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We only recommend safe and secure sites:
No. 1 Ranked Poker Site: US
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Sign Up Offer
100% Free to Play Never Risk a Dime
- Free chips on sign-up and daily bonuses
- Huge variety of poker games and tournaments
- Play real poker for fun!
Secure, Fast Deposit Methods
Best Poker Sites: US
| Site | Sign Up Offer | Deposit Methods and Compatibility | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1
| Sign Up Offer 100% Free to Play Never Risk a Dime |
Secure, Fast Deposit Methods | Visit Site |
| 2
4.8/5 Ratings are determined by the CardsChat editorial team. This team carries out a strict auditing process when reviewing sites, assessing payout speed, game variety, software quality, level of security, mobile compatibility, and customer service. Find out more about how we rate | Sign Up Offer Get up to 367,000 Gold Coins + 32.3 FREE Sweepstakes Use Code: CCBONUS Code copied! | Secure, Fast Deposit Methods Compatible Devices | Visit Site |
| 3
4.7/5 Ratings are determined by the CardsChat editorial team. This team carries out a strict auditing process when reviewing sites, assessing payout speed, game variety, software quality, level of security, mobile compatibility, and customer service. Find out more about how we rate | Sign Up Offer $25 Free Stake Cash + 250,000 Gold Coins Use Code: CCbonus Code copied! | Secure, Fast Deposit Methods Compatible Devices | Visit Site |
| 4
4.6/5 Ratings are determined by the CardsChat editorial team. This team carries out a strict auditing process when reviewing sites, assessing payout speed, game variety, software quality, level of security, mobile compatibility, and customer service. Find out more about how we rate | Sign Up Offer 200 Free Spins & 100k G-Coins |
Secure, Fast Deposit Methods | Visit Site |
| 5
| Sign Up Offer 20,000,000 Gold Coins + $50 Of FREE Coins | Secure, Fast Deposit Methods | |
| 6
| Sign Up Offer Get up to 90,000 Gold Coins + FREE 9.8 Sweepstake Coins Use Code: CCBONUS Code copied! | Secure, Fast Deposit Methods | Visit Site |
Best Software 
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How We Rate Poker Sites
With an ‘Excellent’ 4.9/5 TrustPilot rating, we’ve been providing expert recommendations since 2004. Each poker room we review is carefully evaluated according to eight essential factors:
- Safety & Security
- Payout Speed
- Banking Options
- Software Quality
- Game Variety
- Bonus Offers
- Mobile Compatability
- Customer Service
Read more about our eight-step review process
Poker Site Blacklist | ||
|---|---|---|
| Some online poker sites fail our testing standards to such a degree that we feel it necessary to publish them on our blacklist. A poker site can make it onto this list for a variety of reasons, but typically means the site has exhibited a history of bad behavior and receives lots of player complaints. Avoid any site we’ve listed on our poker blacklist. | ||
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| Having faced accusations in the past for mishandling players’ funds, OddsPoker persists in its operations under the Antigua license; nonetheless, this doesn’t necessarily ensure a safe gaming environment. |
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| While it was previously a prominent site catering to the US market, this site within the Merge network has demonstrated irregularities in terms of paying out players. Affiliates were then informed of the site’s cessation in June 2015. |
Legal poker sites that have been vetted by experts and trusted by players
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Poker sites rated
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How to choose the right site
With so many online poker sites available, it can be difficult to narrow down the best sites. Our team of experts has reviewed and ranked the best real money poker sites to save you time sorting through the good and the bad.
There some very specific factors that will determine which poker sites are better than others. To choose the right poker site for you and your gaming needs, we’ve put together the key factors that you should check on your chosen poker site before playing with real money.
- Bonuses and promotions: Before you sign up to any poker site, look for the best poker bonuses and promotions on offer. Some will maximize your first deposit by giving you free real money to play poker with.
- Licensing: Always check if the poker site has a gambling licence and is independently regulated before depositing any real money.
- Banking options: Ensure the site allows you to make easy and secure deposits and withdrawals. The websites we’ve recommended on this page were selected for their wide variety of fast banking options.
- The fine print: Before you start playing with real money, it’s a good idea to read over the terms and conditions to see if there’s a limit on withdrawal amounts, high minimum withdrawals and restrictions with bonuses and promotions.
- Game variation: Choosing a poker site with a wide variety of games will enhance your gaming experience.
Why play poker for real money?
When it comes to playing online poker, real money poker cannot be beaten.
While the prospect of winning or losing actual cash certainly adds to the excitement of the game, real money poker’s long-term benefit is that it makes you a much better player, as you play against much stronger opposition.
In a casual play money game of online poker, players are much more likely to avoid using a strategy and will just play every hand as it comes.
More still, with no real money at stake, players are unlikely to fold, especially pre-flop, and may go ‘all-in’ purely to force a showdown for entertainment purposes.
While play money games can be good for practice or if you’re a beginner, you’ll quickly find your need to become a better poker player cannot be satisfied – unless you play poker for real money.
