Top Online Poker Sites to Play For Real Money in January 2025

Find the best online poker sites, using the best metrics, at PokerScout. Our live traffic reports and expert insights offer data-driven overviews of the top poker sites online. Wherever you are in the world, we give you the information you need to make smart decisions.

Affiliate Disclosure: If you place a bet at an online poker site through one of our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This may influence the gambling operators we list; however, the editors and writers of this website operate at their sole discretion, and their opinions are not beholden to any outside entity or organization. We recommend only legal and trusted operators.

Traffic Report for Real Money Poker Sites 

We provide real-time traffic updates for the world’s best online poker sites, including CoinPoker, Ignition, and ACR. With cash game data, 24-hour peaks, and total volume reports refreshed daily, PokerScout is your gateway to the juiciest games online and online poker tournaments.

Online Poker Traffic

The traffic on an online poker site is very important for several reasons. First of all, it shows you just how popular a poker site or a poker network is, which in turn gives you an idea of how many poker cash games and tournaments you will find running throughout the week.

Secondly, online poker traffic can highlight the safest choices, especially if you are just starting and don’t know which sites to join. However, this doesn’t always mean that the biggest poker sites are the best ones for you.

While traffic for online poker is a staple for PokerScout, we are also the first to tell you that it’s not the be-all and end-all when choosing a poker room to join. There are many more aspects to consider, including your skill level, preferred games, stakes, bonus expectations, mobile support, and even available banking methods.

Our goal is to cover the entire online poker industry and give you the full picture before you even sit down at a table.

Best Online Poker Sites for January 2025

We have a full-page breakdown of the best poker sites available in several countries, with links to each page in the table below. Each article details the best real-money poker sites in each country throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

Europe	Asia/Oceania	Americas
France	Australia	Canada
Italy	India	Brazil
Spain	Malaysia	USA
Sweden	New Zealand
UK	Singapore

Game selection is a fundamental skill in poker. You could be the 10th-best player in the world but struggle to win if you sit in games with nine people better than you. That’s why you need to target the right games at the right times.

You can only do that with the poker game tracker here at PokerScout.

Our software tracks player activity across the best poker sites online, so you get live traffic reports whenever you need them. From cash game activity in Nevada and Delaware to weekly averages in Canada and India, our trackers show you the best times to play poker online in any country.

These live reports are flanked by honest online poker reviews that direct you toward the top sites in your region.

Of course, we cover the best US poker sites in detail and for every major state. We’ll show you where to find fishy games, slick software, and generous poker bonuses.

US States	US States	US States
California	Nevada	Ohio
Delaware	New Jersey	Pennsylvania
Florida	New York	Texas
Illinois	North Carolina	West Virginia
Michigan

Each state offers great options for online poker. Our articles detail the various sites for each state.

Best Poker Sites for Your Skill Level

Picking the right online poker sites for your skill level can be tricky, especially since most players will overestimate their abilities. We recommend starting at lower stakes and working your way up as you learn and grow your balance.

Of course, you will also need a top poker site for real money that allows you to do so, or know when it is time to move to a new poker site to match your new skills.

Best Poker Sites for Beginners

Some of the best online poker websites focus on newcomers and beginners, aiming to provide a safe gaming environment where they can learn the ropes and have fun. However, it is difficult to know from the start which online poker rooms fit this description, especially if you are just starting. That is why we did all the research for you.

Best poker site for beginners: Ignition Poker

Overall, Ignition Poker stands out as being the best pick for casual players. The entire platform has been designed to cater to beginners, instead of experienced players. We can see this in the anonymous tables, where everyone at the table gets a number instead of a username. This makes it impossible to take notes across multiple sessions.

The site also uses quick seating and focuses on the main poker variants – Texas Hold’em and Omaha. Micro and low stakes get most of the action and this also applies for tournaments on the poker online real money site. Ignition runs weekly freerolls and has solid guarantees.

Notable mention: CoinPoker is another great pick for beginners looking to play online poker for real money. It has cash tables that start from $0.01/$0.02 blinds and the software is very easy to navigate. The downside is that you will have to install the client to play, adding an extra step to the process.

Best Poker Sites for Experienced Players

Choosing the right poker sites as an experienced player is more about features, Rakeback, and traffic than it is about anonymous tables. In fact, the requirements for this category are much different than they would be for beginners.

Best online poker room for experienced players: CoinPoker

CoinPoker makes a great impression if you have some experience with online poker. First of all, it is a blockchain poker site that ensures fair shuffling. Secondly, the software is modern, loads quickly, and allows for multiple customizations. Then, we have the great traffic numbers, the high rakeback deal at 33%, and the exclusive tournament series.

It has a large welcome bonus for poker online for real money and runs daily and weekly leaderboard competitions with extra prizes. Moreover, banking on CoinPoker is done with crypto, which allows for instant deposits and withdrawals with very low fees. You can easily withdraw your winnings without having to provide various documents and go through extensive verifications.

Notable mention: BetOnline Poker is a top poker site perfectly suited for experienced players. In addition to Texas Hold’em and Omaha, it also offers special game variants, including Open Face Chinese Poker. It has great traffic and runs some huge tournaments every Sunday.

Best Poker Sites to Play Online Tournaments

While all of the best real money online poker sites offer great tournaments, there are a couple of brands that stand out in this category. Here, we looked at overall tournament offerings, the size of the fields, guaranteed prize pools, and special series to bring you the best picks.

