Best Poker Sites in the World

Online poker has retained every bit of appeal it has garnered over the years as it faces further expansion in 2022.

Some of the best online poker sites for 2021 – based on our and other poker site reviews – have kept their status. In the meantime, dozens of new real money poker sites have joined the industry.

The growing competition among online poker sites has created an unprecedented choice for online poker players to play their favorite card game online. Almost every poker site provides anywhere between two online poker rooms (at the very least) to up to a dozen or more.

What specific poker site you choose to play at rests entirely with you, but we are here to help you make that decision without having to do extensive research. Тhe legality of the platform, for one, is essential, and so is its overall security. But you must also factor in your poker experience, your budget, and your country of residence, among other things.

In our review, we’ll explain what constitutes a top online poker site and give you the dos and don’ts of selecting the best online poker room.

Best Online Poker Sites – a Beginner’s Guide

If you’ve been seriously considering playing real money online poker, you will have to start somewhere. Perhaps one of the reasons why you haven’t already started playing online is because you have doubts; doubts about the security of poker websites, or about your own ability.

It’s only natural to be extra cautious before you start putting money into cash games, especially if this is your first time playing poker on the Internet.

But at its core, online poker is very simple to get into, and it’s much safer than you think. In fact, top online poker sites understand safety is their customers’ No.1 concern and cut no corners and spare no resources to guarantee optimum security.

If you’re a beginner, then online poker site reviews (like this one) will quickly get you in on the particulars on how to play online poker, even if you have the most basic understanding of the game.

Apart from elucidating the ins and outs of online poker, we also present a list of the top online poker sites. These are legit poker sites that have gone under extensive review and have been designated safe, fair, and overall player-friendly.

Types of Online Poker

Generally speaking, there are three main types of real money poker games you can play online: video poker, RNG poker, and live poker rooms.

Each type has its advantages, but a key common benefit of all is that you can play both on a beginner and advanced level. Or for free. Yes, free poker, or RNG poker, is a possibility, though you will still have a valid player account.

Below we’ll provide a few words about each type of poker and what are the main differences between them.

Live Poker Rooms

A live online poker room is where you play remotely against actual players and/or dealers from the comfort of your home, or elsewhere if you play on mobile.

All established online gambling sites provide live online poker rooms for different variations, including Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and Stud.

You can choose to play poker at more budget-friendly tables where you can grow your skills without initially risking a lot of money.

If you feel like you’ve made progress, you can join a poker room where the stakes are higher and the opponents more experienced. Alternatively, the best online poker sites organize tournaments for many of their most popular table games like blackjack, baccarat, and poker.

Some poker websites even have tournaments to accommodate those with less experience and smaller budgets. And if you’re a beginner, check if your poker site has guides, tips, or strategies on how to play poker. The best online poker sites can even offer entire crash courses on how to master the basics of poker.

RNG Poker

RNG poker is one way to play online poker. RNG is an abbreviation for ‘random number generator,’ which is a tool computing complex calculations that poker sites employ to ensure the randomness of automated poker games.

RNG poker games are the complete opposite of live poker rooms as they exclude live dealers and players. Unlike live poker, RNG poker games deal cards using an encrypted computer program. The program helps create a completely random result when cards are shuffled and dealt.

Online poker sites use their separate RNGs for poker and other casino games. The best online poker sites test their RNG systems via third-party organizations that specialize in testing casino gaming software. These are independent groups like iTech Labs and Gaming Laboratories International (GLI).

Internet poker games that employ random number generators include familiar variants like Texas Hold’em, Omaha, 3-card poker, 5-card draw, etc.

Video Poker

Video poker games are prime examples of the use of random number generators. Both land-based and digital video poker games make use of RNG technology in order to hand out random hands.

Video poker is based on the 5-card draw version and is suitable for beginners due to its low house edge. It’s also very easy to learn, but it still requires a certain level of skill before you start playing for real.