Best Online Poker Sites for Players
A lot of members in the CardsChat forum ask, “What’s the best real money poker site?”
We’ve compiled some helpful tips in our poker reviews to help you decide where to play and which of the poker sites are best suited to players. We only list the best poker websites, and with that in mind, we follow the below guidelines:
- The best poker rooms must be safe, secure, friendly, legitimate and reputable.
- Which poker sites allow you to make money easily? This is based on the games, stakes, competition, promotions and bonuses offered by the website.
- Many players enjoy other games when they’re not hitting Texas Hold’em poker sites (learn how to play Texas Hold’em or more about Texas Hold’em starting hands). Plenty of fun and varied gambling games can be found on the US poker sites we compare.
- All the best poker sites will offer players a bonus for signing up and playing, so picking a good bonus (and bonus code) is essential. Find out more about playing poker in the United Kingdom below.
- If you’re playing from the UK or Canada, you should check out the best UK poker sites or the best Canadian poker sites.
Best online poker sites for bonuses
As a new player, poker bonuses (such as freerolls) for poker sites are an important consideration when choosing which one of the best poker websites to sign-up with. Sites in the United States offer bonuses to try and entice new players away from the competition, allowing poker players to boost their bankroll – everyone’s a winner!
Types of Poker Bonuses
Freerolls
Freerollsallow you to play at the best poker sites at no cost. Meaning you can start playing at a table for free and collect real money if you win.
Loyalty Bonus
Loyalty or VIP bonuses are awarded to players who play regularly at the same US poker sites. Varying from one poker site to the next, loyalty bonuses are highly sought after and can often be very big.
First Deposit Bonus
A deposit bonus is based on your first deposit on a poker site. The poker site usually sets a fixed percentage, but most of the time you get 100% on the total of your first deposit, with an upper limit.
No Deposit Bonus
With a no deposit bonus you don’t need to deposit any of your own money to receive the offered bonus. As with a freeroll, you receive any potential winnings in real money.
Percentage Bonus
With a percentage bonus, the poker site gives you a percentage of your deposit as additional bonus money.
Refer a Friend
Less common than most other poker bonuses, you can refer a friend to some poker sites and you’ll both be given access to bonus codes or other exclusive promotions.
Repeated Deposit Bonus
Similar to the loyalty bonus, a repeat deposit bonus allows you to receive extra bonus money with frequent deposits to the same poker site.
Welcome Bonus
Sometimes also called a new customer bonus. In this case you will receive a bonus directly after your first registration in a poker room.
How to choose the best bonuses
To make sure you pick the best poker bonus for you, consider the following:
Read the bonus terms and conditions and make sure you understand the wagering requirements.
Wagering requirements mean the amount of money that you need to wager in the game before you can withdraw any winnings. For example, if you receive a 100% bonus on a deposit of $100 but the wagering requirements are 35 times, then you have to wager a total of $3,500 before you can claim any winnings.
If you cannot or do not want to use the maximum bonus, you can deposit a smaller amount and play with a smaller but still worthwhile bonus.
Real money poker games
Free poker is an extremely valuable tool for players that are still learning the rules of poker games, such as Texas Hold’em, Blackjack, Omaha, Three Card Poker, Mississippi Stud Poker, Pai Gow Poker and Five Card Draw. Of course, it’s also useful for people that don’t have any money to gamble. But for most players, online poker real money sites have a lot of benefits:
Knowing that you are gambling with real money gives you a real sense of motivation that makes every game more exciting and, in the process, you are forced to play card games as well as possible. This makes your experience more enjoyable and infinitely more useful when it comes to honing your internet poker skills.
The benefit which is potentially the most important has less to do with how you are playing and more to do with how the competition chooses to play. With play money, just about every player will stick around to see the flop. This also leads to excessive amounts of bluffing, so much so that the game becomes essentially unplayable.
At real money poker sites, even at the micro-limit tables, players tend to play in a much more reasonable way. This will save you a ton of headaches and be immensely more useful in terms of helping you improve your poker skills in a way that translates to all other real money poker situations.
Finding the best real money poker site with excellent promotions makes a huge difference. When you start to make real money deposits and contributing rake, promotional opportunities like bonuses and loyalty programs will have a lot of value in the long run.
So no matter where you are, or what your gaming goals are, the best poker sites for real money can be found on this page. The poker sites we have reviewed include PokerStars, William Hill Poker, 888Poker, PartyPoker, Ladbrokes Poker, Unibet and Betfair to name a few, and we always tell you exactly what we think. When you’re ready, create a free account and when you’re sure that you’ve made the right choice, you can start to play poker online for money.
Online real money poker vs free poker games
| Real Money Poker | Free Poker |
|---|---|
| Chance to win real money | No chance of losing real money |
| Improves your game quicker | Great for beginners to practice |
| Tougher opposition | Weaker opposition |
| Tense but exciting atmosphere | Casual atmosphere |
| Avail of bonuses and loyalty schemes | Try different variations of poker risk-free |
Deposit and withdrawal option
Central to playing at thebest poker sites, is the ability to play for real money. The difference between playing real money poker and free money poker is huge, as the potential to both take home the pot or lose your entire bankroll adds to the tension and helps you and your opponents stay sharp.
