Best Online Poker Sites in the US for December 2024

Discover the best online poker sites in the US and learn about their traffic figures, level of competition, provided bonuses, rakeback deals, banking methods, and much more. Our detailed guide covers everything so that you can start playing online poker for real money today.

Top Online Poker Sites

No 1 Crypto Poker	CoinPoker	150% Welcome Bonus up to $2,000 - BONUS CODE: PSCOUT	150% Welcome Bonus up to $2,000 - BONUS CODE: PSCOUT Anonymous poker with easy registration Get 33% rakeback every Monday Free from deposit & withdrawal fees on cryptocurrencies	10 Review CoinPoker	PLAY NOW
Jackpot SNG	Ignition	150% up to $1,500 Crypto Poker Bonus	150% up to $1,500 Crypto Poker Bonus Reward store with bonuses and tickets Quick and easy seating at cash game tables Easy to use poker hand history	9.9 Review Ignition	PLAY NOW
Play Hi-Lo Stud	Americas Card Room	100% up to $2,000	100% up to $2,000 WPN network with solid player base Blitz poker for speed and convenience Seven card stud poker available	9.8 Review Americas Card Room	PLAY NOW
WSOP Qualifiers	Black Chip Poker	100% up to $2,000 Welcome Offer	100% up to $2,000 Welcome Offer Play with other US poker players from all non-regulated states Winning poker network Seven card stud and 5 table PLO available	9.7 Review Black Chip Poker	PLAY NOW
Bad Beat Jackpot 2.0	BetOnline	100% UP TO $1,000 + 21 Satellite Tickets With code: POKER1000	100% UP TO $1,000 + 21 Satellite Tickets With code: POKER1000 Fast seating with Boost for zero waiting time Huge tournaments like Sunday Million and PKO's Solid traffic on Chico Poker Network	9.6 Review BetOnline	PLAY NOW
Play Zone Poker	Bovada	100% up to $500 With Code: PWB500	100% up to $500 With Code: PWB500 Good traffic on Jackpot Sit and Go tables PWL network for opponents from around the world Up to four tables at the same time on the mobile poker client	9.6 Review Bovada	PLAY NOW
Play 7 Card Stud	Ya Poker	Poker Bonus of 100% up to $2,000	Poker Bonus of 100% up to $2,000 Step satellites for popular tournaments Check players at tables with rail tickets WPN - US friendly poker network	9.4 Review Ya Poker	PLAY NOW

US Poker Sites Ranked by Traffic

Best US Online Poker Sites for Beginners

If you are new to online poker, choosing one site to join can be a difficult task. With all of the best poker sites in the US trying to catch your attention, you can’t always know which platforms are right for you. To make this process as easy as it can be, we have the perfect recommendation – Ignition Poker.

Ignition Poker is the best online poker site for beginners because it is easy to access, offers weekly freerolls, and focuses on anonymous play. As a result, you can join the action within a couple of minutes and even benefit from a welcome bonus on your first deposit.

The soft competition and high traffic numbers make sure that you have plenty of tables at stakes starting from just $0.02/$0.05. These are some of the lowest cash games among the best real money poker sites in the US.

Jackpot SNG

• Reward store with bonuses and tickets
• Quick and easy seating at cash game tables
• Easy to use poker hand history

9.9

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Honorable mention: Another highly recommended real money poker site for beginners in the US is CoinPoker. While it doesn’t have anonymous tables, it has very soft games, especially at low stakes. Plus, it has micro series of tournaments if you want to try your hand at online poker real money events for cheap.

Best US Online Poker Sites for Intermediate Players

If you already know how to play poker online and want to further sharpen your skills, you might be interested in other aspects of a poker site than a beginner. This section is all about the middle of the pack and it can be hard to find the perfect balance that makes a poker room perfect for intermediate players. Luckily, we did all the research so that the answer is simple – CoinPoker.

CoinPoker is the best US-friendly online poker platform for most players. It has solid traffic throughout the week and it doesn’t restrict more experienced players with anonymous tables or random seating. You can join any table with an open seat, take notes on your opponents, and take your online poker games to the next level.

Moreover, CoinPoker has a rewarding rakeback system, a massive welcome bonus, and weekly leaderboard competition with real prizes. Combined with the fact that you can register and deposit anonymously with crypto, the general player field is very soft. You can go over $1/$2 tables and still find easy games.

