Casino
Best Poker Site for Beginners and Low Rake
Engaging in online poker with real money can be intimidating for newcomers, especially when pitted against more seasoned players while still learning the ropes.
Bet365 stands out as one of the UK's top online poker platforms for beginners, primarily due to its exclusive Beginners' Cash Tables. Accessible only to new account holders for the first 90 days after signing up, these tables increase the chances of beginners facing off against opponents with comparable skill levels.
6. Unibet Casino
Best Poker Site for Low Rakes and Player-Friendly Environments
The rake in online poker refers to the percentage of the pot that the hosting site takes as its commission for each game. A lower rake percentage means that a smaller portion of your potential winnings from each hand goes to the site operator.
Unibet distinguishes itself by offering a remarkably low 1% rake for lower buy-in levels in popular games like Texas Hold'em and Omaha. This rate is closely matched only by PokerStars, which charges a 3% rake at similar buy-in limits. Additionally, players at Unibet enjoy a 50% reduction in rake when participating in rooms with just two or three players.
7. William Hill Casino
Best Poker Site for Twister Poker and New Customer Bonuses
Twister poker is an engaging variation of sit-and-go games that involves three players and a lottery-determined prize pool. This format is perfect for those looking for a quick game with high-stakes potential, as any hand could lead to a sizable pot.
William Hill offers ample opportunities to participate in this exciting Twister poker game and even incorporates Twister-specific bonuses into its new customer promotion, details of which are provided below.
8. McLuck Casino
Best Poker Site for Private Home Games and Large Player Pool
Being a member of the iPoker network, alongside renowned brands like William Hill, bet365, and its affiliate Paddy Power, Betfair Poker consistently ensures a sizeable player base.
However, if you prefer competing for real money against friends rather than strangers, Betfair Poker offers a distinctive feature: the ability to set up 'private home games.' This service makes it possible for you to enjoy a more personalized poker experience.
9. McLuck Casino
Best Poker Site for User-Friendly Desktop Client
For those new to online poker, the requirement to download poker software can seem somewhat daunting. Unlike many other forms of online gaming, poker often necessitates this additional step. While some sites offer instant play to bypass downloads, this usually comes at the cost of a reduced feature set.
Paddy Power Poker streamlines this process by making their desktop client incredibly easy and quick to set up. This means you can either register for a new account or return to your existing one within moments of initiating the download.
10. Bovada Casino
Best Poker Site for Players Who Also Enjoy Sports Betting and Horse Racing
Initially known as Bodog, Bovada Poker has enjoyed widespread popularity among online poker enthusiasts since its inception in 2004. Rebranded as Bovada in 2011, the platform joined the Ignition network in 2017. If you're interested in wagering on sports or horse racing alongside poker, Bovada is an ideal choice. The site is officially licensed in Curacao.
How Does Online Poker Work?
Online poker is a card game where players aim to assemble the strongest hand possible based on the specific rules of the variant they are playing. It's essentially the digital adaptation of traditional poker, enabled by specialized gaming software.
Over time, software developers have modified certain rules, resulting in various real-money game versions. While each variant offers unique gameplay and payout structures, the core objectives remain similar across the board.
The key difference between online and live dealer poker lies in how cards are distributed. In online poker, random number generators ensure the fair shuffling and dealing of cards, whereas in live dealer poker, a human dealer is responsible for these tasks. Despite this difference, you can expect to find similar game variants whether you're playing online or with a live dealer, both offering real-money gaming opportunities.
Basic Rules of Online Poker
The Poker card game is played using the standard 52-unit deck. However, you will find some online poker variants with extra jokers. Many variants only use one pack, but few use two. While rules differ from one variant to another, many basic ones are the same across the board.
When we talk about playing poker online, we are mainly talking about playing Texas Hold’em, although there are variations of the game and indeed several other popular online poker games such as Omaha or 7 Card Stud. Below we have outlined how to play Texas Hold’em and defined some popular terms you will come across when playing in poker tournaments.
The Basics
Texas is a poker game where players are not playing against the casino, players are playing against each other. The number of players at the table, in general, is between 2-10.
Each player is dealt 2 cards face down, not allowing other players at the table to know the value of the two cards is paramount to the game. These cards are known as the players ‘hole cards’. A further 5 cards will be drawn face up in the centre of the table over several rounds of betting, these cards are known as the ‘community cards’.
The basic idea of the game is for players to make a 5-card hand using their 2-hole cards and 3 out of the 5 community cards.
What makes the game so interesting and popular is the fact that not all 5 community cards are revealed at once and the rounds of betting between the following 2 cards are overturned. Of course, knowledge of the ranking of each poker hand is key to playing poker. We have listed and described all of the possible 5 card poker hands further on this page.
