WV Online Poker – Best West Virginia Poker Sites, September 2024

The WV online poker scene came into the spotlight back in 2019 when regulations passed, but the jury is out on which operators are going to dominate the market. We’ve reviewed the poker sites you can use in West Virginia right now, so you don’t have to. Which West Virginia poker sites offer the biggest bonuses, fishiest games, and slickest features? Let’s find out…

West Virginia Poker Sites Ranked by Traffic

Reviews of West Virginia Online Poker Rooms 2024 What are the best online poker sites in West Virginia? Based on countless hours of research and first-hand experience, these are my 5 favorite WV online poker sites.

1. Best Overall Online Poker Site in West Virginia – CoinPoker

Poker Network	License	Payout Speed
Independent	Curaçao eGaming	Within 24 hours

•         Poker Games Variety 7.5/10 – I’m a big fan of CoinPoker’s Omaha cash games, particularly the four-handed tables. There are plenty of Hold’em games, as you’d expect, but the lack of Stud brings down the overall score.  
•         Poker Tournaments 9/10 – Any West Virginia online poker site that freerolls with ₮2,500 freerolls prizepools and Sunday majors paying out ₮600,000 has to get a high score.
•         Traffic and Player Base 9/10 – CoinPoker is distinct from other popular West Virginia poker rooms because it’s independent. This gives it more control over its games, features, and products than networked poker sites.
•         Software Quality 10/10 – I’m a huge fan of any poker site that pushes the boundaries, and CoinPoker does that by using blockchain technology to offer fair and transparent games, as well as anonymous payments.  
•         Betting Limits and Payments 10/10 – MTTs start at ₮0.01, so that’s a positive. There are plenty of low and mid-stakes cash games, but I do find that the action tails off when you get above $2/$4. For me, the real reason CoinPoker is 10/10 when it comes to payment is the fact it’s 100% crypto, so you can use BTC, USDT, and other tokens. It even has its own crypto token, CHP.

·         Mobile Friendliness 9/10 – I’ve had a few issues downloading the CoinPoker iOS app, but once I installed it on my phone, it performs flawlessly.

In addition to the points I’ve already highlighted, the main reason I recommend CoinPoker for anyone wanting to play online poker in West Virginia is rakeback. As long as you hold CoinPoker’s CHP token, you’ll get 33% rakeback every week. That’s more than you’ll get at other top-rated WV online poker sites and a great accompaniment to anonymous software, instant crypto payments, and plenty of juicy games.

2. Best WV Online Poker Site for Finding Fishy Players – Ignition 

Poker Network	License	Payout Speed
PaiWangLuo Poker	Curaçao eGaming	Within 48 hours

 

•         Poker Games Variety 7.5/10 – Ignition has a solid selection of games, particularly if you enjoy Hold’em. The only issue I found is that it’s hard to find games above $1/$2.
•         Poker Tournaments 9/10 – It’s hard to fault any West Virginia poker site that has $2 million in weekly tournament guarantees. High-stakes MTTs aren’t always that busy, but any tourneys under $100 attract plenty of players.  
•         Traffic and Player Base 10/10 – traffic isn’t Ignition’s strongest suit, even though it’s a networked poker site. In fact, it attracts a similar number of players to CoinPoker, which is an independent site. I’ve still given it 10/10 because it attracts a lot of fishy (weak) players.
•         Software Quality 9/10 – Ignition Poker is safe, reliable, and easy to use. The design isn’t great, but that’s just my personal preference.
•         Betting Limits and Payments 8/10 – There are plenty of juicy cash games and MTTs you can play for less than a dollar. It’s also great that you can make USD or crypto (BTC, ETH, and USDT) deposits and withdrawals.  
•         Mobile Friendliness 8/10 – I prefer mobile poker apps, but Ignition’s designers have done a good job of streamlining the mobile site.
  
  Ignition has become my go-to site for real-money poker games in West Virginia for one simple reason: it has a higher concentration of fish than other platforms. This is down to the fact Ignition has a thriving sportsbook and casino. The migration of players across verticals is the reason Ignition has the juiciest games. My top tip is to take advantage of Ignition’s anonymous tables so you can exploit weaker players.

