Online Poker Real Money USA – Best Poker Sites For Real Money

Legal state-regulated online poker is currently available in four US states; New Jersey, Nevada, Delaware, and Pennsylvania.

US online poker is a lot like live poker at a legal brick and mortar casino or poker room. The most popular cash game is No-Limit Texas Hold’em, with Pot Limit Omaha starting to gain popularity as well.

All online poker rooms offer these games, and you can choose from a wide range of betting stakes. Players can also participate in tournaments, where again, the most popular game is No-Limit Hold’em.

Not only can you play online poker for real money legally in the four states mentioned above, but you can also play at Global Poker, which is a poker site that allows you to play for money. Global Poker is available in every state in the US except Washington State and every province in Canada except Quebec.

Is Online Poker Legal?

Yes, online poker is legal in four states: New Jersey, Nevada, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. Global poker is legal not only in those four states but also in every state in the US except Washington State. Global poker is also legal in every Canadian province except Quebec.

Real Money Poker Sites

Here are some of the best real money poker sites in the following states:

US Poker Sites

If you would like to play online poker, but live in an area where regular legalized online poker is not currently an option, the good news is that you have a viable alternative with sweepstakes poker. Global Poker is a sweepstakes poker site that allows you to play the game for actual money against real people!

As mentioned earlier, Global Poker is legal in 49 of the 50 US states (all but Washington). Global Poker is also legal everywhere in Canada except for Quebec.

Global Poker is owned by the Australia-based firm Virtual Gaming World, the same company that runs Chumba Casino.

Global Poker offers cash games, freerolls, and tournaments, much like other online poker sites. However, one important difference is that players don’t make deposits into their accounts to use as betting money on the site. Instead, you can purchase a virtual currency called Gold Coins which comes with Sweeps Coins as a bonus. These Sweeps Coins are used to play poker games for actual money.

The Sweeps Coins you win are then converted into actual money upon withdrawal.

Are Online Poker Sites Rigged?

No, legal online poker sites in the US are not rigged. All four states where online poker is legal to have a designated agency that is responsible for ensuring that all aspects of this activity are conducted in full compliance with applicable state regulations.

Each state has strict requirements that each operator within its jurisdiction must meet, including passing a thorough background and financial check, before being granted a license to open. Only games that have been approved by the regulatory agency can be offered. In addition, the same agency continues to oversee all existing poker rooms to ensure that each operator is adhering in every respect to state policies.

For example, the agency which is responsible for licensing and regulating online poker in New Jersey in the Division of Gambling Enforcement (DGE), the same one that oversees NJ online casino gambling. Players on any NJ gambling website, including those that offer online poker, can rest assured that none of these sites are rigged.

All of the games on Global Poker are also fair. Global Poker is regulated by the Malta Gaming Authority and must meet the proper requirements to run legally in the US.

Can I Play Online Poker For Real Money?

Yes, both regular online poker and Global Poker can be played either for free or for real money. The choice is yours.

How To Sign Up With A Real Money Online Poker Site

If you live in a state that offers legal state-regulated online poker, you have a big advantage from the start. Regardless of which online poker room you choose, you can play with complete confidence that the site is safe and secure and that all of the games are fair.

However, there can be considerable variation between one site and another in the range of games and betting stakes, type of clientele that the site is likely to attract, deposit and withdrawal options, and bonuses and promotions.

If you play for either very small stakes or very high stakes, you may find that some online poker rooms are a better fit for you than others. And if you are new to online poker, you should look for a site that includes a tutorial on the game and quick-to-respond customer service.

Locating and signing up with an online poker room doesn’t have to be a daunting task. BonusSeeker includes comprehensive, unbiased reviews of all of the NJ, PA, and NV legal poker sites, plus any other poker sites that may come along in the future. We also aim to have the best welcome bonuses available that you should definitely take advantage of when you are ready to sign up to a poker site.

Never signed up to an online poker site before? Don’t worry! It is incredibly easy to sign up to a poker site. There are only three rules: You must be 21 or older, you need to be able to prove your identity, and you are not barred from a poker site.

Here is a general overview of signing up to an online poker site:

1. Click on one of our “Get Bonus” links to activate the poker site’s welcome bonus.
2. Once you have made it to the registration page, hit the “Register,” “Sign up,” or “Join” button to start the process.
3. The signup system will ask you for some basic information, such as a username and password.
4. Afterward, you will be asked to include some personal information, such as an email address, your name, date of birth, and so on.
5. Finally, you will be asked to choose security questions and provide answers. That way, you can still access your account if you forget your login information.
6. Usually, after the security question section, you will be sent a confirmation email, call, or text. This is done to further confirm your identity.

