If you're trying to find an online poker site to join, this is the page for you. We've compiled a list of the best cardrooms on the Internet, ranked them, and listed them here. These are the websites we recommend when our personal friends or family members ask us where they should play poker games on the Web.
When choosing which cardrooms qualify as the 'best online poker sites', we paid particular attention to safety and trust. How the player interface works, the games available, and the level of competition also played a role in our rankings.
To sum it up, there are no gambling laws on the books that make playing online poker for real money illegal in the United States. The only exception to this is in Washington and Connecticut, which explicitly makes all online gambling of any kind unlawful in those states. Current Legal Status Of Playing Online Poker In The United States.
Playing And Managing Online Poker Freerolls. One of the best things about playing poker online is the availability of freeroll tournaments. A freeroll is essentially what it says on the marquee—a tournament with Read more. New Jersey has legal online sports betting, legal online casinos, legal online horse betting, and legal online poker available. So, you can pretty much find any form of online gambling that you.
| Rank | Gambling Site | Deposit Bonus | Get Started |
| #1 | 100% Up To €400 | Visit Site |
Of course, you shouldn't just blindly follow recommendations from strangers online, either. Here's some background about us:
- We have a combined 20+ years' experience with online gambling.
- All of us play Texas holdem and other poker games.
- We have experience on both sides of the business, as both players and as marketers.
A Quick Online Poker History Lesson and How It Affects U.S. Players
The online poker boom was fun while it lasted, but the legal implications caused significant changes in where you can play from the United States. At one time, Party Poker was the #1 choice in the USA, but they left the market in 2006 to focus on international poker.
PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, Absolute Poker, and Ultimate Bet wasted no time trying to fill Party's shoes. They were all forced to leave the U.S. market, too, in 2011. Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet both shut down completely. PokerStars acquired Full Tilt Poker and renewed their commitment to poker throughout the world, sans the United States.
That's what the rest of this page covers.
Choosing the Right Online Poker Site
You want to choose an online poker site that's going to provide you with a great customer experience. How do we define that in terms of Internet poker?
- A great customer experience means being able to play the poker games you want. This includes more than just Texas holdem for many players.
- A great customer experience means being able to deposit and withdraw your funds quickly and easily. The sites we list have been vetted for customer-friendly banking options.
- A great customer experience means being able to enjoy the interface. Clunky, outdated software won't do.
Even though a lot of poker sites have left the United States market, you'll still find a bewildering number of choices. That's why we've put together this comprehensive guide to your options. We're confident you'll be satisfied with almost every aspect of the player experience at all the sites we've listed.
Top Online Poker Sites by Category
Different poker players have different needs. If you're looking for a 5-card stud game, an online cardroom which only offers Texas holdem and Omaha is a bad choice — even if it scores well among all our other criteria. When you're shopping around, keep in mind what preferences you have.
In fact, we recommend putting together a list of what you're looking for from a poker room.
- Are you just looking for low-stakes Texas holdem games?
- Do you want to play in a lot of freerolls?
- Are you a sit-n-go specialist?
- Do you also want to be able to bet on sports or play casino games some of the time?
- Are you going to be playing primarily from a mobile device?
Here are some of the categories we use when ranking online poker sites:
While Michigan won't be launching online poker right away, sports betting and real money online casinos are set to launch Friday. On Tuesday, the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) authorized nine operators to go live on Jan. 22 at noon.
'The Michigan Gaming Control Board and the state's commercial and tribal casinos will begin a new era Jan. 22 with the launch of regulated online gaming and sports betting,' MGCB executive director Richard S. Kalm said in a news release.
'Michigan residents love sports and, judging by inquiries we've received, eagerly anticipate using mobile devices to place bets through the commercial and tribal casinos. Online gaming and sports betting will provide the casinos with new ways to engage with customers while the state and local communities will benefit from taxes and payments on wagering revenue.'
No poker yet, but online gaming may pave the way
Michigan officially legalized online poker, online casinos and sports betting in 2019. So far, PokerStars and Roar Digital/MGM (which runs partypoker US Network) have been approved in the state.
Tuesday's list of operators didn't include PokerStars. The group did include Roar for online casino and sports betting. WSOP.com hasn't been approved in the state yet.
The good news for poker players is that online casinos in Michigan will at least launch this week. Also, Kalm noted recently that he didn't expect online poker sites in Michigan to see a significant delay.
