Best Usa Online Poker Sites 2019
- When looking for the best poker sites in 2019, make sure to check the banking facilities. What cashing out methods are available to you is paramount for your convenience when playing at an online card room. Most commonly, the best card rooms will let you deposit & collect using credit and debit cards.
- There are two ways for online poker sites to offer real money poker to U.S residents, either a poker site operates from an off-shore location to provide online poker within MOST STATES of the U.S., or they must be licensed for each state where poker is legal to serve its residents.
- It’s important to research the best online poker sites by reading as many online poker reviews as possible. We’ve done our best to create a curated list of the best online poker sites in the world with a detailed look at features such as software, promotions and even average skill level.
It’s important to know where you’re putting your money, that’s why we take time to give you the best detailed online poker reviews.
Online poker is one of the most entertaining ways to spend time on the internet with the potential to make some real-world dollars. Different online poker rooms have different strengths and weaknesses. It’s important to research the best online poker sites by reading as many online poker reviews as possible.
We’ve done our best to create a curated list of the best online poker sites in the world with a detailed look at features such as software, promotions and even average skill level.
Bonus Package: 100% Poker Welcome Bonus Recommended Bonus: 100% up to $1,000 Bonus Code: NEWBOL Last Checked: November 2020 Compatible on: Mobiles, laptops, desktops BetOnline Poker is one of the highest-ranking card rooms for US players for a number of reasons, among which is the fact that the site offers some of the highest clearance rates for credit and debit cards as depositing methods. We review the best legit poker sites so you can safely choose where to play real money poker online. Our top pick for December 2020 is Governor of Poker 3. When you join one of the top USA real.
Here’s a look at the best online poker sites for US residents. Keep in mind, PokerStars isn’t on this list because it doesn’t accept players in all states.
Best Online Poker Site Reviews 2020
Our Poker Reviews: What to Look for in an Online Poker Site
There are somewhere between 50-60 different online poker sites currently in operation so it can be somewhat overwhelming to try and decide where to play.
Prospective poker players should think about what they want from their playing experience before they throw down their deposit.
Some of the most important factors to consider are as follows:
We’ll go into more detail on all seven of the aforementioned items below.
Safety and Security
The #1 most important factor for most poker players is trust. That’s why it’s first whenever we review a poker site.
If they can’t trust an online poker site to hold their funds safely or offer a platform that operates reliably then they’re probably not going to bother putting money on the site.
Fortunately, online poker sites have come a long ways on this front. Nearly every online poker site uses a third-party audited random number generated. This segregates player funds so there’s never a situation where a player can’t withdraw their money.
Software
It’s going to be difficult to have a good time playing poker on a site where the software is sub-optimal. Bad poker software can mean slow games, unintuitive design, glitches and uninspired aesthetics. Most poker players would rank software as one of the most important attributes for a poker site.
Software is another element that has been drastically improved since the early days of online poker. Just as phone apps and web apps are significantly better these days so goes online poker software.
One thing to be aware of is that online poker sites tend to have stand-alone software or software that is built into web browsers. Standalone is generally better but there are merits to both.
Quality of Opponent
Poker is a unique game in the regard that most players want to be playing against the worst players available.
That’s because, quite simply: “Worse players = more money”
This isn’t like a video game where you might enjoy competing against the best players possible. In online poker you can earn significantly more money if you’re playing against worse players. Who doesn’t like earning more money?
There are some exceptions and some poker players just want to learn the game and get better. In those cases it can actually be helpful to compete against elite players.
The vast majority of players prefer playing against weak opponents (sometimes called fish). Some online poker sites are inherently “fishier” than others. It’s an important consideration when picking an online poker site.
Volume of Players
If you’re going to play poker you’re going to need people to play against.
This is especially important for Sit & Go’s and multi-table tournaments where the number of players correlate to the size of the eventual prize pool.
It’s not quite as important for cash game players so long as there are a few games running at their stakes of choice.
So you don’t need to play on the biggest poker site in the world but player traffic is still an important factor to consider.
Game variety
The vast majority of poker players are all about Texas No-Limit Hold’em, but we always check out all the games in our poker reviews.
It’s the world’s most popular poker game and is what’s played in the WSOP Main Event and every WPT Main Event.
It’s not the only game in town, however. You might remember the old-school 5-Card Draw or Seven-Card Stud. It’s possible to find those games online.