To ensure you and your funds are safe and secure when depositing or withdrawing, it is vital you use thebest poker deposit methodsfrom merchants such as Visa, MasterCard and PaySafe.
All of thebest reviewed poker siteson CardsChat offer licensed and regulated deposit and withdrawal options, ensuring your funds won’t be stolen or unlawfully seized.
How to sign up to a poker site
Looking to play online real money poker but not sure how to sign-up? Simply follow the steps below and you’ll be at the tables in no time:
Choose your online poker site
Before you sign up at a real money poker website, compare the best online poker sites and look for the best poker bonus. Read the bonus terms and conditions and make sure you understand the wagering requirements.
Sign up
Click through to the site and register as a new member.
Details
Fill out all the requested details including your name, address and proof of ID.
Bonus code
Reclaim your bonus code if offered.
Confirm
Confirm your account via email.
Play
Your account is now open and your bonus is normally applied instantly. So, get playing!
Gambling Requirements
To comply with anti-money laundering legislation, legal US poker sites are not allowed to accept new players unless they provide Personal Identifiable Information (PII).
Under Know Your Customer (KYC), US players cannot open an account with a poker site without providing basic PII details.
These include:
- Full legal name
- Address
- Social security number
More importantly, no real money transactions can take place unless players submit official US government ID and proof of a permanent address.
Real Money Poker FAQ
What is the best poker site for real money?
Those looking to play real money poker will find that there are many sites open to them. The best of these sites have been reviewed and recommended here at CardsChat.com. Any poker site we recommend offers a few key attributes, including big bonuses, a wide selection of poker options and a really safe place to play. So, to find the best online poker real money site, just read through our list at the top of this page. Don’t forget: it is possible to sign-up with more than one online poker site. Doing so allows a player to test the sites out for themselves, plus the player can also earn multiple welcome bonuses.
Which online poker site can I win the most money on?
All of the top-rated sites that we list have large amounts of beginner players and recreational players. That means that your chances of success on these sites are higher than normal, as most of the players here are playing casually and for fun. They may not have the perfect strategy for the game, which means that you have a better chance to win.
How do you rank these poker sites?
Our ratings are calculated monthly using scores given by our team of expert reviewers and thousands of regular players. Click here for more info on how we rate.
Is it safe playing poker for real money?
It is perfectly safe to play online poker for real money as long as you do your homework. Make sure that the real money online poker site you choose is encrypted. If you are worried, or do not have the time to research each website you are interested in, check out our list of the best internet real money poker sites. We’ve done all the work for you and made sure that the gambling websites listed are safe and secure for game play, deposits and cash withdrawals.
Can I trust these sites with my details?
Every site listed on this page is fully licensed and regulated in trustworthy jurisdictions. Our team has checked each one to ensure they use secure encryption technology that keeps your personal and financial details safe.
Do I have to play for real money?
No, there are a lot of online poker sites that allow visitors to use their free play games without real money. However, these are only practice games, and any money won during those games is just for show, you cannot cashout to your bank or credit card account. The advantage of using the free instant games is that they allow you to practice before jumping in on a real money poker game, which is great for beginners. Free internet gambling also lets experienced players practice new strategies or get used to a game style that differs from Texas Hold’em.
Is it difficult to withdraw funds?
The poker sites on this page have been selected because of their easy deposits and withdrawals. We’ve played on each site for real money and cashouts take anywhere from one day to one week, depending on the payout method.
Can I play in multiple currencies?
It depends on the real money poker room you choose. A handful of gambling websites allow you some financial flexibility, by selecting which currency you’d like to keep your funds in. This also means that any payments and winnings you cashout would remain in that currency.
Can I play other games for real money?
There is a wide variety of online poker games available for cash on the web. However, when you’re ready for a bit of change, you can try games like Blackjack , roulette or slots at a wide range of real money casinos. Many of the poker sites we list above also have casinos tied to them. We also review a great selection of Canadian Casinos too!
Do poker sites accept Bitcoin?
Yes. Some real money poker sites do accept bitcoin, the cryptocurrency, as an alternative to regular cash.
What’s the best poker site to play at?
Find the best poker sites in our shortlist at the top of this page. With great poker bonuses, a huge variety of games, and plenty of busy tables, you’ll find the ideal choice for you.
Looking for US Sites?
We’ve found the best US poker sites for real money that accept players from the US.
Want Faster Payouts?
We’ve found the poker sites with the fastest payout options so you can get your money now.
Easy Competition
If you are interested in winning on a regular basis, you want the easiest competition.
No. 1 Ranked Poker Site: US
Visit Site
Sign Up Offer
100% Free to Play Never Risk a Dime
- Free chips on sign-up and daily bonuses
- Huge variety of poker games and tournaments
- Play real poker for fun!
Secure, Fast Deposit Methods
