Online Poker

Online Poker Header Image
Davida Mintz
Last Updated: December 10, 2024
Fact Checked ByStephen Pierce

Over a decade since the darkest day in America's online poker history, the US online poker industry is slowly staging a comeback. Players were in disbelief when they logged into their online poker accounts on April 15, 2011, a day now referred to as "Black Friday". Instead of a schedule of MTTs and cash games, US players discovered a notice stating that Full Tilt, PokerStars, and the Cereus Network (Ultimate Bet & Absolute Poker) had been taken down.

While the days of competing with tens of millions of poker players worldwide may be gone for good, online poker is enjoying a resurgence in the US, one state at a time. Players in six states currently have access to legal online poker through legal online casinos, and a handful of new states look like good candidates for legalization in the future. As a growing number of states embrace legal sports betting, advocates hope online poker will be next in line.

What is Poker?

Poker is a popular card game with numerous variations where players compete against one another to have the best hand (assortment of cards), which is based on specific card values and pairings. Players work to build the best hand possible over the course of several rounds utilizing tactics like bluffing to discourage players from continuing on with the round.  

While the origins of poker are up for debate, there's no question that its popularity increased heavily during the 1970s with the introduction of the World Series of Poker. Now one of the largest casino games — both in-person and online — in the world, poker is a strategical card game that comes with elements of luck as well, depending on what the dealer rolls out with the community cards. Even if you have nothing of value in your hand, half the fun of poker comes in bluffing versus the other players at your table. That's when having the best poker face can turn a losing hand into a winning one.

Where is Online Poker Legal in the U.S.?

Legal online poker is available to play in six US states (Nevada, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Delaware). Thanks to the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA) players who are physically located within these legal states can play online poker with users across state lines. With other states looking to bring legal online poker to their constituents in the future, this creates an opportunity for country-wide tournaments and special events. To follow the legalization process of online sportsbooks, casinos and poker alike, view our legalization tracker.

As we have alluded to, users have many options when it comes to playing online poker. The most common places to play online poker can be broken into two categories: online casinos and dedicated poker websites.

How To Pick The Best Online Poker Websites

The best online poker websites are ones where you can have an awesome signup bonus and a lot of variety in games offered. Here is how to pick the best online poker websites:

  • Sign Up Bonus: The best online poker sites will give new users a deposit match and bonus money to start playing their favorite Hold'em and Pot Limit Omaha Games
  • Safety & Security: Online poker websites that are legal, safe, and secure are of the highest priority when it comes to picking the best poker sites. 
  • Variety of Games Offered: Make sure the online poker site that you sign up for has a lot of different poker offerings to your liking before signing up. 
  • Fast Payouts: Having poker sites that will pay out your tournament winnings and have a quick withdrawal process is important.
  • Tournament Offerings: Most players that go to these poker sites want to play in tournaments, so find a poker site that has lots of different buy ins & tournament sizes.

Where to Play Online Poker in 2024

BetMGM Casino

BetMGM Poker

BetMGM Screenshot
Screenshot of BetMGM Poker

Part of MGM Resorts International, BetMGM Poker made its debut in the U.S. online poker landscape as a powerful contender, offering an exciting blend of tournament and cash game options. First launched in New Jersey, BetMGM Poker quickly expanded to Pennsylvania and Michigan, making use of its excellent software to deliver a seamless online poker experience. Renowned for its diverse selection of No-limit Hold 'em and Pot-Limit Omaha games, BetMGM Poker has carved out a substantial player base.

Sharing liquidity across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan, BetMGM Poker is part of the multi-state online poker network, allowing for larger player pools and competitive tournaments. The platform continually attracts players with its generous promotions and satellite entries to prestigious live circuit events, elevating the online poker scene with seamless mobile gameplay and substantial prizes.

World Series of Poker

World Series Of Poker.com

WSOP.com Screenshot
Screenshot of WSOP.com

A division of Caesars Entertainment, WSOP.com offers online satellite and bracelet events for the World Series of Poker. In 2013, the biggest name in tournament poker launched the first legal US online poker site in Nevada. Offering a variety of No-limit Hold ’em, Omaha and stud cash games, WSOP.com is America's largest legal online poker room.

New Jersey, Nevada, Michigan, Pennsylvania sites share a multi-state online player pool. It was the first multi-state online poker network. Traffic skyrocketed on WSOP.com in 2018 when it started sharing players with the now defunct 888Poker in all three states. That large boost to the player pool has fueled increased guarantees in Multi Table Tournaments and plenty of cash game action across all stakes.

