There's a 'useful link' on the sidebar: The recommendations are likely the same - the landscape hasn't really changed much, and won't until PA and others implement their new laws. Best US Poker Sites in 2018. My favorite poker site is Bovada Poker, but it might not be yours - and that’s OK! There are other options for you. Obviously, you won’t have as many sites to choose from as other countries but there are some really good poker sites open to US players including; Intertops, Bovada and even America’s Cardroom. Most 'Non-USA' players can play on any poker site that they choose. However, here are the most recommended sites on /r/poker. PokerStars - Arguably the toughest site out there in terms of players, pokerstars is often praised for great software and an excellent selection of games to play. The largest playerbase of any poker site on the planet.
Today, if you are looking for information on the Internet, chances are you are going to end up on Reddit. The forum covers possible walk of life and not surprisingly online poker. As such, turning to fellow Redditors to seek answer to the question which the best online poker sites are doesn’t seem too far-fetched.
In fact, there have been many discussions over the years already. While players’ experiences have been somewhat varying, the names of specific poker sites have kept coming up time and again. As a result, you can use Reddit to find the best poker sites available online in the US and also understand why they are considered such.
We took a trip to r/Poker to find out more about find out more about the brands everyone has been talking about today. For those of you who are eager to get started, you can just hop to our dedicated online poker sites reviews:
BetOnline Poker and Redditors’ Opinion
BetOnline
When it comes to big online poker sites, Reddit is swirling with rumors, bit and bobs of information and players’ personal accounts. Players relate their experiences readily and are happy to either refute each other’s statements or back them up.
Combing Reddit for the keen first-hand insight you want to find yourself, we have come across generally good opinions about BetOnline Poker. Players have repeatedly praised the card room’s “softness,” offering a mild entry level to poker fans of all bankroll backgrounds.
More players have been happy to jump on the praise bandwagon, confirming that their experience with BetOnline Poker has been quite to their expectations. One Redditor said they really enjoyed the mobile app available at the poker site, allowing them quick play on the go.
Card Catcher was another touted feature of the poker room, allowing players to run quick analyses of past hands and position themselves well.
So yes, Redditors with a shine on poker have had good things to say about BetOnline from the laconic, “BetOnline is solid” to the slightly more grammatical “Yes, it’s a good poker site.”
We agree as much, especially when the website has a $1000 poker bonus matched at 100% on your first deposit to offer.
Intertops Poker
Intertops Poker
We are not at all surprised that in a topic discussing Redditors’ favorite online poker sites, the name of Intertops will come up. Intertops shares the same client with Bovada Poker, so you will see some similarities there.
Yet, don’t expect to find a poker room that lacks individuality. The website goes out of its way to award players and it generally enjoys the community’s endorsement. One minor blemish however, could be traffic.
Intertops Poker doesn’t necessarily impress with the largest traffic you will see, and part of this is the fact that the website restricts certain jurisdictions if asked by a regulator. Even six years ago, Intertops was one of the most preferred poker sites to play on.
Intertops was also one of the earliest adopters of Bitcoin, with the cryptocurrency arriving to the website several years back. That in turn has tremendously expedited cashouts, although some less tech-savvy players have had to learn the ropes first.
Bovada Poker
Bovada Poker
Bovada has gone through quite a bit of rebranding and it has been generally well-positioned in the opinions of poker aficionados in the United States. Owned by the same company behind Ignition Poker, Bovada maintains the best industry standards.
One of the touted advantages of Bovada is the use of cryptocurrency for deposits and withdrawals, which guarantees quicker withdrawals.
Another particular feature of the poker site is the focus on the United States, and specifically on individual states. Players can first check if they are allowed to play from their specific location, which is a big relief.
Today, Bovada covers the majority of US states, with some minor exception it seems in states that have already introduced their own online poker. Another great aspect of visiting Bovada is that you can make a living playing there.
Players have actually reported sustaining themselves by playing Bovada poker. As a result, you will find dedicated players and a great traffic. What you need to bring along with you is a good understanding of online poker.
Of course, some opinions are a little more contrasted, but they often CONTAIN CAPSLOCK, which we consider to be a display of bad taste. In fact, we believe that Bovada is the most unequivocally transparent and Reddit-endorsed online poker site you may try yourself today.
We dug up one great guide that can you started in online poker if you are new. Now, this Redditor’s guide covers the situation at Bovada from four years ago, but we can promise you that much of what he says is true today. If anything, Bovada Online Poker has more players today than it has ever had before.
888 Poker
Everything is easier on 888 Poker. This is a phrase that you may hear when you join the website, and not by 888 Holdings themselves, but rather the community. The rake is higher and softness somewhat suffers, but it’s still a pretty well-rounded experience through and through.
Redditors generally agree that cash games are easy enough and MTT’s are easier than some bigger brands, such as PokerStars’. SNG are another big draw for the community, which apparently 888 Poker gets right.
888 Poker is a bit of an educator, too, with the website running in-depth articles on how to play poker and advance. The best part is that this online poker site assumes no knowledge on your part. With this said, you won’t find a single Redditor who truly believes that 888 Poker offers a sub-par service.