  Pros

  • Tournament guarantees topping $2 million
  • Plenty of daily freerolls
  • Safe software with anonymous tables
  • Plenty of weak players

  Cons

  • Weekly limit on withdrawals
  • No stud or draw games

3. Top West Virginia Online Poker Site for Tourneys – ACR Poker

Poker Network	License	Payout Speed
Winning Poker Network (WPN)	Curaçao eGaming	Within 48 hours

 

•         Poker Games Variety 9/10 – ACR covers the basics better than every other WV online poker site I’ve tried. Alongside Hold’em, Omaha, and Stud, you can play 6+ Hold’em cash games.
•         Poker Tournaments 10/10 – With $10 million in weekly guarantees and special events offering payouts in excess of $12 million, ACR is the top WV poker site for MTTs.
•         Traffic and Player Base 9/10 – The Winning Poker Network ranks among the top 10 busiest poker networks in the world, so you’ll never be short of action at ACR.    
•         Software Quality 7.5/10 – ACR has plenty of unique features, as I’ll explain in a moment. It’s also safe and easy to use. However, I can’t give it full marks because the platform has been prone to server outages in the past.
•         Betting Limits and Payments 8/10 – ACR added more low-stakes MTTs in 2024, which is why it’s become a go-to WV poker room for novices who make fiat and crypto (BTC, etc.) payments.

        Mobile Friendliness 9/10 – iOS users don’t have access to ACR’s mobile app, which is a shame. That being said, the mobile site is easy to use.

I love ACR’s tournament schedule. It increased the number of low-stakes MTTs (<$50) by 37% and increased the weekly guarantees by 13% to $10.7 million in 2024. These changes complement the annual Venom tournament series, which has a total guarantee of more than $20 million. I’m also a fan of ACR’s commitment to innovation. Features such as ACR reshuffle, deal-making, staking, and running it twice are not only unique but extremely useful.

4. Standout WV Poker Site for Cash Games – Black Chip Poker

Poker Network	License	Payout Speed
Winning Poker Network (WPN)	Curaçao eGaming	Within 48 hours

•         Poker Games Variety 9/10 – I’ve said already that Stud isn’t widely available online in West Virginia, so it’s great to see Black Chip Poker has a thriving Stud scene alongside its Hold’em and Omaha games.
•         Poker Tournaments 10/10 – From daily freerolls and $1 MTTs to the $20+ Venom series, Black Chip is a fantastic place to play tournaments.
•         Traffic and Player Base 9/10 – The Winning Poker Network provides a steady stream of players from around the world 24/7.
•         Software Quality 7.5/10 – Like ACR, Black Chip Poker has plenty of unique features (more on this below), but server outages are sometimes an issue.
•         Betting Limits and Payments 8/10 – Other than CoinPoker, no other poker site in West Virginia has better crypto facilities than Black Chip. You can make instant payments in 50 cryptocurrencies, including BTC, SOL, ETH, and USDT.
•       Mobile Friendliness 9/10 – Like ACR, Black Chip has an Android app, but iOS users need to use the optimized mobile site.Black Chip Poker is the sister site of ACR, so it shares the same network of players, tournaments, and unique features such as deal-making and progressive payouts. However, the reason I rate this West Virginia poker site just as highly as its stablemate is its loyalty program. Elite VIP gives players at every level an opportunity to get cash bonuses, comps, and free tournament tickets.

  Pros

  • Plenty of MTTs, including WSOP satellites
  • Deposit and withdraw in over 50 cryptocurrencies
  • Great bonuses and rakeback
  • Novel features, including deal-making and staking

  Cons

  • Design could be improved
  • Server outages can happen

5. Best WV Poker Room for Features and Variants – BetOnline

Poker Network	License	Payout Speed
Chico Poker	Panama Gaming Commission	Within 48 hours

 

•         Poker Games Variety 8/10 – BetOnline has plenty of low and mid-stakes Hold’em and Omaha cash games, but I found the best action at the 6+ Hold’em tables.   
•         Poker Tournaments 10/10 – This is my go-to site for free MTT action. As well as dozens of weekly freerolls, BetOnline has plenty of free tournament ticket promotions.  
•         Traffic and Player Base 8/10 – Like Ignition Poker, BetOnline’s games benefit from a steady stream of sports bettors and casino game players.   
•         Software Quality 10/10 – Fun features are the reason BetOnline gets 10/10, as I’ll explain in a moment.  
•         Betting Limits and Payments 9/10 – BetOnline was among the first platforms to offer fiat and crypto poker payments, which is why it now appeals to a broad spectrum of players. I like making P2P USD transfers, but don’t sleep on BTC deposits.
•           Mobile Friendliness 9/10 – BetOnline wins the award for easiest to download mobile app. Just scan the QR and you’ll get easy access to a feature-filled iOS/Android app.Fun features are the reason I recommend BetOnline WV online poker players who are new to the game or want a break from the norm. The welcome bonus is great, and 25% rakeback (via loyalty rewards) is nothing to sniff at. However, where I feel this poker site stands out from the crowd is novel variants like Pineapple, bad beat jackpots, straddling in cash games, and the ability to run hands multiple times.