No 1 Crypto Poker

• Anonymous poker with easy registration
• Get 33% rakeback every Monday
• Free from deposit & withdrawal fees on cryptocurrencies

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Honorable mention: ACR Poker checks most boxes in this category and is easily one of the best online poker sites for US players. It has a mix of cash games and tournaments for mid stakes that is hard to beat.

Best Online Poker Sites for Advanced Players in the USA

High-level online poker games are quite different as every opponent is very experienced and always paying attention. Plus, there is usually more money on the line, which can add another stressful element to the already difficult table. If you are looking for the best online poker site for high-stakes action, you have to play at CoinPoker.

CoinPoker is the home of Tony G and other professional poker players. In fact, Tony G even set a record jackpot worth over $1.8 million while playing PLO at $1,000/$2,000 stakes in 2022.

Even at lower stakes, the US-friendly online poker room has a solid offering for serious poker players. We also found that the 33% rakeback is very useful for frequent play at high stakes and the increased tournament series offer bigger prize pools than on other real money poker sites.

No 1 Crypto Poker

• Anonymous poker with easy registration
• Get 33% rakeback every Monday
• Free from deposit & withdrawal fees on cryptocurrencies

10

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Honorable mention: We have to mention Americas Cardroom for serious US online poker given that it often hosts big names on its tables, including Tom Dwan, Chris Moneymaker, Katie Lindsay, and other ACR Pros. No Limit Hold’em cash games at $100/$200 are very common here.

Best Online Poker Sites for Cash Games in the US

Online poker cash games are often the main attraction on a platform and it is also how we check traffic figures. This is because cash games are the purest form of poker online, giving players the freedom to join and leave at any time. As for the best USA online poker site for cash games, we have to give it to BetOnline.

BetOnline Poker has a rich variety of games that caters to the whole online poker real money community throughout the USA. While Texas Hold’em is the most popular pick, Omaha and Omaha H/L are also covered very well on this online poker room. You can also find cash tables for Omaha 5 and Omaha 6, plus the exclusive Classic OFC games that play Pineapple OH.

Moreover, BetOnline ranks above other US friendly poker sites when it comes to banking, making it easy to deposit through a variety of traditional payment methods and over a dozen cryptocurrencies.

Bad Beat Jackpot 2.0

• Fast seating with Boost for zero waiting time
• Huge tournaments like Sunday Million and PKO's
• Solid traffic on Chico Poker Network

9.6

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Honorable mention: Bovada Poker is another top site for real money poker cash games in the United States that caters more for recreational players. It has stakes starting from $0.02/$0.05 and the quick seating feature makes it easy to join the action at any time. Plus, the mobile interface is clean and supports multi-tabling.

Best Online Poker Sites for Tournaments in the US

If you are more interested in online poker tournaments than in cash games, you will find a very busy schedule at all of the USA online poker rooms covered on this page. However, we believe that the best site for tournaments is ACR Poker.

ACR has a great tournament offering with guaranteed prize pools and buy-ins for every bankroll. It is the home of the renowned Venom Tournament that set a record prize pool of $12.5 million in 2024. You can even qualify for live events through the online poker site and thus take your virtual skills to the real felt.

Play Hi-Lo Stud

• WPN network with solid player base
• Blitz poker for speed and convenience
• Seven card stud poker available

9.8

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Honorable mention: BetOnline Poker is known for hosting exclusive tournament series throughout the year. Its high traffic makes it one of the best online poker rooms in the USA for guaranteed tournament prize pools. The regular schedule includes the Sunday Majors, a series of over 100 tournaments on the same day.

Best US Poker Sites for Bonuses, Rakeback, and Promotions

One of the advantages to playing poker online for real money in the USA is that you can benefit from various bonuses and rewards. These help boost your balance in one way or another and thus give you a bigger bankroll to work with. But, what US poker sites have the best bonuses? The top recommendation goes to CoinPoker.

First of all, CoinPoker has a bigger welcome bonus than some of the best online poker sites for real money in the US. It offers a big boost based on the first deposit and the terms make it fairly easy to release the amount as you are playing.

Secondly, you can benefit from 33% rakeback at CoinPoker and you just need to have CHP, the exclusive cryptocurrency on the online poker room. The 33% rakeback is higher than what other US friendly poker sites offer.

And thirdly, there are daily cash game leaderboards for Hold’em and Omaha, monthly tournament leaderboards that award $15,000, and other special promotions added on top that keep the rewards coming in simply by being active.