In fact, the only remonstrance against the website has been the occasional software crash and somewhat longer customer service times. Granted, these can be big issues sometimes, but overall, 888 Poker is still one of the official networks for the World Series of Poker (WSOP), allowing players to enjoy a sterling experience.
The website runs a ton of events, SNGs, MTTs and cash games to provide you with sufficient opportunities to build your bankroll. Traffic could be a little better, but this is not an enormous issue all things considered.
Read my full 888 Poker review here.
Americas Cardroom
Americas Cardroom
Americas Cardroom or ACR is one of the most debated online poker sites. The opinions of Redditors have been contrasted to the point where some have called the website a good place to stick around, but some have repeatedly insisted that not all games are adequately developed.
Now, the main thing about Americas Cardroom is that if you do choose this website, you generally need to come from a more experienced poker background. The games are difficult, players agree, as there are a lot of grinders due to the popularity of the online poker site.
ACR runs some of the richest online poker tournaments, which has prompted a lot of attention and many players stick around long after events have been wrapped up. Redditors don’t seem to be too fond of recommending Americas Cardroom in general, but we believe there may be some merits still.
The website claims that over $5 million are won daily and the promotion sections is filled up to the brink with tempting and upcoming promotions.
Online poker in the United States has changed drastically in the last decade. There was once a time when the biggest and best poker sites were open to US players. That’s no longer the case.
American poker players have a difficult time finding a safe real money poker site to join these days, especially one that has plenty of banking options, games that run, and reasonable promotions.
Since it’s so tough to find a legit site, we suggest you save yourself the time and headache by using our recommendations instead. We’ve listed the best USA poker sites below.
Rank | Poker Site | Exclusive Bonus | Get Started | |
---|---|---|---|---|
#1 | 888poker | 100% Up To€400 | Visit Site | Visit Site |
We’ll explain how we came up with our recommendations in the next section.
Following that, we’ll explain what kinds of games, software, and promotions Americans can expect to find at US-facing poker sites. We’ll also share some of the biggest pros and cons to playing at these poker rooms.
The goal here is to educate you on what you can expect if you choose to play online poker from the US, which can be a gray area for many players. And we want to make sure you join the only safest and best real money poker sites.
Without further ado, let’s jump right into it.
Choosing which real money USA poker sites to recommend is no easy task. While there are several sites that accept US players, only a few of them are worth your time.
What we want to do now is give you a brief explanation of why we selected the top online poker rooms to recommend to our readers. The goal is to show you that there was real effort and thought put into our reviews and ratings.
However, the following information will also help you find a real money online poker site if for some reason you don’t want to choose from one of our recommendations.
Okay, so when selecting a USA poker site to join, what variables or attributes should you look for?
We believe the following three factors are the most important.
Reputation
We use multiple sources to determine a site’s reputation. This includes poker forums, industry insiders, our own contacts, firsthand experience, and more.
We specifically make sure that they are properly licensed to provide online poker for real money, and that they’re regulated by a reputable gambling authority.
There are two things we look for here.
The first thing we look for is whether the poker site has banking options that we can use to make a deposit. The best options today for US poker players is a credit card or Bitcoin.
The best options for cashouts are Bitcoin, followed by wire transfers, paper checks, or money transfers.
The second thing we look at is whether the poker room has a reputation for cashing out US players within a reasonable timeframe.
Traffic
Traffic or player liquidity is the next important attribute to look for. That’s because poker is unique from most other forms of real money gambling in that you need other people in order to play.
There are some USA poker sites that prohibit players from certain states from joining. And you’re not going to find many players from countries outside the US on these sites for various reasons.
This leads to most poker websites having hardly any traffic. These rooms aren’t worth joining.
The attributes above are the most important. However, they’re not the only ones we consider when ranking the best USA poker sites. Nor should they be all the you look if you’re deciding where to play real money online poker yourself.
We also recommend you consider the following.
This encompasses everything from the types of games and formats the room offers to the variants and stakes that you can play.
You’ll obviously want to find a site that caters to your specific interests, whether that’s playing mixed game cash games or deep stack Hold’em tournaments.
Mobile
Can you play poker on a mobile device? What’s more, is the room compatible on your specific device?
The top online poker rooms, for the United States or anywhere else, should all be compatible with a wide range of mobile devices nowadays.
Do you have to download the software, or do you play from your browser? Do you have a preference?
Beyond that, you also want to look at the features the software has. For example, can you use four-color decks, auto-top off your stack, and do you have the option to set up your table layout however you want?
Promotions, Bonuses, and Rewards
- What kinds of deals can you claim?
- Can you claim a deposit bonus?
- Do they have leaderboard contests?
- Do they have free plays?
- Can you earn extra rewards through a VIP program?
The leading real money poker sites for the USA are all generous in terms of the extra value they offer players.
- What kinds of tournaments can you play?
- Are there guaranteed tournaments?
- Does the poker room offer satellites to live events?
- Do they have satellites?
We also recommend looking at previously scheduled tournaments. Did the guaranteed tournaments get enough registrants to meet the guarantee or did the poker room have to cover the difference for most of them?