Even more popular than Stud or Draw is Pot-Limit Omaha, which is essentially four-card Hold’em and a fantastic game in its own right.
Some of the other lesser-known games include Razz, 2-7, Omaha Hi-Lo and Badugi. Some sites even have their own proprietary games. It’s something to consider when signing up for a new site.
Promotions
Player acquisition and retention are the two most important metrics for online poker sites.
That’s why online poker sites try to incentivize players with sign-up bonuses (for new players) and rewards programs (for loyal players).
Some sites are willing to give out huge cash bonuses as they attempt to aggressively acquire new players. It’s always worth considering the size of the sign-up bonus and the value of a rewards program when picking an online poker site.
Support
Because there’s actual money on the line you definitely want your online poker site to have a good support team that can help you with any problems that might arise.
Most online poker sites offer a number of support options including live chat, email and phone. There are many players that definitely prefer getting to talk to a real person of an issue pops up.
Some of the support teams are significantly better so it’s another factor that’s worth considering when picking an online poker site.
More Questions About Online Poker Site Reviews
What are the benefits of online poker compared to a home game with my friends?
By all means play home games with your friends! It’s one of the most enjoyable ways to play poker.
There are some advantages to online poker, however. When you play online poker you don’t have to worry about slowing the game down because everything is automated (including the dealing) and your blinds will be posted for you.
Because you play more hands you’ll tend to learn the poker hand rankings faster and understand the game a bit better.
If you’re looking to improve your game, online is probably the best way to play because you can play a huge number of hands against skilled players.
Plus the huge perk of online poker is that it’s available 24/7 every single day of the year!
How do I get money on online poker sites?
There’s a little bit of nuance to getting money onto online poker sites but it’s not that difficult.
Here are some of the popular methods for depositing:
- Bitcoin
- Credit card
- Wire transfer
- Online wallet
Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies are becoming one of the most popular ways to make a deposit thanks to their anonymous nature and the speed that Bitcoin can be processed. If you’ve already got some Bitcoin sitting around then it’s a remarkably simple way to get money onto an online poker site.
Credit cards are another popular method but sometimes it takes several tries to actually get the transaction to go through.
Wire transfer is the old reliable but it also takes the longest amount of time for deposits and withdrawals.
Finally some sites allow online wallets like Neteller and PayPal, which can be a great way to get money online.
How much should I deposit?
This is up to the individual player but you don’t have to deposit that much if you exercise proper bankroll management.
Most players like to deposit anywhere from $50 up to $300 but there are some players who simply get bored by small money poker and will choose to make a big deposit.
Anyone who’s ever played live poker will realize that online poker is quite a bargain compared to brick & mortar casinos.
The smallest game in most real-world casinos is generally $1/$2 No-Limit Hold’em ($100 buy-in), which is a sharp contrast to online poker where the stakes scale all the way down to $.01/$.02 ($1 buy-in).
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Can I play PokerStars for real money in the USA?
Unfortunately, PokerStars is limited to New Jersey and Pennsylvania in the USA. There’s a chance more states will allow the online poker giant but for now most people are going to have to look at other options.
For many online poker players PokerStars was their first love so not having access to it can be a bitter pill to swallow
Best Usa Online Poker Sites 2019 Usa
Fortunately there are some other great options for online poker in the USA and it’s worth trying them out if you’re looking to get your poker fix. If you don’t like the poker site you’re currently playing there are always alternatives.
5Dimes.euReduced Juice (-105)Many years ago it was easy to find honest internet poker in the United States. Prior to late 2006 we could play at PartyPoker, 888Poker, William Hill and all the other publicly traded poker sites. However, late that year the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was passed by the House and Senate and was quickly signed into law by then US President George Bush. This is when most of the reputable gambling sites stopped servicing US residents.
The sites that were left after UIGEA were mostly wiped out following United States v. Scheinberg. This began on April 15, 2011 and is better known as Black Friday. This saw PokerStars.com leave the US market after getting their domain and bank accounts seized. Full Tilt Poker closed all together only to later be bailed out by PokerStars (US players still not paid). While Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet went bankrupt and closed without paying players. Since then, many smaller sites have closed stiffing players too.
Poker is NOT a CRIME!
Understand it is still legal to play poker in most US states. The fuss is that it is illegal to OPERATE (as in own the company that provides) online gambling. This is a state by state issue.