• Pros

  • Fun features, such as all-in insurance
  • $100k Sunday major and $3 million in weekly guarantees
  • VIP rewards program with rakeback
  • Tons of freerolls and free ticket offers

  Cons

  • Promo terms could be improved
  • Use of VPN may be needed

Green Flags at WV Poker Online Sites

I’ve given you an insight into the things I look for when it comes to defining the best online poker sites in West Virginia. Building on the qualities I’ve highlighted at my recommended sites, these are the features that all world-class poker sites share:

1.     Safe and Regulated: I’ll only ante up at regulated poker sites with longstanding reputations for safety and excellence. BetOnline, for example, has been around since 2001 and continues to operate successfully today. Your entire experience hinges on the quality of the platform you use, so only ante up at regulated WV online poker sites.
2.     Plenty of Fishy Games: Poker sites need plenty of cash games and tournaments, but they need to be the right cash games and tournaments. By that, I mean you want a healthy dose of weak players because it’s hard to win in games filled with seasoned grinders.
3.     Endless Rewards and Rakeback: Rewards shouldn’t stop at welcome bonuses. I prefer poker sites that give you rakeback and loyalty rewards to ones that rely on deposit bonuses.
4.     Secure Ways to Pay: A lot of you will want to make USD fiat payments, and that’s fine. However, I’d urge you to look towards the future of finance and embrace cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. CoinPoker and the rest of my recommended West Virginia poker sites allow you to make safe, anonymous, and instant decentralized payments from anywhere in the world.

Playing Sweepstakes Poker in West Virginia

There are free ways to play poker in West Virginia. Our top-rated real-money WV online poker sites offer play-money games (you use virtual credits) and freerolls. You’ll also have a shot at winning cash prizes through various WV online poker promotions.

The other way to play online poker in West Virginia for free is to use sweepstakes sites. These sites, such as Global Poker, allow you to wager virtual credits known as Gold Coins. You’ll have various ways to get free Gold Coins on a daily basis. Global Poker et al. also give you the ability to purchase extra Gold Coins.

WV Online Poker Games

Bonuses are brilliant, and safe payment options are a necessity, but games are the foundations on which West Virginia online poker rooms are built. Our recommended poker sites have plenty of low-stakes cash games, high-stakes MTTs, and everything in between. The only omission from the line-up of cash games, unfortunately, is Draw Poker. That being said, you’ll have plenty of variants to keep you amused, regardless of your preferences.

Texas Hold’em

Hold’em is the poker variant we all know and love, thanks to mainstream spectacles such as the WSOP Main Event. The top WV online poker sites revolve around No Limit Hold’em cash games and tournaments, but you can find Limit and Pot Limit games if you look hard enough.

The beauty of Hold’em is that everyone uses their hole cards in combination with five community cards. This opens up a wealth of possibilities for making ranked poker hands, bluffing, value betting, and much more.

The best West Virginia online poker site for Hold’em is ACR.

Omaha

You get four hole cards instead of two in Omaha, and you must use two of them. This means you’ve got more hand possibilities.  This leads to more swings as weak hands are easily counterfeited. Omaha is also a great game for bluffing and picking off bluffs. CoinPoker is a great WV poker site for Omaha because there are plenty of four-person and heads-up low-stakes cash games.

The best West Virginia online poker site for Omaha is CoinPoker.

Stud

 

Stud is a non-community card variant because everyone plays their own cards rather than combining them with cards in the middle of the table. Another difference between Stud and other variants is that the dominant betting format is Limit. This makes bluffing harder and hand reading an important skill.

The best West Virginia online poker site for Stud is Black Chip Poker.

Other Real Money Games in PA

Poker is always evolving, which is great news for players who want different ways to bet, bluff, and bag chips. Our favorite WV online poker sites have embraced the spirit of innovation by offering these novel variants:

•         5 Card and 6 Card Omaha: these Omaha spinoffs add more hole cards to the mix, which increases the number of hand possibilities and, therefore, the amount of betting action. 6 Card games can be hard to find, but CoinPoker has plenty of 5 Card Omaha tables.
•         Pineapple: This fruity version of Hold’em gives you three starting cards, so you’ve got more pre-flop options. You then have to discard one card if you want to continue playing the same way you would a standard Hold’em hand. BetOnline is a great WV poker site for Pineapple.
•         6+ Hold’em: also known as Short Deck Hold’em, this variant removes all the cards below a 6. This shakes up the hand rankings and makes equities run closer, both of which create more action. ACR is one of the best West Virginia online poker sites for 6+ Hold’em.