No 1 Crypto Poker

• Anonymous poker with easy registration
• Get 33% rakeback every Monday
• Free from deposit & withdrawal fees on cryptocurrencies

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Honorable mention: Ignition Poker has some great bonuses and promotions that reward real money online poker players. The welcome bonus also includes a match for the casino section, there are $2,500 in poker freerolls every week, and you earn comp points within the exclusive Ignition Rewards program that you can use to buy tournament tickets.

Comparing the Best Online Poker Rooms in the United States

To help you find the best online poker real money sites, check out the following tables and compare the top brands in an instant. See what bonuses they offer, what online poker games are available, and much more.

Top USA Online Poker Sites Reviewed

There are various aspects that go into providing a premium online poker experience. From the poker traffic and the welcome bonus, to the tournament schedule and the competition level, we carefully analyze everything so that you can have the full picture before joining. Learn more about the best online poker sites for real money in the USA from the following reviews.

1. CoinPoker – Best Overall Poker Site in the USA

Overall Poker Site Rating: 10/10

CoinPoker is the top recommendation for online poker for US players. It offers the complete package with hundreds of cash tables, a very busy tournament schedule, and more bonuses and rewards than other online poker rooms. Plus, you can sign up, play, and withdraw from anywhere in the USA without having to submit any documents.

The premium poker client is available by download for desktop and mobile devices. It has a user-friendly lobby that is easy to navigate across cash games, tournaments, special events, and jackpot SNGs known as Cosmic Spins. There are also tabs for the casino and sportsbook, thus providing even more gaming options within the client.

Banking at CoinPoker is done exclusively through cryptocurrencies. You can send funds through major coins, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Tether, directly from your wallet. There is also an option to deposit from an exchange, which makes it easier for poker online players that may be new to crypto. During our CoinPoker review, the support team was quick to answer questions and provide assistance.

No 1 Crypto Poker

• Anonymous poker with easy registration
• Get 33% rakeback every Monday
• Free from deposit & withdrawal fees on cryptocurrencies

10

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2. Ignition Poker – Top Anonymous Tables for Poker Online for Real Money

Overall Poker Site Rating: 9.9/10

Ignition Poker takes a different approach to CoinPoker and focuses more on anonymous play. You can only request quick seating from the lobby and the table will not display any player names. This makes it impossible to keep player notes for a long-term edge, but you can still pick up on small habits and take notes while at the table.

The result is that Ignition has some of the softest real money poker games in the US. The entire network is designed to discourage sharks and give recreational players a safe poker room to enjoy the action. And with PaiWangLuo being the biggest real money poker network in the USA, it is safe to say that the strategy has worked wonders for Ignition.

We also found a similar approach when we checked out the tournaments schedule. There are weekly freerolls with $2,500 up for grabs, but you will have to be at least Chrome Level in the Ignition Rewards program to qualify. This is only the second tier and fairly easy to reach. Plus, you will benefit from a better redemption rate for turning points into bonus funds as you climb.

Jackpot SNG

• Reward store with bonuses and tickets
• Quick and easy seating at cash game tables
• Easy to use poker hand history

9.9

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3. ACR Poker – Play Poker Online and Qualify for Live Events in the US

Overall Poker Site Rating: 9.8/10

Americas Cardroom, also known as ACR Poker, is one of the most renowned brands for online poker in the USA. It ranks among the best online poker sites for tournaments and offers more online poker games than the competition. In addition to Texas Hold’em and Omaha, you will also find 5-Card Omaha and Seven Card Stud tables.

Being on the Winning Poker Network gives ACR some promotional perks. Players have access to The Beast race and every cash table qualifies. You earn points based on the amount of rake contributed and the top players at the end of the week receive cash prizes and tournament entries.

The cashier section on the client is a bit slim but it does include convenient payment methods. You can deposit with credit cards or use major cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, and Tether. Withdrawing is available by crypto and by requesting a paper check.

Play Hi-Lo Stud

• WPN network with solid player base
• Blitz poker for speed and convenience
• Seven card stud poker available

9.8

PLAY NOW

Online Poker Games for Real Money at US Friendly Poker Sites

You will find a good variety of poker games when playing on the best online poker rooms in the US. Knowing how the games differ is very important and you can learn more about the main variations below.

Texas Hold’em

By far the most popular poker variant in the USA, Texas Hold’em is available at all of the best real money poker sites. The game is played with a standard deck of 52 cards and each player starts with two hole cards that only they can see.

After multiple betting rounds, a total of five community are dealt on the table facing up. Each player in the hand can use any of the cards to form the strongest five-card hand. The winner is the one with the strongest hand, or the last one left playing after everyone else has folded.