Many Pennsylvania online poker players were left frustrated after a lengthy delay between iGaming launch and online poker. The Michigan online operators authorized to begin online gaming on Jan. 22 include:
Online Video Poker Betting
| Tribe/casino | Associated platform provider | Gaming types offered on Jan. 22 |
|---|---|---|
| MGM Grand Detroit | BetMGM/Roar Digital | Casino games; sports betting |
| Bay Mills Indian Community | DraftKings | Casino games; sports betting |
| Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians | William Hill | Casino games; sports betting |
| Greektown Casino | Penn Sports Interactive/Barstool Sportsbook | Sports betting |
| Hannahville Indian Community | TwinSpires | Casino games; sports betting |
| Keweenaw Bay Indian Community | Golden Nugget Online Gaming | Casino games; sports betting |
| Little River Band of Ottawa Indians | Rush Street | Casino games; sports betting |
| MotorCity Casino | FanDuel | Casino games; sports betting |
| Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians | Wynn | Casino games; sports betting |
Closing in on launch date
MGCB officials noted the days between authorization and launch give operators additional time for testing and adjustments before going live.
The MGCB expects to authorize additional operators and platform providers in the coming days and weeks. Agency staff members continue reviewing other submissions to ensure they meet state regulatory requirements.
Betonline Poker Mobile
'We want the public to have confidence when they place wagers,' Kalm said, 'and our agency has required the providers to prove they meet Michigan's standards, which are designed to protect the participants.'
An MGCB spokesperson told USPoker that the board 'has approved online poker games at the request of various platform providers. Operators and platform providers will decide which games they will present at launch.'
Despite that, there has been no timeline for a partypoker launch in the state. The MGCB also provisionally approved PokerStars as well. However, the operator is not among those with the initial go-ahead.
Poker fans may be in waiting mode, but a launch at least appears in sight – just not on Jan. 22.
In fact, we recommend putting together a list of what you're looking for from a poker room.
- Are you just looking for low-stakes Texas holdem games?
- Do you want to play in a lot of freerolls?
- Are you a sit-n-go specialist?
- Do you also want to be able to bet on sports or play casino games some of the time?
- Are you going to be playing primarily from a mobile device?
Here are some of the categories we use when ranking online poker sites:
While Michigan won't be launching online poker right away, sports betting and real money online casinos are set to launch Friday. On Tuesday, the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) authorized nine operators to go live on Jan. 22 at noon.
'The Michigan Gaming Control Board and the state's commercial and tribal casinos will begin a new era Jan. 22 with the launch of regulated online gaming and sports betting,' MGCB executive director Richard S. Kalm said in a news release.
'Michigan residents love sports and, judging by inquiries we've received, eagerly anticipate using mobile devices to place bets through the commercial and tribal casinos. Online gaming and sports betting will provide the casinos with new ways to engage with customers while the state and local communities will benefit from taxes and payments on wagering revenue.'
No poker yet, but online gaming may pave the way
Michigan officially legalized online poker, online casinos and sports betting in 2019. So far, PokerStars and Roar Digital/MGM (which runs partypoker US Network) have been approved in the state.
Tuesday's list of operators didn't include PokerStars. The group did include Roar for online casino and sports betting. WSOP.com hasn't been approved in the state yet.
The good news for poker players is that online casinos in Michigan will at least launch this week. Also, Kalm noted recently that he didn't expect online poker sites in Michigan to see a significant delay.
Many Pennsylvania online poker players were left frustrated after a lengthy delay between iGaming launch and online poker. The Michigan online operators authorized to begin online gaming on Jan. 22 include:
Online Video Poker Betting
| Tribe/casino | Associated platform provider | Gaming types offered on Jan. 22 |
|---|---|---|
| MGM Grand Detroit | BetMGM/Roar Digital | Casino games; sports betting |
| Bay Mills Indian Community | DraftKings | Casino games; sports betting |
| Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians | William Hill | Casino games; sports betting |
| Greektown Casino | Penn Sports Interactive/Barstool Sportsbook | Sports betting |
| Hannahville Indian Community | TwinSpires | Casino games; sports betting |
| Keweenaw Bay Indian Community | Golden Nugget Online Gaming | Casino games; sports betting |
| Little River Band of Ottawa Indians | Rush Street | Casino games; sports betting |
| MotorCity Casino | FanDuel | Casino games; sports betting |
| Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians | Wynn | Casino games; sports betting |
Closing in on launch date
MGCB officials noted the days between authorization and launch give operators additional time for testing and adjustments before going live.
The MGCB expects to authorize additional operators and platform providers in the coming days and weeks. Agency staff members continue reviewing other submissions to ensure they meet state regulatory requirements.
Betonline Poker Mobile
'We want the public to have confidence when they place wagers,' Kalm said, 'and our agency has required the providers to prove they meet Michigan's standards, which are designed to protect the participants.'
An MGCB spokesperson told USPoker that the board 'has approved online poker games at the request of various platform providers. Operators and platform providers will decide which games they will present at launch.'
Despite that, there has been no timeline for a partypoker launch in the state. The MGCB also provisionally approved PokerStars as well. However, the operator is not among those with the initial go-ahead.
Poker fans may be in waiting mode, but a launch at least appears in sight – just not on Jan. 22.