Borgata Casino

Borgata Poker

Borgata Poker Screenshot
Screenshot of Borgata Poker

As a significant player in the Atlantic City casino scene, Borgata extended its reach into the online poker world with Borgata Poker. Operating under the MGM Resorts umbrella, it presents New Jersey and Pennsylvania players with a refined online offering that captures the excitement of its brick-and-mortar counterpart. Borgata Poker stands out with its user-friendly interface, appealing to both seasoned players and newcomers alike.

The site is part of a multi-state player pool, allowing it to offer strong game variety and tournament guarantees. In collaboration with BetMGM Poker and PartyPoker, Borgata Poker provides players access to some of the most exciting poker tournaments in their regions, along with exclusive bonuses and satellite events.

BetRivers Casino

BetRivers Casino

BetRivers Screenshot
Screenshot of BetRivers Poker

News about the launch of the new BetRivers poker platform in Pennsylvania shook up the online poker world in November of 2024. With the help of famous poker player and Run It Once founder Phil Galfond, BetRivers launched a live poker room dedicated to bringing players in PA a new low-rake experience.

Rush Street Interactive has enjoyed success in the online casino industry with its BetRivers site, and is hoping to do the same in online poker. Expansion into new states could be on the horizon in 2025 and beyond if things go well in Pennsylvania.

PokerStars Logo

PokerStars

PokerStars Screenshot
Screenshot of PokerStars

PokerStars needs little introduction as one of the world's leading online poker providers. It made a strong impact during its initial run in the U.S. market prior to Black Friday and has since returned, launching in New Jersey and later expanding to Pennsylvania and Michigan. PokerStars provides an extensive suite of poker offerings, featuring both cash games and tournaments across a range of poker variants including No-limit Hold 'em and Pot-Limit Omaha.

PokerStars is renowned for its dynamic tournament schedules, innovative gaming features, and high-profile series such as the PokerStars Championships and SCOOP. Utilizing a robust multi-state network, PokerStars ensures American players enjoy larger player pools and significant tournament guarantees, maintaining its status as a top-tier online poker destination.

Party Poker

Party Poker

PartyPoker Screenshot
Screenshot of PartyPoker

A pioneer in the online poker world, PartyPoker re-entered the U.S. market with a renewed focus on delivering exceptional player experiences. First established in New Jersey, PartyPoker has brought its global expertise stateside, offering an array of cash games and tournaments tailored to local preferences.

Joining forces with Borgata and BetMGM, PartyPoker shares multi-state liquidity to improve its player engagement and tournament offerings. Known for its commitment to fair play, PartyPoker offers a platform with innovative features and generous promotions, making it a preferred choice for U.S. poker enthusiasts.

Clubs Poker

Clubs Poker: A Social Casino Alternative

ClubsPoker Screenshot
Screenshot of Clubs Poker

Clubs Poker is a social casino operating legally in over 40 states across the US. Unlike other social casinos that focus primarily on slots, Clubs Poker offers a legitimate live poker experience to its players. The site offers both Texas Hold'em and Omaha and delivers many popular game types including bounty and progressive knockout tournaments, Sit and Go's, and Spin and Go's.

Players can play for fun using gold coins, or play for real cash prizes using sweepstakes coins. If you live outside one of the states that traditional online poker is currently available, Clubs Poker is a great legal alternative to consider.

Multi State Online Poker Games

Many online poker sites only allow you to play against people who are located in your state. However, interstate compacts under the Multi-State IGaming Agreement allow users in different states to play against each other like in Michigan, New Jersey, and Nevada. States like Delaware, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia do not allow you to play players in other states, though Pennsylvania might soon allow it. 

The online poker websites that allow interstate compacts are WSOP.com and PokerStars, but it is anticipated that BetMGM will offer it soon. Playing players in multiple states allows for big prize pools and the opportunity to fill games quicker.

How to Play Poker: Poker Basics

A player can win a hand of poker in one of two ways. He can show up with the best poker hand at showdown or successfully bluff his opponent into folding the better hand. Since poker is a game of skill, players can improve their results by reviewing hands and putting in the necessary hours it takes to get better.

Antes

Antes that are used in tournaments differ from small and big blinds because it requires all players (besides the designated small and big blind players) in a match to put in a set amount of chips at the beginning of each round. Typically, antes are much smaller than the actual bets being played in the round, and are kind of like a "warm-up" bet to get things rolling. 