In a couple states such as Washington State and Utah it is a crime, but in others such as Nevada and New Jersey there is legal and licensed internet poker. In the majority of states there are no laws at all regarding it as far as players are concerned.
However because the business owners are treated as criminal, this has become like the Old West. Below are in my opinion the only safe options for United States residents to play poker on the internet.
#1 is Bovada Poker
Bovada is our top choice for online poker play from the United States. Their poker.bovada.lv website operates on the Bodog Poker network which helps provide a ton of player traffic and extremely soft games. This is because Asian bookie Haydock, now branded Bodog88, operates on this network. This has brought a large number of players from China, Thailand, Malaysia, Korea and Vietnam who have long been Bodog88 casino and sports clients. Most of these players are trying real money online poker for the first time. You’d be hard pressed to find any poker website in any market that has softer games than Bovada. They also have a great $1,000 welcome bonus, a VIP program, guaranteed tournaments, a TLB promotion and all sorts of additional promos. Their website poker.bovada.lv will give you a glimpse at what’s offered.
#2 5Dimes Poker
www.5dimes.eu is perhaps the best kept secret in the online poker industry. They are extremely well known to US sports bettors yet virtually unheard of as a poker site. This largely has to do with their marketing. 5Dimes first and foremost focuses on their strength sports betting, while then offering a DGS casino with lowest house advantage of all online casinos period, and a poker site part of the Winning Poker Network (formerly Yatahay), as player retention tools. Other sites on this network include True Poker and AmericasCardroom. If you tried True Poker or another skin years ago and were not impressed I suggest trying them out again. Less than 2 years ago an entirely new version of their software was released and traffic to the network then spiked.
At 5Dimes fast and convenient withdrawals are available via Person to Person (P2P) cash transfer. It’s also possible to deposit and withdrawal via money order by courier. This is the one online poker site servicing the United States where you can withdrawal and have cash in your hand the very next day. This all comes free for deposits, and at very low fee for withdrawals. If you give a little cover play betting sports as well, you could find yourself eligible for a free weekly Person to Person (P2P) withdrawals, and if not… again, the fees for cashing out via this method are quite reasonable. To give the best poker site for US players a try get started at www.5dimes.eu.
#3 Bitcoin Poker Sites
This is a topic we’re going to get back to you on in the coming months. There are poker sites such as Seals with Clubs that operate only in Bitcoin. These sites do not discriminate based on where someone is from. In fact this is because all players are anonymous to them as deposits and payouts are made with the anonymous Bitcoin currency. Of course with everything so anonymous we are not yet sure how to determine which sites are the most trustworthy. This is a topic we will address in more detail by summer 2019 at the latest.
Do Not Trust Affiliate Portals
Understand, as our focus is sports betting, SBS initially had no plans to recommend poker websites. However, as service to our readers living in the United States we decided to create this page. You see, ever since Absolute Poker, Ultimate Bet and Full Tilt Poker shutdown and PokerStars left the US market the online poker industry has been a mess for Americans. The biggest situation right now is the Lock Poker Scam. This site has US players that have been waiting 6+ months for cash outs and even e-wallets payments to non-US players are taking several weeks. I think it is fair to say there is a considerable possibility Lock Poker is now just a ponzi scheme.
And here is the real issue…
Back when BetOnline Poker issues were rampant websites still promoted them. The same is now taking place with Lock Poker. They are being touted all over the web as the best site for US players, yet are taking 6+ months to pay.
Merge Gaming Sites such as CarbonSports.ag (a.k.a. Carbon Poker) also take months to pay players. The issue is that most of what is left for companies servicing the US market are not well managed or conceptually sound. If it was not for UIGEA / Black Friday many of these sites would likely not have enough players to get 6-handed $10 max buy-in game filled. They are only relevant because most reputable sites moved on.
Again the two exceptions to all this are Bovada and 5Dimes. These are leading sports betting companies that offer poker on the side. There is still plenty of traffic and the games are safe and secure.
Best Usa Online Poker Sites 2019 2020
You don’t hear as much about Bovada and 5Dimes on other website which is why we created this page. Other poker related portals are not sharing this information for reasons they are being paid handsomely to recommend potential scam sites such as www.lockpoker.eu. Although we’re affiliate marketers the same as them, if you do the research about our history and betting sites we recommend, I’m sure you’ll end up very glad you found this website as opposed to theirs.
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