How to Deposit and Play at a WV Online Poker Site

1.     Use our link to join CoinPoker.
2.     Create your account and download the app.
3.     Tap the wallet icon to open the cashier page.
4.     Choose a crypto, copy the wallet address, and send coins to your CoinPoker account.
5.  Go to the poker lobby and filter tables by “Games,” “Buy-In,” and “Seats.”
6.  Open a table and tap the gear icon to adjust the visual settings, whether you want to run it twice, straddle in cash games, and automatically top up your stack.

How to Withdraw from a West Virginia Online Poker Site

You might have made debit or credit card payments in the past. If not, you’ve probably withdrawn money via bank transfer. Most WV online poker sites offer these payment options, as you can see from the table below.

While there are plenty of reasons to make USD payments, we recommend using cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Tether (USDT). Cryptos aren’t chained to a specific country or bank, which means you can make safe, anonymous deposits or withdrawals from anywhere in the world.

WV Online Poker Sites	CoinPoker	Ignition	ACR	Black Chip	BetOnline
Debit/Credit Card	❌	✅	✅	✅	✅
Bank Transfer	❌	✅	✅	✅	✅
Cryptocurrency	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Unique Payment Options	CHP Crypto Token	❌	Peer2Peer	Peer2Peer	Peer2Peer

Bonuses at West Virginia Online Poker Sites

West Virginia poker operators understand the impact variance has on your experience at the tables. That’s why you’ll have multiple ways to reduce the impact of negative variance and ride waves of positive variance even higher by claiming these bonus offers…

Welcome Bonuses

Every WV online poker site we recommend offers newbies a welcome bonus. This means you can tap our secure sign-up links, complete the registration process, and claim a variety of rewards.

Most online poker WV welcome bonuses are deposit-based deals, which means you’ll receive site credit for adding funds to your account. There may also be opportunities to claim no deposit bonuses when you play WV poker online. As the name suggests, these bonuses don’t require a deposit.

The best online poker WV site for welcome bonuses is CoinPoker.

Free Tournament Tickets

Don’t sleep on these promotions because they give you a shot at winning cash prizes. That’s important because other WV poker online bonuses give you credits that need to be converted to cash by paying rake. Free tickets allow you to enter real-money tournaments that pay cash prizes rather than bonus credits.

The best online poker WV site for free tournament tickets is BetOnline.

Freerolls

We like to refer to freeroll tournaments as bankroll builders because they run regularly and don’t cost anything to enter. The beauty of WV online poker freerolls is that they’re open to everyone. There are exclusive freerolls for new customers, as well as events restricted to certain groups of players. However, the best West Virginia online poker sites also have open events that run throughout the week.

The best online poker WV site for freerolls is Americas Cardroom.

Rakeback

If you only claim one bonus when you play online poker in WV, make sure it’s rakeback. Poker operators take a small percentage of every cash game pot and tournament buy-in. This fee is known as rake, and it’s used to cover the cost of running a poker site.

The best WV online poker sites give you back a percentage of the rake you pay on a weekly or monthly basis. For example, you can get 27% rakeback at ACR. So, if you pay $500 at ACR, you’d get $135 rakeback.

The best online poker WV site for rakeback is CoinPoker.

VIP Rewards

VIP rewards, also known as loyalty rewards, are bonuses based on the amount you play. For example, BetOnline has a four-tier rewards system that gives you access to more rakeback and increasingly valuable bonuses as your VIP status improves.

The best online poker WV site for VIP rewards is BetOnline.

Online Poker Apps for West Virginia Players

Here’s how to play online poker in West Virginia via any device, in any way you desire.

WV Online Poker Sits	CoinPoker	Ignition	ACR	Black Chip	BetOnline
Andoird	✅	❌	✅	✅	✅
iOS	✅	❌	❌	❌	✅
Windows	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Mobile Browser	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅

Live Poker in West Virginia

There are three places to play live poker in West Virginia. The Mountain State used to have five places to play, but The Greenbrier and Mountaineer Casino closed their poker rooms in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

Where Can I Play Live in WV?