Big & Small Blinds 

In poker, players have to submit chips at the beginning of each round in a rotating fashion. In simpler terms, the two players who are the big and small blinds need to place a certain amount of chips into the winning pot before the round begins. Usually the big & small blinds increase each level for tournaments and for sit & go they stay at the same amount the entire game. $1/$2 cash games are some of the most popular poker games to play, which means the blinds stay at $1 for small and $2 for big the entire game.

Casino chips for blinds

Pre-Flop

To start the hand, the dealer delivers two hole cards face down to every player. They examine their hands and the player in the under-the-gun (UTG) position, to the left of the big blind, is the first to act. Playing a tighter range of hands in early position, he raises pre-flop with something like high pocket pairs, AK, AQ suited and some suited broadways (K-Js,  K-Qs, AJs). In an unraised pot, a player can conserve chips by just calling, called limping, and contributing one big blind. The rest of the cards go into the muck, aside from a few bluffs with non-premiums like small-suited aces and small pairs.

Re-raising another player’s bet for value or as a bluff is called 3-betting. Another aggressive move in a poker player’s arsenal, going all-in, means putting all your chips in the pot. It’s an easy way to lose your stack, but it’s also an opportunity to double up fast if your opponent has you covered. In most cases, getting all your opponents to fold and collecting the blinds and antes is the best outcome.

Flop

Once the pre-flop action wraps up, the first three community cards, called the flop, are turned over. They can be used to improve the hand of any player at the table. A player who raises or 3-bets pre-flop frequently makes a continuation bet, or c-bet, on the flop. Sometimes he makes a small value bet, while other times he overbets the pot. Aside from betting, players may check, call, 3-bet or go all-in on the flop.

Turn

After the flop, the next community card, called the turn, is revealed. When it improves a player’s hand, he may bet, 3-bet or go all-in. When it doesn’t he has the option to check, fold or bluff. A check-raise on the turn represents strength so fold vs. one unless you have a strong read or a premium hand.

River

The fifth community card called the river, is exposed in the final betting round. It’s the last chance for a player to build the pot when he’s confident he has the best hand. It’s also his final chance to bluff when his hand’s too weak to win at showdown.

Showdown

Players make their best five-card poker hands using any combination of the five community cards and the two they were dealt. The last player to place a bet is the first to turn his cards over. The rest of the table follows and the player with the highest-ranking poker hand wins the pot.

Bluffing

A professional poker player can’t survive by only winning pots when he has the best hand. He must balance the number of value bets he makes with the number of bluffs. Online, timing tells are the most reliable indicator of your opponent’s strength or weakness. For instance, acting too quickly is usually a sign of weakness, especially if your opponent is a recreational player. Avoid bluffing in group pots and do it sparingly in the microstakes because your opponents are unlikely to fold.

Limping

Players typically limp with medium-strength hands or worse, hoping to see a cheap flop. Advanced players have a balanced limping range. But in the micros, don’t be surprised to see a player limp with pocket aces from UTG to disguise the strength of his holding. He’s counting on a loose aggressive player to isolate him by putting in a hefty raise. Inevitably, an aggro player raises to punish the limper and the UTG player snap re-raises all-in. The loose aggressive player typically folds whatever weak holding he was raising with, and the player with aces loses out on maximum value.

Winning Card Combinations by Rank

There are 10 winning combinations in poker. Here’s a list of winning combinations that are ranked by value:

Number "1" icon Royal Flush - 10, J, Q, K, A that are all the same suit. 

Royal Flush Image

Number "2" icon Straight Flush — Any combination of cards that are in numerical order with the same suit.

Number "3" icon Four of a Kind — Four cards of the same rank.

Number "4' icon Full House — A combination of three cards of a certain rank and two cards of a different rank.

Number "5" icon Flush — Any combination of cards that have the same suit.

Example of a flush in online poker

Number "6" icon Straight — A hand that contains cards in numerical order. 

Number "7" icon Three of a Kind — A hand containing three cards of the same rank.

Number "8" icon Two Pair — A hand containing any two pairs of cards.

Number "9" icon Pair — A hand containing two cards of the same rank.

Number "10" icon High Card — The worst hand you can win with in poker. It is the highest-ranking card in your hand.

Game Types

Here are some game types you would find playing online poker:

Cash Game

Sometimes called a ring game, a cash game player can join the table and leave whenever he wishes. Tables are split into 6-max and full-ring which is typically 9 - 10-max. Cash games also usually feature a minimum and max amount of money you can bring to the table to start. The blinds on the game also remain the same throughout the cash game.