Even though this sounds like a long process, it generally doesn’t take more than five minutes to complete.

Please Note: There can be subtle differences when signing up for different poker sites, however, signing up for a poker site is mostly the same.

What Are The Differences For Online Poker In Each State?

Out of the four states where legal state-regulated poker sites are currently up and running, all but Pennsylvania allow merged interstate player pools for the same brand.

The following is a brief summary of the currently operating online poker rooms in each state and which sites have interstate player pools and which states are included.

New Jersey

No other state even comes close to offering as many legal state-run online poker rooms as New Jersey. Here is the complete list.

Affiliated with Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa

• Borgata Poker
• BetMGM Poker
• Party Poker
• Pala Poker (currently not active)

Affiliated with Caesars Interactive Entertainment NJ

• WSOP
• 888 Poker

Affiliated with Resorts Casino Hotel Atlantic City

• PokerStars

Pennsylvania

As of this writing, PokerStars is the only PA online poker site currently operating in the state. However, it does not share a combined player pool with NJ PokerStars players. If and when other online poker sites are launched in Pennsylvania, there is no plan to have merged interstate player pools on those sites either.

Nevada

Nevada currently offers only one online poker site, WSOP.com. However, Nevada online poker players can now be placed at the same table as players from New Jersey and Delaware.

Delaware

Delaware offers poker players a choice of three places to play legally online:

• Delaware Park
• Dover Downs
• Harrington Raceway

All three of these Delaware gambling websites share the same poker network. They also offer an online casino.

The Delaware online racinos not only use 888 software, but an agreement is in place to merge the Delaware player pool with those for three other poker sites: WSOP in Nevada and both WSOP and 888Poker in New Jersey.

Initially, there weren’t enough Delaware players to run decent games. Now, with a much larger player pool, the problem is solved.

Online Poker Payment Methods

Online poker sites offer numerous options for deposits and withdrawals. Each method has certain advantages and disadvantages, so choosing one over the other is a matter of personal preference.

However, one thing you never have to worry about is safety. All state-regulated gambling sites use SSL encryption to keep your personal and financial information fully protected and private at all times. In addition, each payment method incorporates other security measures such as provider verification and fraud detection for credit and debit cards and dual verification and passwords for eWallets.

We list below the banking methods most commonly offered on online poker sites together with a short description of each.

PayPal

PayPal is one of the most widely used eWallets in the US. It is fast, convenient, reliable, and very versatile since it can be used for both deposits and withdrawals. In fact, you can make cash withdrawals with PayPal at any ATM.

The main drawback is that using PayPal for transferring funds from your bank account to your online poker account or vice versa isn’t instantaneous and can take a couple of days. Nominal fees may apply as well.

Credit And Debit Cards

Most poker players have at least one of these cards. As with eWallets, all transactions can be completed quickly and easily online or on your mobile phone or tablet. So, if you are at home, there is no need to go anywhere.

However, there are several disadvantages associated with relying on this method to fund your online poker account. For starters, credit and debit cards have a lower acceptance rate than other methods. Your bank might decline the transaction, seeing that it is being used for gambling purposes. Low deposit limits and the fact that you can’t use this method for withdrawal are other drawbacks to consider.

Prepaid Cards

Some online poker sites give you the option to fund your account with a prepaid Play+ card, which you can do quickly and easily with either a credit or debit card or eCheck. Prepaid cards get around any restrictions your bank might place on gambling transactions. However, they cannot be used for withdrawals.

eChecks (ACH)

The two terms are used interchangeably to describe the same banking method. ACH is short for Automated Clearing House.

Since this is a direct debit from your checking account that you request online, the money reaches the recipient a lot faster than if you go to the bank or mail a check. However, eChecks might not be the best banking option for high rollers because of the relatively low deposit limits.

You can also use eChecks to make withdrawals from your online poker account. However, the process is slower. It could be five business days or longer from the time you make the request to the time the money is credited to your checking account.

Skrill

Skrill is a safe, fast, and reliable eWallet that can be used for both deposits and withdrawals. High deposit limits and same-day availability of funds make it a very attractive option for big bettors. However, the fees are higher than for other banking methods.