The average online casino provides at least 3 different poker variants, including the most popular – Jacks or Better. Other variations of the game include Deuces Wild, Deuces Wild Multihand, Joker’s Wild, Bonus & Double Bonus Poker, Tens or Better, and so on.

The majority of online poker sites do not mix video poker games with RNG and live dealer casino games. The wagering limits for online video poker are also convenient for beginners, ranging from about $0.25 to $1 for the minimum bet.

Live Poker and RNG Poker: Main Differences

As we noted, one of the two key differences between RNG and live poker games is the ‘live’ factor. Live games are played in real-time and against real people. With RNG games you play against online poker software programmed to simulate a dealer.

That is the other key difference – the gaming experience of playing against a computer and against actual players and dealers, albeit remotely. Playing Texas Hold’em online against computer software can be profitable if you know how to play.

But poker is more than about how much money you win. Sometimes it’s about the thrill of playing and outsmarting your opponents – quality RNG poker games can never have given your opponent is an inanimate entity.

Playing at the biggest online poker sites you get the best of both worlds. Depending on your preference you can seamlessly give turns to both RNG and live games with a click (or tap of your finger).

Online Poker Game Variations

The first thing you should know about poker is that it is a varied game. There had been several poker variants even before poker went digital. With the rise of online casino gaming, however, the game has undergone more tweaks and yielded vastly engaging variations such as 7-card stud, Rass Poker, Badugi, Pai Gow Poker, Low-High Chicago, and so on.

Some Internet poker types are just digital copies of the classic version and include the same rules of the game with no tweaks. These can be both RNG and live games such as Caribbean Stud, Texas Hold’em, and Omaha.

Video poker, which, while based on the 5-card draw version, is in a category of its own, also encompasses several versions. As we noted, these include Deuces Wild, Bonus and Double Bonus Poker, Jacks or Better, and so on.

You can only master so many poker variants playing at land-based casinos. But with poker sites online, you can learn the basics of several variants within months and become practiced at each one you learn within a brief period.

You will find different online poker rooms at almost all offshore free poker sites and online casinos you visit.

Online Poker Sites: Regulation & Legality

Online US poker sites operate under dozens of different certificates and licenses for the services they provide. However, they only hold one or two main licenses that guarantee their overall legality, which will be discussed in the following section.

The bottom line is that today, you can play legal online poker from anywhere thanks to various international regulators. These organizations inspect, test, and certify the fairness and integrity of online poker sites.

Regulators can be independent third-party organizations or special government authorities. They are composed of various IT, hardware, and software engineers, along with quality assurance experts to assess risks and prevent threats.

In the following sections, we’ll look at the credentials of online poker sites in several of the world’s biggest iGaming markets.

Who Regulates Online Poker Sites?

There’s no single international authority that oversees the operation of thousands of online poker rooms and casino sites.

However, there are several internationally recognized organizations and authorities that license and regulate the majority of online casino and poker sites. Some of the main regulators are as follow:

• Malta Gaming Authority (MGA)
• The United Kingdom’s Gambling Commission (UKGC)
• The Government of Gibraltar
• Curacao eGaming (CEG)
• Alderney Gambling Control Commission
• Kahnawake Gaming Commission

These six regulators are responsible for licensing the bulk of legal online poker sites. This includes both lesser-known operators and some of the best poker sites and Internet casino brands in the world.

However, remote gaming licenses issued by regulators like the CEG or MGA are valid only if online poker is legal (or at least not outlawed) in a specific country.

Below you can read more about the legal status of online poker sites in regions around the world where the industry has experienced the biggest expansion.

Regulation in the UK

The UK is quite possibly the best place for playing legal online poker.

Gambling law and online (as well as land-based) gambling operators in the U.K. are overseen by the Gambling Commission. The UKGC is among the strictest and most authoritative regulators in the industry. The thing is, the licenses the UK Gambling Commission issues are valid only in the UK and its territories.