Omaha

Omaha is second in popularity and so it is not missing from any of the best online poker sites in the USA. Here, each player receives four hole cards instead of the two used to play Hold’em. However, you can only use two of those cards and combine them with three community cards to create your hand.

Variations include Omaha High/Low, where the pot is split into two and one half is awarded for the strongest hand and the other half goes to the weakest hand. You can also find Omaha 5 and Omaha 6 tables on some US friendly poker sites. Here, you start with five or six cards, respectively, and must only use two to form your hand.

Seven Card Stud

Although Seven Card Stud is not available at all of the best online poker sites for real money, it remains a fairly popular game variant with plenty of fans. Here, each player receives a total of seven cards as their hand after multiple betting rounds. Two of these cards are facing down and only they can see, while the other five are facing up.

The goal is to have the strongest hand of five cards, or to be the last one remaining in the round. The multiple betting rounds and the fact that you can see most of your opponents’ cards make this a thrilling game.

Other Poker Games

The list of poker games at US-friendly poker sites continue with additional variations, such as Chinese Poker Pineapple. Available at BetOnline, OFC poker is quite different from other poker variants. Here, each player receives a total of 13 cards after several betting rounds and the goal is to create three hands, one made out of three cards and two made out of five cards, each.

It’s also worth noting that all of the best online poker rooms in the US also offer casino games, which include casino poker variants. Options like Caribbean Stud Poker, Oasis Poker, and Casino Hold’em allow you to play against the dealer, instead of other players.

There are also various video poker machines worth checking out on the top online casinos. Here, the goal is to form the strongest hand of five cards after a round where you can replace any of them.

Where Can I Play Poker Online in the US?

Online poker is available throughout the USA thanks to offshore poker sites. These are based outside of the country but accept American players and provide safe and secure poker online platforms. You can sign up, deposit, play, and withdraw winnings with ease from any of the recommended real money poker sites.

State-licensed online poker sites are limited to only a few states and most of them have ring-fenced player pools. This means that you can only play against other players in the same state, which results in low traffic. Plus, in many of these states, there are only one or two online poker sites, so the competition is limited.

Which US States Have Legalized Online Poker?

There are currently six states that offer legal online poker for real money in the United States, while West Virginia and Connecticut have the legal framework in place but haven’t launched any local poker sites.

What Is or Is Not Legal in US?

Playing online poker is not strictly against any US laws. Therefore, a number of offshore sites continue to find creative ways around the banking issues created by UIGEA and continue to accept US customers.

You can legally play at any of the real money poker sites covered in this guide from the US.

You can’t host online poker games for real money with servers located within country borders. It is illegal to run unregulated poker rooms, online and live, based in the USA.

Where Can I Play Poker Live in the US?

Poker is America’s game. As a result, most states have tribal casinos, commercial casinos or card rooms where you can expect to be able to play live poker.

In fact, it’s much easier to list the states where you can’t legally play live poker. Although, even in that list of states below, you likely won’t have to look too hard to find an underground game, or a casino in a neighboring state with a poker room tucked right up next to the border.

• Utah
• Texas*
• Hawaii
• Tennessee
• Alaska
• New Hampshire
• Georgia

*Texas is experimenting with poker in private social club settings.

Individual States with Real Money Online Poker Offerings

There are just seven US states with laws legalizing and regulating online poker.  Players can head online via the software clients or use real money poker apps to take part.

Delaware was the first state to do it, passing the Delaware Gaming Competitiveness Act in the summer of 2012. It approved both online poker and online casino games.

In February 2013, Nevada became the second state to come on board, authorizing the issue of online poker licenses. Within a week, New Jersey became the third state to legalize online gambling. It authorized the issue of licenses to casinos in Atlantic City that allowed them to operate both online poker and online casino sites.

Pennsylvania became the fourth state to authorize online gambling. It passed online poker and online gambling legislation as a part of a comprehensive gambling expansion bill in October 2017.

Since then, there has been much legal and regulatory maneuvering in the state. There has even been an external threat that arose after the Department of Justice revised its opinion about the Wire Act’s applicability.

West Virginia was the fifth state to legalize online poker. The Mountain State did so with the passage of H 2934, the West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act.

Michigan also made significant pushes to legalize online gaming, including poker. Gov. Whitmer signed the bill into law leading online poker sites to go live in early 2021.

Connecticut legalized online poker in May 2021 but the two licensed operators have yet to launch online poker sites.