For those of you who want to transition from WV poker online sites to the live arena, the doors of these rooms remain open:

Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races

•         Address: 750 Hollywood Dr, Charles Town, WV 25414
•         Opening Times: Mon-Tues (Closed), Weds, Thurs, Sun (9 am to 3 am), Friday-Sat (9 am to 6 am)
•         Number of Tables: 17
•         Games Available: Limit and No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em, Limit and Pot Limit Omaha 8 or Better, Pot Limit Omaha cash games and tournaments
•   Notable Features: Royal flush bonus, high-card promotions, cashback rewards, bounty tournaments

Wheeling Island Poker Room

•         Address: 1 South Stone St, Wheeling, WV 26003
•         Opening Times: Mon-Tues (Closed), Weds (5 pm to 1 am), Thurs (3 pm to 3 am), Friday-Sat (10 am to 4 am), Sun (noon to midnight)
•         Number of Tables: 9
•         Games Available: Texas Hold ‘Em, Omaha 8 or Better, Pot Limit Omaha,     Stud cash games and tournaments
•         Notable Features: $40 bankroll builder tournaments, comps, valet parking, jackpots, cocktail service

Big Easy Poker Room at Mardi Gras Casino

•         Address: 1 Greyhound Dr, Cross Lanes, WV 25313
•         Opening Times: Weds and Thurs (3 pm to 3 am), Friday-Sat (12 pm to 3 am)
•  Number of Tables: 10
•         Games Available: Texas Hold ‘Em, Omaha, Stud, Super 4 cash games and tournaments
• Notable Features: Loyalty comps, tableside dining and massages,

Most Popular West Virginia Poker Players

 

Are there any successful poker pros from West Virginia? Yes, there are. Alongside Steven Merrifield and Taylor Wilson, each of whom has won over $1 million in live tournaments, West Virginia is home to one of the most successful players of all time.

Jason Koon is from Weston, West Virginia, and currently has more than $58 million in live tournament earnings. He started his career online under aliases such as JAKoon1985 and notched up a ton of big scores in the early noughties.

Fast-forward a couple of decades, and he’s won titles on every major poker tour, including the WSOP, WPT, and Triton. When he’s not winning super high roller events, Koon can be found in super-rich cash games where million-dollar-pots are standard (see video above).

History of Online Poker in West Virginia

Is online poker in West Virginia legal? Yes, it is. Although poker isn’t strictly the same as other forms of gambling, such as roulette and slots, it was included in the West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act (H2934). This means sweepstakes and online poker real money West Virginia sites have been legal in the state since 2019.

Online Poker Safety and Security in WV

We assess safety and security by two key metrics: regulations and innovations. From a regulatory perspective, WV online poker sites are governed by strict laws that pertain to all aspects of your experience, including safety.

Woven into this tapestry of regulations are technical innovations, including 2-factor authentication (2FA), data encryption (SSL or TLS encryption), and certified random number generators.

Additionally, if you use our recommended WV online poker sites, you’ll benefit from decentralized blockchains that provide a level of anonymity, verifiable fairness, and fast payments from any location.

Can You Play Online Poker in West Virginia?

Yes, it’s legal to play online poker in West Virginia. Sweepstakes sites offer a way to play online poker in WV for free if you’re 18 or older. For those who want to play for cash prizes, online poker real money West Virginia sites such as CoinPoker and ACR are available on desktop or mobile devices. 

Are Poker Winnings Taxable in WV?

Following the legalization of online poker in West Virginia, the state tax authority confirmed that gambling winnings are classed as taxable personal income. Therefore, if you play poker in one of West Virginia’s casinos, your winnings may be subject to state tax.

However, with online poker relatively new in the state, tax laws are evolving. The Mountain State’s tax department doesn’t have jurisdiction over offshore operators. Therefore, you might not be liable for tax if you use WV online poker sites such as BetOnline and Ignition.

Poker in Other States

Online poker is available across the US, but its regulatory status differs depending on the state you’re in. For example, we already know online poker in WV is legal due to state regulations. It’s the same in Delaware, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.

States without their own regulations default to federal laws, which, at the time of writing, don’t prohibit online poker. Therefore, if you’re able to access regulated offshore poker sites, such as CoinPoker, you’re free to play regardless of the state you’re in.

Play WV Online Poker – Key Takeaways

WV online poker has been booming since regulations were passed in 2019. With offshore operators currently providing the biggest bonuses, fishy games, and innovative features such as all-in protection and instant crypto withdrawals, it’s worth checking out our favorite West Virginia poker sites.

•         Enjoy instant crypto withdrawals at regulated offshore WV poker sites
•         Innovative features, including deal-making, staking, and straddles
•         Play for more than $15 million in guaranteed prize money every week

FAQs – West Virginia Poker