Meanwhile, with certain remote gaming licenses and sublicenses issued by the MGA and Curacao eGaming, poker sites can legally operate in virtually any country that does not outright ban real money poker online.

Every legit online poker site in the U.K. must hold a special remote gambling license issued by the UKGC to be greenlighted to provide gaming services in a specific category (poker, lottery, online slot machines, bingo, etc.).

Regulation in the US

There are only about a handful of U.S. states that have (so far) legalized certain forms of online gambling, including poker. States, where online poker and/or sports betting is legal, include:

• Pennsylvania
• Michigan
• New Jersey
• Delaware
• Nevada
• West Virginia
• Colorado

Online gambling in the U.S. is not explicitly outlawed by the federal government; however, the legal status of poker sites is determined by each state individually.

The states listed above are the only ones so far to have legalized most types of online casino games and sports betting.

State authorities such as the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, or the Nevada Gaming Control Board are responsible for overseeing all forms of gambling in their respective states – both online and land-based.

But a number of states are either considering legalizing online poker or have already proposed online poker legislation that could see the doors open for both offshore and US poker sites.

Meanwhile, some states, like Colorado, only allow sports betting, while dozens of other states have laws that permit online sports betting or casino gambling, but to an extremely limited extent. Other states like Utah and Hawaii completely prohibit any forms of online casino games and sportsbooks.

As of March 2022, legal poker sites for US players can be found only in Nevada, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New Jersey, and Delaware.  Accordingly, these are the states where you can find the best online poker sites for US players too.

Regulation in Europe & the Rest of the World

The online gaming market is global, but there are only so many countries in each region where you can play poker online.

Europe is unarguably one of the top markets for online gambling and sports betting. However, both non-EU nations and EU member states regulate online gambling at their own discretion.

Similar to the US, each country in Europe decides for itself whether or not to allow real money online poker sites.

Online gambling is legal in some form or another in most EU countries. Many nations allow all types of online gaming (sports, casinos, slots, lottery, poker), while some are selective and allow only specific forms of internet gaming.

Not counting the U.K., Italy, France, and Germany make up the bulk of the iGaming market in Europe.

Security of Online Poker Sites

The European market for online poker is one of the world’s biggest, expected to generate nearly $30 billion this year (2022).

The evident rise of online gaming indicates an equally growing trust among customers to play real casino cash games on the web.

Each online poker site is responsible for its privacy and technical security. Network, software, and overall system inspections are conducted periodically either by 3rd party organizations or by the poker sites themselves.

Before you enter an online poker room, be sure you check several key security elements. A small padlock to the left of the address bar of the poker site indicates a secure SSL connection and transfer of data between you and your poker operator.

Licensing and accreditation information is the next thing to check. This information is usually provided at the bottom of the site where you should see a stamp of the regulator that issues that poker site’s license.

If a poker site is licensed and supervised by a regulatory body like the UKGC or the MGA (as it should be), maintaining top-level security is requisite to avoid unscheduled screenings and hefty fines. Therefore, a valid license is essential to the security of all the best poker sites.

Customer support, privacy and responsible gaming policy, and a systematic dispute resolution system are several more security aspects to examine before you join a real money poker room.

Bonuses & Promos at Online Poker Sites

Online poker bonuses are a bit harder to come across than regular casino bonuses. But that’s what poker reviews are for – to locate the best poker sites and list all available poker bonus offers.

Casino bonuses are tied to general and bonus-specific terms and conditions. One of the most important terms is the wagering requirements, which are tied to game weighting rules. Game weighting refers to the amount of your bet that goes toward reducing the wagering requirements when you play qualifying games.

In other words, a $5 bet may count 100% toward reducing the bonus wagering conditions if you play slots, but only 50%, or 25% if you play lottery, bingo, or certain table/card games.