The Buy-In
In order to enter a poker game or tournament a player first needs to buy-in. The value of the buy-in depends on the limits of the game. In a cash game, it is the initial amount of money a player exchanges for chips when they sit down at the poker room or table. The amount of the But-in in a poker tournament normally determines the prize money for the tournament finalists.
The Blind Bets
Each hand begins with the dealer's button (a small round disc) moving one seat clockwise around the table to the player next to the button's previous position. The first two players sitting to the immediate left of the button are required to post a 'small blind' and a 'big blind' to initiate the betting.
The big blind bet must be double that of the small blind. In each game, the value of the blinds will change depending on the status of the game. A high roller game may have Blinds as high as 100, 200 or even higher. In tournament games, the Blind Bet value will increase during the game. In both cash games and tournaments, the blind bets stay the same.
The Pre-Flop
Each player is dealt 2 cards face down. Depending on the value of the hole cards the players will decide to play or fold. The player to the left of the big blind begins the betting. To play, they must match the big blind bet (known as ‘call’), or they may ‘Raise’ the bet to a higher value.
If the player does not wish to continue with the hand they will fold their cards and not continue in the hand. This continues in a clockwise direction, with each player wishing to play either matching the big blind or the raised bet.
The Flop
After the first round of betting is complete the dealer will reveal 3 cards face up known as the ‘Flop’. Players who have not folded their cards then have a further round of betting where they can again fold, call or raise. Players also now have the opportunity to ‘check’.
If no betting has occurred in the betting round the player can defer their bet, If someone else bets, any player that has checked must call, fold, or raise.
The Turn
The turn card is the fourth community card to be dealt. Players now have another round of betting as with the flop, however, players now have more of an idea of how their hand and their opponent's hand may develop. The betting at this stage will be strategic and can be aggressive.
The River Card
The ‘River’ card is the final community card to be overturned. Players now have a final round of betting before revealing their 2 hole cards (known as the ‘Showdown’). Any remaining players will expose their 2 hole cards for the dealer to determine which player has the strongest hand and win the ‘pot’ (the chips that have been wagered during the hand).
The player closest to the left of the dealer must open their hand first, continuing clockwise around the table. Final poker hands must be exactly 5 cards made up of the 2 hole cards and 3 of the community cards and only those five cards are used to evaluate the winning hand.
Online Poker Hand Rankings
Essentially, the hand rankings are all the same, whether you're playing online poker or in-person at land-based casinos. Still, let's go through the hand rankings from the highest to the lowest, as follows:
- Royal Flush: A Royal Flush occurs when A, K, Q, J, and 10 are in the same suit.
- Straight Flush: These are five cards in a sequent and in the same suit.
- Four of a Kind: All four cards are of the same rank.
- Full House: Three-of-a-kind cards, with another pair.
- Flush: Any five cards of the same suit, although not in a sequence.
- Straight: Five cards in a sequence are not the same suit.
- Three of a Kind: Three cards of the same rank.
- Two Pairs: Two pairs of similar cards.
- Pair: Any two cards of the same rank.
- High Card: The highest valued card in your hand.
Online Poker Terms & Definitions
The Odds of Winning Online Poker Explained
Most online poker sites shuffle card after card dealing each hand. This affects the gaming probabilities. However, it may also improve your chances of making a better hand than if the cards were not shuffled.
With shuffling, the odds of pocket pair to set may increase from 8% to 10%, while those of a flush draw may move to slightly above 37%. On the other hand, shuffling may lower these probabilities by over 3%, depending on the game that you pick.
With the right strategy, it is possible to make huge winnings in poker. It's no coincidence that some of the richest gamblers of all time made their millions from poker.
Our Favourite Online Poker Sites
Most poker sites around the world use the same software providers, such as Evolution Gaming, for their poker games. However, the gaming experience and environment differ from one casino to another. These experiences differ through things like winning probability (winning poker odds), poker bonuses, website layout, ease of navigation, ease of transacting with accounts the customer service.
Based on the above criteria, here are the best online poker sites we've experienced so far:
| Bonus | 7500 GC |
|---|---|
| RTP | 94.00% |
| Active Players | 83k+ /Month |
| Payout Time | 2-7 Days |
| Payment Methods |
|
| Bonus | 10000 GC |
|---|---|
| RTP | 96.50% |
| Active Players | 60k+ /Month |
| Payout Time | 1-3 Days |
| Payment Methods |
 |
| Bonus | 250 GC |
|---|---|
| RTP | 95.50% |
| Active Players | 74k+ /Month |
| Payout Time | 2-6 Days |
| Payment Methods |
 |
| Bonus | 60000 GC |
|---|---|
| RTP | 94.40% |
| Active Players | 79k+ /Month |
| Payout Time | 2-6 Days |
| Payment Methods |
    |
Online Poker Strategy - Tips and Tricks
Play with Fewer Hands
You should consider playing with fewer hands at the best online casino sites offering poker but you want to play your poker aggressively. Playing with your hands bleeds away your chips fast. Aggressive playing helps build a strong hand fast.