If it was the latter, which is called an overlay tournament, then you should strongly consider joining. Those are valuable tournaments to play since you’ll have fewer players to fight through for the same prize pool.
Does the poker room offer any kind of poker education or training? Are there any tools or resources to help you learn the game and get better at it?
This is a general idea of what we look for and the questions we ask whenever we review a poker room. We recommend you do the same. It’ll ensure that you enjoy whatever US poker site you join.
One of the challenges to playing real money poker online from the US is that there’s a shortlist of quality sites for you to join.
However, does that mean your options are short? Are you automatically limited on the games you can play, the features available to you, and the stakes you can play for?
That’s what we want to explore in this section.
What Poker Games Can Americans Play Online?
You won’t have a problem finding Texas Hold’em. That’s the most popular poker game in the world. You’ll also find Omaha games running too, depending on the site you join.
However, you’re going to struggle to find other games such as Stud, Razz, and mixed games. Free heart of vegas coins 2019. These games aren’t nearly as popular and there’s not enough player liquidity for them to run often.
That’s assuming the poker websites you join even offer them. Not all of them do.
As for stakes, most cash games will start at $0.01/$0.02 or $0.02/$0.05. The stakes don’t peak as high for US players as they do players around the world. That’s okay, because you’ll find most games running at the micros and small stakes.
The tournaments that you can buy into cost about the same as other major tournaments at European poker sites. The difference between these tournaments, though, is that the guarantees usually aren’t as large at US poker sites.
For example, you can buy into a $100k guarantee for $162 on Bovada where first place will receive around $20,000. This pales in comparison to the Sunday Million on PokerStars that you can buy into for $109 and possibly win more than $100,000 for taking the whole thing down.
The point? Well, you’re risking more to win less money. That said, the upside is that we’d expect Bovada’s tournament to have a smaller and softer field compared to PokerStars. That should help balance it out.
Overall, players in the United States will have a smaller selection of real money poker games to choose from. There will be fewer tournaments running and the guarantees will be smaller, too.
However, that’s to be expected, considering the player pool is much smaller compared to the player pool outside the US. We don’t think it’s that big of a downside in the grand scheme of things anyway.
This is one area where US players won’t have to compromise too much on. Several of the top US poker sites have done a great job updating their software. They look modern and offer plenty of features.
Here are a few examples of what you can expect.
- The ability to scale your tables to fit your screen. You can also tile, cascade, or stack your tables, which is handy for people who multi-table.
- You’ll have the option to play five to ten tables simultaneously, and some sites allow for more.
- Most top poker sites will offer features such as four-color decks, different card designs, easily readable pot and bet sizes, multiple languages, hand history replayer, and more.
- Some rooms offer anonymous tables which is great for recreational players. You don’t have to worry about sharks preying on you.
- Most sites offer built-in casino games and sportsbooks.
- You can use third party software at some poker rooms.
- You can play from your browser or download their software. Either option will be compatible with PCs AND Macs.
And more. The bottom line is that you’re not getting short-changed here. The best USA poker sites for real money have done a great job with their software.
Best Us Poker Sites Reddit Sites
US poker sites offer plenty of promotions, too. The following are a few examples of promotions you’ll be able to claim.
- Deposit Bonuses – Some of the deals we’ve seen include a 100% match up to $1,000 and a 100% match bonus up to $500.
- New Player Freerolls – These are tournaments that cost nothing to enter and offer a real money prize. Entry is limited to only those who signed up and made a deposit recently.
- Free Play – Get a free tournament ticket or free money to use in the poker room’s casino or sportsbook.
- VIP Program – Many sites will reward you for your loyalty. Perks can include exclusive bonuses, cash back, tournament tickets, and more.
- Bad Beat Jackpots – Play on a BBJ table and you can win a piece of a jackpot if your hand (usually quad 2s or better) lose to a better hand.
And so on. The one thing you’ll want to pay attention to when it comes to promotions are the playthrough terms. Specifically, you want to look at how much money you need to spend to clear every $1 or $10 of your bonus, and if there’s a timeframe you need to do it in.
Reddit Online Poker
There are some sites that make it incredibly difficult to earn their promotions. It’s one of the biggest downsides to poker promotions but you can usually avoid it if you stick with the top poker sites and do your homework first.
We also cover this information in detail in our reviews.
It’s not easy to play real money poker online in the United States when compared to playing poker online elsewhere in the world. However, it’s not impossible, especially after reading this guide.
While you might not have all the options that other players have, such as high stakes action, tons of games running, and enough traffic for games like Pineapple and HORSE to run, there’s still plenty of action to be had.
For example, you can play Hold’em and Omaha cash games and tournaments at the micro and small stakes levels. The software you’ll play on is top-notch and both serious and recreational players will be able to find a site that caters to them.
If that sounds good to you, then the first step to getting started is to find a site to join. To ensure you enjoy playing online poker for real money, join one of the best USA poker sites.
Best Free Online Poker Sites
Here’s a reminder of our top recommendations. Remember, each one has been thoroughly vetted and we’re confident you’ll have a good experience.