The reason we tell you this is because poker rarely contributes 100% of your bets when you play for a given casino bonus. At some casinos, poker might even be excluded from the games that qualify for that bonus.

Types of Online Poker Bonuses

That said, some poker sites provide bonuses that exclusively apply to traditional or video poker. You may encounter several types of poker bonus promotions.

A welcome bonus is one type of poker bonus you can claim at your average casino site. To reiterate, not every casino welcome bonus applies to poker. Information about which games you’re eligible to play for the welcome bonus can be found in the bonus terms. Alternatively, you can contact customer support for even more details.

Various online poker sites host tournaments for popular poker variants like Texas or Omaha Hold’em, or 5-card draw. These poker sites often have small promotions for their poker tournaments such as free entries in poker tournaments, deposit/no deposit cash bonuses, or rakeback offers.

Those considered to be among the best online poker sites could also run VIP or loyalty programs that dole out rewards or so-called frequent player points for playing poker. These points are credits that substitute real money and may be used to enter a poker room or redeemed to join a poker tournament.

How to Choose the Best Online Poker Site

You can pick your poker site based on its welcome bonus or a specific poker bonus, based on the number of poker rooms it provides, or whether it regularly hosts poker tournaments. All these factors contribute to the entertainment value of the site.

But when you spend real money playing poker online, there are several more criteria to have in mind that do not directly relate to entertainment but will still make your life a bit easier.

These are the more technical aspects of the poker site, such as its level of security, mobile compatibility, fairness of general and bonus terms, customer service, choice and limits of payment methods, and so on.

Registering at Poker Sites

Registration is an essential procedure to complete in order to play real cash games online. But while a seemingly basic and simple process, many new players find themselves stuck trying to have their account fully verified for days.

Verification is necessary to enjoy optimum account security, but it should not take more than a few minutes to complete the process.

Depending on which online poker platform you sign up with, you should always have a copy of your driver’s license, passport, or another ID document at hand. Apart from standard information such as place of residence and address, a poker site is likely to ask for a photo ID to successfully sign you up before you play poker for real.

Note, you can alter your player information after you register and verify your new profile, but you will not be permitted to create a second account.

If you try to claim a bonus for a second time using a different account in your name, you could face a warning, penalty, or even suspension.

Any difficulty you face during or after registration should be taken up with a customer support assistant.

Banking at Online Poker Sites

A key to playing online poker without a hitch is to have a reliable method with which to pay and withdraw money.

Before you register, do a quick poking around to see which deposit methods are available. A credit/debit card should be provided almost as a rule, but you can choose a payment method that is better suited for online gaming.

Here we think of options like Skrill, ecoPayz, Neosurf, Neteller, and other digital wallets. E-wallets tend to process deposits/withdrawals faster and will keep most of your banking information confidential.

Paysafecard is a popular online pre-paid voucher, but it usually is only available for deposits. Any digital wallet, meanwhile, will most likely be available both for depositing and cashing out.

Note, your choice of payments may be limited based on your location. Check with your casino to be sure you can use a specific electronic payment method from your country of residence.

Crypto betting is quickly becoming a standard for online gaming operators as it’s highly secure and payments are processed much faster compared to the average bank card.

Bitcoin (Cash), Litecoin, Ethereum, Ripple, and Dogecoin are the 5 most common crypto payment methods at casino sites.

Deposit Limits

Every online poker room should have a page listing all available deposit methods. Here, players will find the particulars about each deposit option, including the minimum and maximum amounts they can transfer using a specific method.

The deposit limits are set by the poker site, therefore they can vary from one operator to the next.

The average minimum deposit should be between $10-$30. If you want to claim a deposit bonus, the minimum deposit will be specified in the bonus’ description.

Regarding the maximum deposit, it is determined by the online poker site, just as the minimum deposit. Depending on the method used, the maximum deposit should not be under $2,000 (or currency equivalent).