Multi-table-tournament (MTT)

Multi-Table-Tournament (MTT) is when players on multiple tables compete to make it into the money. Once the bubble bursts, you may see players take on some risk to chip up in anticipation of the final table and heads-up play. Usually MTT feature anywhere from 20-1000s of players that try to make it in to the money spots. This is a kind of game that you would find if you play in the World Series Of Poker.

Sit & Go (SNG)

Sit & gos are single table tournaments that start when a set number of players sign up. While MTTs can last all day, sit & gos generally wrap up in less than an hour. Some poker sites offer buy-ins for less than $1. These are a great way for a beginner to learn how to play before playing in any multi-table-tournaments. 

Poker Variants

It is likely that you have heard people talk about a specific type of poker before. Poker has evolved to exist in three distinct categories of gameplay:

Heart icon for card poker section Community Card Poker

Community cards are shared by all players to improve the strength of their hands. Players make the best possible poker hand using a combination of their two cards, known as ‘hole’ cards, and the community cards. 

Spade for Draw poker section Draw Poker

A player has the option to discard cards from his hand and draw new ones. Hand rankings are the same as in no-limit hold 'em. 

Diamond for Stud poker section Stud Poker

Players are dealt a mix of face-up and face-down cards in Stud Poker. Rather than beginning with the player seated UTG, the one with the lowest value face-up card goes first. 

Along with the above multi-player games, you'll also find single-player variations of poker, as well as games played solely against the dealer, such as Pai Gow Poker.

Popular Poker Games

In addition to the categories listed above, there are also a variety of distinct poker games that fall within each of these categories. The ultimate object of the game remains to have the best hand compared to other players, but the play style for each specific game can vary significantly.

Clubs for Poker Games Texas Hold’em 

The objective of Texas Hold ‘em is to make the highest-ranking hand at showdown. A player can also win with the worst hand if he bets an amount that gets his opponents to fold before showdown. The most popular variants are limit and no-limit hold 'em. no-limit hold ‘em is the most frequently used format during televised poker events like the World Series of Poker Main Event. 

clover icon Omaha High 

Omaha players receive four cards instead of two and must make their best hand using two of their hole cards and three community cards. It’s more common to draw monsters like a royal flush or four of a kind at Omaha than it is at Texas hold ‘em. However, premium pairs, like pocket aces, are rarely good at showdown.

clover icon Omaha Hi-Lo

Players must form two hands with their four cards and combine it with the community cards to get the highest and lowest hands in order to win. The pot is split evenly between the players with the high and low hands. When there is no qualifying low hand, the high hand takes the entire pot.

spade icon 5-Card Draw

Each player is dealt five cards and must create the highest hand possible. All other players' hands remain hidden throughout the round, requiring players to guess at how their hand will compare at the end. There is only a single round of drawing in this game, meaning that this is a fast-paced option for players.

These are just a few of the many different poker games that players are likely to encounter when playing poker.

spade icon 7-Card Stud

Still a hit at home games and mixed game tournaments, 7-Card Stud was once the most popular poker game around. 7-Card Stud is not played with community cards. Instead, each player is dealt seven hole cards beginning with two face down and one face up on the first street.

How To Sign Up For Online Poker Sites

After reading more about online poker we encourage you to sign up for any of the poker sites we have discussed. Here is how to sign up for your favorite online poker site:

  • Click any of the online poker links on this page to get started
  • Sign up for a new poker account and enter a promo code or bonus code if necessary
  • Enter your personal information and verify your identity 
  • Validate your living in a legal online poker state
  • Make your first deposit and get your bonus to start playing!

Getting Started Playing Online Poker

Once you have signed up for the online poker site of your choosing its time to start playing. The process for getting started is simple:

  • Begin by choosing your game type in the lobby of your online poker site. 
  • Next choose if you want to play sit & go, cash game, or tournament style
  • Select your buy in and play online poker!

Online Real Money Poker

Online poker has become increasingly popular over the past several years. Many poker sites and online casinos offer players bonus play and real money options. Bonus play poker means that users are simply playing for fun without wagering any actual money. The chips used are purely symbolic to keep the flow of the game intact. Real money poker, as the name indicates, is competitive play against other players wagering actual money. It is important to know the distinction to avoid accidentally losing money. 

Online Poker Resources

Confidence is key to being a successful poker player. Take advantage of the following poker guides to help boost your play:

Online Casino Reviews
Best Social Casinos
Legal Online Casino States
Online Slots
Online Blackjack
Online Roulette
Best Casino Deposit Methods
Online Baccarat
Online Craps
Online Poker
Online Bingo
Online Keno
More Casino Education
Frequently Asked Questions
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