Top poker site for online tournaments: ACR Poker

Formerly known as Americas Cardroom, ACR Poker comes out ahead of the competition when it comes to poker tournaments. It has a huge tournament schedule with events throughout the week, covering all levels for Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and Seven Card Stud. Moreover, ACR is home to the record-breaking $12.5 GTD Venom tournament.

There are loads of satellites for the big events, plus online qualifiers for live tournaments all over the world, including the WSOP Main Event. This is one of the few real money poker sites that offers staking, giving users the chance to buy a stake in someone else’s tournament and then share the payout.

Notable mention: CoinPoker runs an exclusive series of poker tournaments known as the Crypto Series of Online Poker (CSOP). This is available several times a year at three levels, on top of the already great tournament schedule, and provides more action. Each series has around 40 events taking place over 10 days and comes with a dedicated leaderboard for extra prizes.

How We Choose the Best Online Poker Real Money Sites

Data is the foundation for every optional decision in poker. That’s why we pride ourselves on the information we provide. We want you to make the right decisions before you start playing online poker for real money, which is why our reviews cover these fundamentals:

Traffic: Top poker sites with more players typically have more fish, which is what you want when you play online poker for real money. That’s why our expert poker reviews contain traffic reports.

Games: The best online poker sites offer Hold’em, Omaha, Stud, and Draw in a variety of ways. With these bases covered, we ensure you have easy access to cash games, tournaments, and SNGs at all stakes.

Bonuses: Variance is a natural part of poker, which is why bonuses such as rakeback need to be part of your overall strategy. Our experts assess the latest bonuses for poker online for real money to make sure they’re as generous as they claim to be.

Payments: You can only play poker online for real money if you’ve got safe ways to make deposits and withdrawals. Our reviews show you the best poker sites available for your currency and the best crypto poker sites online, where you can play from anywhere.

Mobile Support: With more than half of online poker action taking place on mobile devices, the top sites need to be easily accessible on iPhone and Android smartphones. We make sure that the best real money poker apps let you enjoy the game at any time, from any location.

Security: Your safety is our priority. We want you to enjoy playing online poker for real money without worrying about the safety of your bankroll and personal details. That’s why we only recommend licensed online poker sites.

Extras: This category is all about the extra features that make a top real money poker site stand out. From the unique software to the addition of exclusive features, the extras are what set poker rooms apart. You can even join the best online casinos for real money on the top platforms if you want extra games.

All our reviews are complemented by live traffic reports, which means you can choose the best online poker sites based on expert insights and facts.

Deposit and Withdrawal Methods at Online Poker Sites

To play online poker for real money, you will have to deposit funds. After winning, you will be able to withdraw funds from the account just as easily. The top sites make this process very simple and generally provide a range of banking methods to choose from. The available ones will depend on the site in question, but these are the main methods:

Credit and Debit Cards

Credit and debit cards are the most popular payment methods for online transactions. They are available worldwide, and most online poker players are already familiar with them. Visa and Mastercard are the two biggest brands here, along with Discover, American Express, and others.

Cards allow for fast deposits and are accepted on most online poker websites. Since players already have at least one card readily available, payments are quick and to the point. You just have to enter your card details on the poker site and then approve the transaction. However, not all poker sites online will support withdrawals to cards, so you may need to use another method to cash out.

Cryptocurrencies

Cryptocurrency banking is still fairly new when it comes to online poker on a global scale. More and more poker sites accept cryptos for deposits and also allow players to withdraw back to their crypto wallets. The main coin here is Bitcoin, which is available on all crypto poker sites, but you will also find support for Ethereum, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, and other altcoins.

Cryptocurrencies allow for secure deposits and withdrawals for online poker, without requiring users to verify their identity. The downside is that they are not as popular as other banking methods and new players will have to set up their crypto wallets and buy coins in advance. It is also worth mentioning that crypto values can be quite volatile.

Bank Transfers

Online poker sites for real money can accept direct bank transfers for deposits and also for withdrawals. This way, you can send money directly from your bank account to the poker site and then back again after cashing in some pots. Since this is done mostly through mobile apps these days, bank transfers can be quite efficient.

You should note that this banking method is not the fastest for online transactions. Some bank transfers require additional verifications that can take up to five business days, depending on your bank. Transaction fees can also be quite large, sometimes going up to $50.

Other Popular Banking Methods for Online Poker Sites

Additional deposit options can include eWallets, such as PayPal, Skrill, and NETELLER. These web wallets were designed for quick transactions online, so they can be convenient once you set everything up. However, most poker sites have moved away from eWallets due to local regulations and refund policies.

Mobile payment services, like Apple Pay and Google Pay, are similar to eWallets but tend to be more available. These allow you to connect a card to your web wallet and then make transactions from your phone. You can also use mobile payment services to fund other banking methods for poker online, including buying crypto.

The list goes on to include prepaid vouchers, which you can purchase at retail stores and online to use and then deposit on the site.

Some poker sites will even accept cash payments if they have a partnership with a land-based casino in your area. You deposit at a retail casino, which will appear in your online account.

Are Online Poker Sites Safe?

The short answer is yes, online poker is safe as long as you play on the right sites. All of the listed online poker rooms offer safe games, secure banking, and random shuffling. These are the cornerstones of every reliable platform and some of the featured operators have been in business for decades.

Not only are the companies licensed in reputable jurisdictions, but they also use proper random number generators for card shuffling. This makes sure that results are fair. And when it comes to banking on the best online poker sites for real money, funds must be kept securely and withdrawals must be paid without hassle. With millions exchanging stacks every week, online security is always a top priority.

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