Withdrawal Limits & Processing

Withdrawing winnings, or any funds, from your account, can be a more tedious process as it can drag on for several days.

How long poker rooms take to approve your withdrawal depends on several factors, including your payment service provider and the casino/poker operator. If the operator is jammed with withdrawal requests then it will almost surely affect the time your withdrawal is approved.

Even with the fastest payment methods available, withdrawals can take several days to complete. Before the casino can confirm your request, it may ask that you submit certain documents for personal identification to ascertain your identity. This is normal protocol at most online casino sites for every withdrawal request.

Concerning the limits, the minimum and maximum withdrawal sum is determined by the casino. If you wish to withdraw a sum higher than the maximum allowed limit, you may be allowed to do so, but rather than paying out your sum in one transfer, the casino will likely break it down into 2 or more withdrawals (depending on the size of the requested withdrawal amount).

Payment Options

Regardless of your poker budget, it’s always handy to have multiple payment methods available at hand. This way you can switch methods to adjust your gaming style at any time.

After all, some payment methods allow for much bigger deposits/withdrawals than others. Then, other methods process withdrawals at a faster pace.

In any case, below is a list of 10 online payment options you are likely to find at any poker site you visit:

• Visa
• MasterCard
• Skrill
• Paysafecard
• Neosurf
• Neteller
• Bank Transfer
• PayPal
• InstaDebit
• American Express

Alternative options may include Apple and Google Pay, Interac, IDebit, MuchBetter, and Bitcoin.

Online Payment Fees

Some casino/poker websites can charge processing or payment fees when you use specific payment methods.

Fees are almost never charged for deposits, but it is a whole other story with withdrawals, where the process is more complicated and time-consuming.

Check your poker site’s list of withdrawals thoroughly to see if specific methods charge small fees. If no information about fees is displayed, feel free to ask a customer support assistant.

Gaming Software

Among other qualities, we check the software a gambling site uses to decide if the platform is committed to fairness.

Both live and RNG online poker tables employ (to an extent) specific online software technology. We double and triple check to ensure our readers are getting the best online poker software regardless of which of our listed poker rooms they register with.

Many of the industry’s leading online poker providers create their own poker software, but it’s not unusual for gaming sites to get their live or RNG poker software from third-party vendors. Playtech, Microgaming, and Evolution Gaming are just three top online poker software developers that come to mind.

Customer Support

Customer support at online gambling sites encompasses a number of specialized services essential to maintaining customer trust.

Customer support at poker sites is provided in several ways, including via email, live chat, phone, or a FAQs (frequently asked questions) section.

Whether you play for a day or for a year, you will eventually encounter an issue or a question you can’t find the answer to yourself.

A responsive and fair customer service department is vital to every casino and sports betting platform. It gives users a sense of comfort that they can rely on their operator to provide timely assistance for issues both big and small.

Responsible Gaming Policy

Along with customer support and security, responsible gaming is an integral component of online gambling platforms, helping poker players maintain self-discipline when gambling.

Too often players overspend on poker trying to make up for earlier losses or waste more time gaming than they ought to. When you play poker online at the best poker sites, you can set time and/or deposit limits for a more measured gaming approach.

You can alter your responsible gaming terms at your discretion by contacting customer support. If playing poker is turning into a serious issue for you, you can seek professional assistance from organizations like GamCare or the International Center for Responsible Gaming.

If you think you’re bordering on gambling addiction, we advise you to either take a temporary break or self-exclude for several months to get to grips with your situation.

Conclusion

Today, there’s no shortage of online poker rooms, but it can be pretty darn confusing having to choose your platform on your own if you’re a beginner.

Whether you want to play real money poker or play for fun, we have you covered. Follow our main criteria on what constitutes a top poker site to pick an operator that meets your needs.

Suffice it to say, no matter if you’re looking for the best Bitcoin poker sites, the greatest poker room, or the best paying cash games, the first thing you should do is ensure the site’s credibility.

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