Prior to June 28, 2019, many US online gambling sites also accepted Neteller, another eWallet similar to Skrill. Neteller was once a competitor of Skrill, but both companies are now part of the same PaySafeCard Group corporate umbrella. On June 28, 2019, Neteller discontinued all service in the US.

PayNearMe

PayNearMe works differently from the other deposit options mentioned. You need to go to a 7-Eleven, CVS, or Family Dollar Store in your neighborhood and pay for your deposit in cash. The store will add a small service fee.

Other than the time spent traveling to and from the store to complete the transaction, PayNearMe is very fast. By the time you get home, the money should be in your online account ready to use.

PayNearMe is a good option for small players because the minimum deposit is only $10. However, the maximum deposit of only $500 per day will deter high rollers.

Players who want to keep their gambling activities private like PayNearMe because there is no need to deal with banks or eWallets at all.

PayNearMe cannot be used for withdrawals.

Cash At An Associated Casino

Most online poker rooms have arrangements with the affiliated land-based casino allowing you to make deposits and withdrawals at the casino cage 24/7. Either way, the money is available for use immediately.

How To Deposit At A Real Money Poker Site

As mentioned above, the procedure for depositing real money onto a poker site, minimum and maximum deposits, and total processing time vary with both the site and the method. If you need the money immediately, your best bet is a prepaid card. Or for same-day availability, credit or debit cards (if your bank accepts them) and eWallets are good choices.

Or, for instant or near-instant availability, you can use PayNearMe or make your deposit at the affiliated casino. However, you need to factor in traveling time. You also have to use cash.

How To Withdraw From A Real Money Poker Site

All of the above-mentioned deposit methods accept credit and debit cards, prepaid cards, and PayNearMe can also be used for withdrawals. However, processing time varies considerably. If you need the money the same day and you don’t live far from the affiliated casino or plan on going there anyway, your best option is to withdraw the money there.

Otherwise, count on waiting several days before the money gets credited to your bank account.

However, if you are a big player, you may qualify for expedited withdrawals.

Types Of Real Money Poker Games

Many online poker rooms offer an even wider choice of games than brick and mortar poker rooms. Here are some of the games you may find with various stakes and limits (no limit, pot limit, limit) at an online poker site:

• Texas Hold’em
• Omaha
• Omaha Hi-Lo
• 5 Card Omaha
• 5 Card Omaha Hi-Lo
• 5 Card Draw
• 2-7 triple draw
• 7 Card Stud
• 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo
• Razz
• Badugi
• 8 Game
• HORSE

While other online poker rooms might not offer all of these games, every site will offer, at the very least, both No-Limit and Limit Hold’em and probably Omaha as well. These days, hold’em is by far the most popular choice. Stud used to be popular but doesn’t get much action anymore.

Cash Games

Online poker rooms offer cash games in a very wide range of betting limits. So whatever size bettor you are, you will find a table with the right stakes for you.

Beginners and very low stakes players can find Texas Hold’em cash games with only .01/.02 blinds, while high stakes players can play with $100/$200 blinds.

The term “No Limit” as used in poker means exactly that. Players can go “all-in” whenever they wish with their entire stack. This is of any amount, but opponents can only match up to that bet if they have the chips in front of them. Otherwise, it is just matched to the lower stack (assuming one-on-one at this stage).

The most popular Limit Hold’em game is 2-4 or 2-4-6 ($2 preflop and on the flop, $4 on the turn, and $6 on the river). The most popular No-Limit cash game is 1-2, followed by 2-5 and 5-10. However, bigger games are also available.

Many sites also offer a low stakes game called Fast-Fold Poker, which gives you the option to fold your hand out of turn as soon as it’s dealt and immediately move on to another fast-fold poker table.

Tournaments

The overwhelming majority of online poker tournaments are No-Limit Texas Hold’em. The specific rules, entry-fee, starting chips, range and duration of blind levels, number of participants, and prize structure vary immensely.

The entry fee for a particular tournament is the same for everybody except that many big tournaments offer a cheaper way in for some players via the satellite route. Some tournaments permit add-ons at designated times or rebuys up to a certain blind level if a player taps out.

Turbo tournaments are fast tournaments in which the blinds increase very quickly (i.e., every 10 minutes). Sit-and-gos are single table turbo tournaments.