Rhode Island is the latest state to legalize online poker and launch local options. However, it only allows for one operator and this is unlikely to change anytime soon.

Activity in Other States

Of course, a number of other states, including California, New York, Massachusetts, and Illinois have all seriously considered various forms of legislation that would legalize and regulate online poker over the past few years.

The federal government has succeeded in pushing the largest global online poker site operators out of the US market. However, several offshore online poker operators still accept US players. For example, you can play online poker in Texas on top sites that are based offshore.

US Real Money Online Poker Overview

There are essentially two federal laws that govern online poker in the US.

History of Online Poker in the US

Online gambling for real money first hit the internet when online casinos started opening in 1994. The operators were mostly based in places like Antigua or the Isle of Man, but they still took customers from the United States and were only too happy to accept US cash.

In 1996, the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake, a First Nations group based just outside of Montreal, Canada brought online gambling to North American soil for the first time. It set up a gaming commission and started issuing licenses to online casino sites. The Kahnawake Gaming Commission helped the number of online gambling websites around the world go from a handful to hundreds.

In 1998, a Canadian entrepreneur launched the first-ever online poker site. Planet Poker advertised in CardPlayer Magazine in the US prior to its Jan. 1, 1998 launch. The first ever real-money online $3/$6 Hold’em game was filled with US players.

By 1999, the US Senate realized online gambling was widespread across the US and sought to do something about it. The Internet Gambling Prohibition Act was introduced, but it did not pass.

In 2002, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled the Federal Wire Act prohibits sports betting, but not necessarily online gambling. At the time, the DOJ disagreed, claiming online gambling was illegal, However, the industry kept growing as players clamored for an opportunity to play poker online for real money.

The Poker Boom

In 2003, online poker’s popularity really took off. A Tennessee accountant aptly named Chris Moneymaker won the World Series of Poker Main Event after getting into the tournament through an online satellite. Coverage aired on ESPN, and Moneymaker’s story became a national obsession. Millions of Americans thought they could be next.

Poker was suddenly everywhere on TV, as the advent of hole-card cameras made live games more watchable than ever. Most shows were branded, and the commercial breaks were filled with spots for offshore online poker sites. The productions sold the game to the American TV-watching public and they bought it.

Then, in 2006, Congress took another shot at taming the wild beast. It passed UIGEA, making it illegal for US banks to handle transactions with offshore online poker sites. It certainly pushed a handful of operators out of the US market, but it didn’t eliminate the market altogether.

Several sites still accepted US players and found ways around the banking issues. Online poker continued to grow until April 15, 2011.

On that day, three of the largest online poker operators in the world were indicted on various illegal gambling and money laundering charges, including violating UIGEA. The sites included PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and Absolute Poker/Ultimate Bet. Access to the sites from the US was shut down, and the massive US online poker market was effectively closed.

However, it wouldn’t take long before efforts to open it up again began.

US Legal and Regulated Online Poker

In response to questions regarding the legality of online lottery sales in December 2011, the DOJ released a legal opinion that the Federal Wire Act only applies to sports betting. Several states took this to mean they could consider licensing and regulating online poker and casino sites if they wanted.

Delaware was the first state to do it, approving both online poker and online casino legislation in 2012.

In February 2013, Nevada became the second state to pass online gambling legislation, authorizing the issue of online poker licenses. A week later, New Jersey became the third state to legalize online gambling and made plans to issue licenses for online poker and online casino sites.

In April 2013, the first-ever legal and regulated online poker site in the US went live in Nevada. Legal and regulated online poker sites went live in Delaware and New Jersey in November 2013. Pennsylvania became the fourth state to legalize online poker when it passed a comprehensive gambling expansion bill in October 2017.

Then in 2019, both Michigan and West Virginia legalized online poker. Now, even more states are considering similar online poker legislation.

Conclusion

With all the cards on the table, it is clear that real money online poker in the US is easy to access thanks to offshore brands. The individual state regulations are slow to catch up and even the licensed operators that are available can’t really compete with the best poker sites covered in this guide.

CoinPoker stands out as the best of the best for poker online in the USA. It offers cash games and tournaments for Texas Hold’em and Omaha, covering all stakes from micro to nosebleed high. It also has a generous welcome bonus, an industry leading rakeback system, and runs weekly leaderboard competitions with real prizes.

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• Anonymous poker with easy registration
• Get 33% rakeback every Monday
• Free from deposit & withdrawal fees on cryptocurrencies

10

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