Know When to Fold and Quit
Know when to fold or raise. Do not raise when the hand is bad. Instead, fold and quit when you cannot improve the situation. Besides, time your callings to avoid losing a high win. Again, you should learn your cards well so that you can create a strong hand without having to check the ranking table all the time
Practise with Free Poker Simulators
If you are new to online poker room gaming, consider practising for free on the best online poker sites before risking your cash. Most poker sites offer a free mode for all table games, including online poker. It is a great chance to try new strategies without any risk.
The 5 Biggest Mistakes Beginner Poker Players Make
Here are the worst mistakes that new online poker players make.
Popular Online Poker Variants
There are many variants of the poker game on online poker sites. Each variant has its set of rules but usually, the same goal is to make a better hand than the dealer or other players.
Here are some of the popular online poker variants.
Texas Hold’Em
In Texas Hold’em, players are dealt with two down cards as hole cards. Then players receive a set of three additional cards and then a card after each round. Players make the best 5-card hand from the set of the provided cards.
Caribbean Stud Poker
This is an online poker game where you play against the house, not fellow players. You also get to place your ante bets before starting a round of free poker. Players of Caribbean Stud Poker also have an option to participate in the online poker progressive jackpot.
Omaha
This is a community card online poker game where players get four cards each at the start and an additional five cards later. They must make the best 5-card hand using two of the initial cards and three of the later cards. The game is only available on selected online poker tournaments and sites.
7 Card Stud
A 7-card stud is a classic online poker game where players get dealt with seven cards in the course of the game but must make the best five-card hand out of them. In this 7-card stud poker online game, the bets are in fixed increments.
High/Low Chicago
High/low Chicago is a stud poker game like 7-Card Stud. However, players make ante bets at the start. Then, each gets dealt two face-down cards and one face-up. They get additional cards with bet increments until they hit the best 5-card hand. Some poker sites offer it as a variant of 7 Stud poker.
Online Poker Games FAQ
When was poker invented?
Historians believe that the fame of poker came to being about 1000 years back. However, the game has been refined into the great game it is now over the years. One of the notable historical accounts is the domino card game played by a 10th-century Chinese emperor that looks like poker.
In the 16th century, Persia played NAS, a card game, while the French had a poque which was similar to Nas. Several variants of the game were played around the world.
However, modern online poker is thought to originate from the US. It was adapted from the Persian Nas and each player got dealt five cards to make the best hands they could from the cards. Initial decks were made of 20 cards but were increased to 52 cards.
How do you play poker online?
When playing online poker, you are dealt with two cards face down. Then, you get dealt three cards face-up in the middle of the game. In the next two rounds, you get dealt a card each. You are to make the best five-card hand from the cards dealt. A few variants may have a few changes in the issuing of cards.
Can I play poker for free?
Yes. There are online poker sites that allow you to play online poker for free. Just visit the online poker site or platform and pick a free play or demo mode for the game that you would like to play. In the free mode, you access all the features of the game except that you cannot withdraw any winnings you make.
What’s the trick to winning at poker?
To increase your chances of winning online poker games, become selective when starting hands. Then, aggressively play the games without poker bluffing too much. You can also try the games free at poker sites to understand the process and craft a strategy.
Practicing with various decisions increases the chances of a win. Finally, start by staking low and then increasing the bet amounts based on your performance. Do not forget to check bonuses and promotions at various poker sites.
Is poker rigged?
While some rogue poker sites try to cheat their players out of their cash, they cannot rig online casino games or poker. Besides, authentic gaming software is secure from casino interference. The cards are offered randomly, and the result is provided without any human interference. Therefore, there is little chance that you will lose cash unfairly on poker sites.
What’s the best poker variant?
There are no specific variants that can be said to be the best. Players get a chance to choose the best online poker site whose variants they love most. What differs is the quality of experience from poker sites. We recommend trying various titles before picking one.
Can I just keep folding until I get a winning hand?
There is nothing wrong with folding until you win money playing poker online. However, this strategy is dependent on the quality of other players’ decisions. If the players are strong, you are likely to lose a lot of cash at poker sites.
Some variants also lower your chances of a win with this strategy. Try mixing the strategy with others to increase your chances of winning big at the poker sites.
Are there any working online poker strategies?
Yes. There are a few workable strategies we can recommend.
- Consider playing conservatively with medium hands and aggressively with strong hands. Then fold whenever it is the best decision to make.
- If playing against players, bluff the runner-up but do not overdo it.
- Plan your bankroll so that you get enough to play poker over a considerable period.
What are the best online poker rooms?
It's up to you to find the best online poker experience for yourself. Some people are looking for a particular online poker software only, and others - for specific poker variations. Yet, we recommend a site with a decent poker bonus.
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