Poker is perhaps the most beloved casino card game in the world, and so it’s no surprise that online poker is also incredibly popular. In our guide we’ll cover where to play poker online in the USA, top game variations, winning hands & more.
If you’re a US player looking to play real money poker on the web, here are our favorite sites:
Though you can certainly run across additional types, these are the most popular variations of online poker in the US:
Nearly all variations of poker are played with the standard 52-card deck. The value ranking of each card goes in descending order (Ace >King > Queen > Jack > 10 > 9, etc.)
It is important to note that in most game variants, Ace can be used as either high or low in straights (e.g. you could have a five-card straight that runs A-2-3-4-5, or 10-J-Q-K-A.)
The following table will show common poker hand variations, ranked from best to worst:
| Poker Hand Name | Cards | Example Hand |
| Royal Flush | A, K, Q, J, 10 – same suit |  |
| Straight Flush | Five sequential cards – same suit |  |
| Four of a Kind | Four cards of the same value, one of each suit – fifth card doesn’t matter |  |
| Full House | Three cards of the same value, and a pair of an additional value |  |
| Flush | Five cards of the same suit – any order |  |
| Straight | Five sequential cards – any suit |  |
| Three of a Kind | Three cards of the same value – other two cards don’t matter |  |
| Two Pair | Two cards of the same value and two cards of a different value – fifth card doesn’t matter |  |
| One Pair | Two cards of the same value – other three cards don’t matter |  |
| No Pair | All five cards of different values and not all the same suit |
Check out our best online poker sites, side by side for comparison. Analyze their welcome bonuses, deposit options, payout times, and much more!
After reviewing our favorite USA poker sites, these rooms did not pass the high standards set by Gamble Online’s team of experts. For more information, please check out our How We Rate section.
Poker’s many game variations can get complicated – stick to the variations that you understand you get some experience.
In most variations of the game, you’re wagering against real people. Maintain your composure, stick to your strategy, and don’t get baited into betting on a hand you don’t like.
Folding is not the same as losing. Great players aren’t afraid to walk away from a hand if they feel they’re beaten. Live to fight another day.
Note: these game types are not the same as the game variations we listed above. Game types refer to the gameplay type itself, rather than differences in rules. At a good online poker room, you’ll be able to find different game types for each of the variations that we listed above.
With that said, there are five main types of online poker that US players will find:
Cash games are games which have no fixed time to finish, and are played for real money. Players can leave the game at their leisure.
More of a commitment, in tournaments players commit to playing until the tournament ends, and cannot cash out before then. You play until you’re out of chips, and receive a certain payout amount depending on where you finished.
Also known as SnGs, the tournament begins as soon as your table is full, and often wrap up in under an hour. If you lose all your chips, you’re done.
A variation of online poker in which, if you fold quickly, you can move to a new table to play again right away. This is a great game type for playing quickly.
An even faster version of fast-fold poker, with games often finished in less than ten minutes.
Ignition has the single biggest pool of poker players in the United States. Every day you can expect up to 3000 players and 300 poker rooms at your fingertips.
What we love
If you’re considering playing poker for real money, it can be hard to know where to start. We’d always suggest playing on the internet first. While brick-and-mortar casinos are great, there is no question that more advanced players have a huge advantage at them. Online, that’s not the case. You can play with players of all levels, and part of the fun when you are starting out is playing with other beginners! Here are some of the other pros and cons of playing online vs at a live casino.
If you’re looking to play for real money, you’ll need to sign up for an account at your chosen poker site first. It should take just a few minutes to do. Then, log in to your new account.
Head to the cashier section of the site or app. Here you will be able to make your first deposit. Make sure to collect any free welcome bonus available, as it will help to boost your bankroll.
As soon as your payment has cleared, the funds will appear in your poker account. Then you’ll be able to select a table and start playing straight away!
To help make your decision a little easier, here are the top online poker sites on the internet, along with some key information:
| Operator | Bonus | Minimum Deposit | Payout Speed | Accepts Bitcoin | Mobile Play | Read Review and Play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Ignition Casino | $1,000 | $10 | 15 minutes – 2 days | Yes | Browser and App | Read Review |
| 2. Bovada | $600 | $20 | 15 minutes – 2 days | Yes | Browser only | Read Review |
| 3. Intertops | $1,000 | $20 | 15 minutes – 7 days | Yes | Browser and App | Read Review |
| 4. BetOnline | $1,000 | $20 | 15 minutes – 15 days | Yes | Browser and App | Read Review |
| 5. Sports Betting | $1,000 | $50 | 1 – 14 days | Yes | Browser and App | Read Review |
| 6. America’s Cardroom | $1,000 | $20 | 1 – 15 days | Yes | Browser only | Read Review |
when you push all your chips into the center of the table in hopes of either winning the pot or busting out
when you pretend to have really good cards, but don’t
when you match the highest bet currently on the table
when no wager is made and the action is on the next player to the left
the tokens on the table that represent a certain value or dollar amount
out of chips
the most basic of poker versions where you try to make the best five card hand based on your original cards and/or card drawn from the deck
player receives four cards, use two of them and three community cards to make either best hand via highest hand ranking or lowest ranking depending on version
emotionally fueled poker betting void of reason or strategy, trying to make up for ones losses
when somebody to your right wagers a certain amount and you increase that amount by a certain amount
a mix of face up and face down cards where you try to make the strongest five-card hand
when you believe you have really good cards and try to lure the other poker players in to fattening up the pot
one of, if not thee, most popular poker games on the planet made popular by the World Series of Poker. Betting rounds:
Yes, despite some conflicting reports, online poker is legal. You can review all the state-by-state gambling laws on our site. However, there are no federal laws from competing in online poker or poker tournaments.
We have plenty of sites that we recommended for playing poker online. You can check out Bodog’s poker offering, as well as Intertops. Both of which are top quality and bring something different to the poker table.
Depends who you ask, but since the online poker boom of the early 2000s, No Limit Texas Hold’em has earned a lot of headlines as it’s the format used in the World Series of Poker Main Event.
Yes, if you visit a reputable online casino website. We’ve highlighted the best and safest poker games online sites at the top of this page. Be sure the casino is licensed and regulated before signing up. Also, if you aren’t a big fan of random number generator poker games, be sure to give LIVE dealer poker rooms a chance. You see a real-life dealer on your screen in real time via a live video stream. It’s just like being at a casino, but from the comfort of home.
Yes! Many of them even offer a better bonus if you deposit with Bitcoin. Ignition is our favorite internet casino for US players right now and offers great recurring bonuses for Bitcoin deposits. To find more sites where you can deposit with Bitcoin, check out our full poker site reviews.
It can be, but it really depends on how and where you play. Skilled players who have developed great strategy will often win money, but luck is also important – that’s what makes poker so fun! To improve your chances of winning, read up on poker strategy and make sure that you are playing with others at a similar skill/experience level.
Yes. All the sites featured on Gamble Online are fully licensed and regulated by third-party, independent auditors who value customer security above all. If you play at one of the operators featured on this site, you can be assured that it is safe and protected with high-level encryption.
Yes! It’s best practice to learn how to play using a free online game before risking any of your own money. Then, move to very low stakes poker, or find a casino (such as Ignition) offering freeroll tournaments. Freeroll tournaments have no buy-in and no entry fees, but often still have real money prizes! While they are usually very competitive, the fact that you can gain experience playing for real money without risking any of your own is invaluable.