How To Play Online Poker For Real Money

Once you register with the poker site, you can begin using or earning your bonus. This depends if the promotion includes a poker no-deposit bonus, first deposit bonus, or another type of offer. Either way, you are now ready to play online poker for real money. Whether you are playing tournaments or cash games, here are some online poker tips to help get you started.

Online Poker Hand Rankings

Here are the poker hand rankings from best to worst:

1. Royal Flush: This is when you have a straight 10 through ace with the suit of each card being the same.
2. Straight Flush: This is like a Royal Flush except it doesn’t include 10 through ace straight. Nine through King (or any lower straight) with the same suit across all five cards would be a straight flush.
3. Four of a Kind: Your hand consists of the same four cards (i.e. four Kings, four Eights, etc)
4. Full House: Your hand consists of a pair and a three of a kind (combined). An example would be if you had A-A-J-J-J. This would be called Jacks fill of Aces.
5. Flush: Five cards of the same suit.
6. Straight: Five cards in sequential order.
7. Three of a Kind: Three of the same cards, such as three Jacks.
8. Two Pair: This is having two of the same cards twice. An example of this if you hold two Queens and two Sevens. You would have Queens and Sevens for two pair.
9. One Pair: Two of the same cards, such as two threes.
10. High Card: No pair or any of the above hands mentioned. This simply means the highest card in your hand is what plays. There are occasions when this is actually good enough to win the pot.

Online Poker Terms

Here are some poker terms you should know before getting started:

• • Act or Action: You may hear or see, “it’s your turn to act” or “action is on you”. This means you have to check, call, bet, raise, or fold.
  • Add-on: An add-on usually refers to adding additional chips in a tournament. This is a special period within the tournament where you are asked if you would like additional chips for an additional cost.
  • All-in: A player bets all of his or her remaining chips. You can’t bet more than you have in front of you.
  • Bad Beat: When all or a significant portion of the money goes into the pot and the player who was a large favorite based on mathematical percentages ends up losing the hand. This is what we would call a bad beat.
  • Bet: A wager made that is put into the pot during a hand. This occurs during the round of betting.
  • Big Blind: This is the larger of two forced bets that must be put out before the hand is dealt. The blinds work around the table, forcing everyone to participate. This helps trigger the action.
  • Bluff: a bet or raise to represent a good hand, but it is meant to disguise a weak hand.
  • Board: The board alludes to the community cards spread out on the table for all of the players. These cards are shared by the players in games such as Hold’em and Omaha to help form their hands.
  • Bubble: Being one away from the money in a tournament and losing. This is sometimes called the Bubble Boy or Bubble Girl.
  • Button: The button, which is physically seen as the dealer button (usually a disc which says “Dealer”, indicates which player is the dealer for that upcoming hand.
  • Buy-In: This is a monetary amount needed to play the game. Tournaments usually have a set buy-in, while cash games are flexible, often set with a minimum and maximum.

• • Call: Matching a bet by another player. You may say “call” or “I call” to indicate this action as well as putting the matching amount of money/chips into the middle of the pot.
  • Check: When the action is on you, you can say “check” or “I check”, or tap the table to indicate you do not want to place a bet at this time.
  • Check-Raise: If you check and another player bets, the action is back to you. At this point, you may decide to raise, which is called a “check-raise”.
  • Chop: A chop occurs when players in a tournament decided to call a halt to the tournament and split up the prize pool.
  • Community Cards: These are the cards shown on the board. See above.
  • Cracked: A hand you are favored to win, but end up losing. This is not the same as a bad beat, which occurs once all the money (or most to the point of insignificance) is in the middle, and action is over.
  • Draw: A potential strong hand that needs additional cards to be completed.
  • Drawing Dead: This is when there are no cards remaining in the deck that can help you win the hand.
  • Flop: The flop consists of the first three cards being dealt face up on the board (community cards).
  • Fold: Surrendering or forfeiting your hand because you do not want to match a bet or be involved in the hand any longer.

• • Freeroll: A poker tournament that you can enter for free and still win a prize. There is also the term “freerolling”, which means the player can’t lose the hand (a draw is possible) but can win it. A freeroll is Omaha is a great position to be in.
  • Hand: Hand means the cards you are currently holding, possibly combined with the community cards.
  • Heads Up: This is a one-on-one competition in a cash game or tournament.
  • Hole Cards: Cards held by a player that can’t be seen by others
  • Kicker: A kicker helps to break ties. If you both have a pair of Kings, the player with an Ace as his second card (the kicker) would win the pot if he was against a Queen kicker for example.
  • Limit Poker: A poker game that sets limits for the amount you can bet and raise.
  • Limp: This means matching the bet of the big blind to enter the hand. You do not raise in this case.
  • Muck: Muck has two meanings. One is to fold.”I muck my hand” is something you may say. Then there is “the muck” which represents the pile of disposed cards during a hand. This is important because some casinos don’t officially declare a hand “dead” or folded until it physically touches the muck.
  • No-Limit Poker: Unlike limit poker, no-limit poker means a player can bet all of his or her chips at any time.
  • Position: Being “in position” means you will be the last player to act in a hand. This means your opponents who are “out of position” must act first with a check or a bet.
  • Pot: The pot is the total of the antes, blinds, and bets put in during a hand.

• • Preflop: This indicates anything previous to the flop. In Hold’em, players are dealt two cards face down to start the hand. This happens preflop.
  • Raise: A raise means you want to increase the stakes. You will be adding more to the opponent’s original bet. An example of this would be when your opponent makes it $50, but you raise it to $200. Any opponents still in the hand must now decide if they want to continue for that price.
  • Rake: Rake is the amount of money taken out by the house. Think of this as a fee for running the game. Some people may tell you that more rake is better, but that is in fact, not true.
  • Re-raise: A re-raise is when one player raises the pot and then another player re-raises.
  • Ring Game: This refers to a cash game, not a tournament.
  • River: This is the fifth and final card revealed on the community board.
  • Satellite Tournament: A poker satellite tournament allows a player to win a seat into an expensive tournament. The buy-in for a satellite tournament is usually significantly less than that of the tournament you may win entry to.
  • Set: A set is when a pocket pair matches one of the cards on the community board, giving you a three of a kind. If there are two of the same card on the board that matches one in your hand, this is also a three of a kind in Hold’em, but is referred to as “trips”.
  • Shorthanded: This usually refers to a poker game that has five or less players when it should be a full ring game (9-10 players).
  • Showdown: This is when both players take their final action and must reveal their hands.
  • Side Pot: A side pot may occur when one player is “all in”, but if other players are still betting against each other, this would go toward the side pot. Since the all-in player has no more chips, he can only win what is in the main pot. The other players can win the side pot, but also the main pot.

• • Slowplay: This refers to disguising a strong hand in the hopes to “trap” a player with a weaker hand and induce action.
  • Small Blind: The small blind is on directly left of the button and is part of the two forced blind bets (with the other being the big blind). The small blind is usually less than the big blind, but this isn’t always the case.
  • Suckout: A suckout may happen when all or most of the money is in the middle and a player hits a draw that was mathematically very unlikely.
  • Suit: A suit is a symbol that is associated with the card. There are four suits: Spade, Heart, Diamond, Club. Hearts and Diamonds are normally red, while Spades and Clubs are usually black. And of course, the Ace of Spades is the prettiest card in the deck.
  • Tournament: A competition where the players who enter are given a designated amount of chips. The blinds go up each round (timed) and the tournament officially ends when one player holds all of the chips in play.
  • Turn: The turn is the fourth community card on the board. This occurs after a round of action on the flop.
  • Under the Gun: The first player to act preflop is considered under the gun. This is the player who is to the left of the blinds.

Online Poker Frequently Asked Questions

What Is The Rake And How Does It Work?

The rake is a small percentage of the pot on each played hand that the house takes out for expenses. Many online poker rooms return some of that money back to players as rakeback credited to their accounts. Sometimes players may pay rake by the time they are playing at the table.

What Is Poker Black Friday?

The term Black Friday refers to the events that took place in the poker world on April 15, 2011. The US Department of Justice issued an indictment, shutting down and seizing the assets of the three largest online poker websites serving American players at the time: PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and Absolute Poker. Of the three, only PokerStars finally regained permission to enter the US market. PokerStars launched in New Jersey in 2016 and in Pennsylvania in 2019.

Can I Win A Seat Into The World Series of Poker By Playing Online?

Yes, it’s a longshot, but you can win a seat into the WSOP by playing and winning satellites. Chris Moneymaker famously went this route when he earned a seat into the World Series of Poker Main Event by winning an online satellite that cost him only $39. He not only won his way into the World Series of Poker, but he won the WSOP Main Event!

Can I Play Poker On My Mobile Device?

Yes, on any poker site where you’re a registered player, you can play the same cash games and tournaments on your iOS or Android mobile device as on your computer.