When online poker first boomed in the early 2000s, it was big. Games were soft, tournaments were massive, and cash games were always full. While Black Friday put the brakes on that boom, the industry is poised to boom again. As states in the US and the federal government continue to overturn anti-poker legislations, the way is paved for online poker action as we’ve never seen before.

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The best news is that the early stages of the boom are already here, and you can play online poker for real money right now! Included in this guide, you’ll find the best online poker sites for every need, breakdowns of the strategies needed to win, and full explanations of everything else you need to know. The time is now to get the cards in the air, and you don’t even need to leave the comfort of your chair.

Smaller poker sites might only have 1 or 2 tables at your preferred mix of buy-in and game style. In poker, bigger usually means better! What Bonuses are Available for New Players? This is a big difference between poker rooms. Most poker bonuses require a deposit. They can be matched to this deposit, or in the form of tokens / tournament entries. Online poker is the game of poker played over the Internet.It has been partly responsible for a huge increase in the number of poker players worldwide. Christiansen Capital Advisors stated online poker revenues grew from $82.7 million in 2001 to $2.4 billion in 2005, while a survey carried out by DrKW and Global Betting and Gaming Consultants asserted online poker revenues in 2004 were at $1.4. Full Tilt Poker began in 2004 and the online poker site was co-founded by Ray Bitar, Jesus Ferguson, and Howard Lederer. It was shut down on Black Friday in 2011 by the feds and acquired by PokerStars and relaunched in 2012. But now it's time to say goodbye to one of the relics from the poker boom. There are even some poker sites with a minimum deposit of $1. Low minimum deposit poker rooms cater primarily to beginning players that prefer to play at lower stakes than high rollers. If you plan to try out multiple poker sites before making a substantial deposit, it is very important to choose the lowest first deposit online poker.

Best Online Poker Sites for US Players

The overall quality of your online poker experience is heavily driven by the poker site you choose to play at. The best online poker sites for US players offer fast payouts, extensive gaming action, great bonuses, and a trustworthy experience. While options are somewhat limited compared with the rest of the world, there are still high-quality poker rooms offering action.

Below you’ll find an up-to-date (and regularly updated) list of the top poker sites in the United States. All of these sites are regularly vetted by our team of experts and compared against other industry options. If you’re looking for the top online poker rooms in the states, these are your industry leaders.

• Bovada Poker
• BetOnline Poker
• SB Poker

Best Online Poker Sites for Non-US Players

Black Friday may not have shut down poker sites for the rest of the world, but it did cut out a large percentage of the player pool. As legislation changes and some players move to new parts of the world, the poker economy in places like Europe, Asia, South America, Canada, and South Africa continue to recover and get better. The best poker sites for Non-US players are safe, secure, payout fast, and have extensive action on real money poker.

• Betway
• Guts
• 888poker

Play Texas Hold’em Online for Real Money

Undoubtedly the hottest poker variation in existence is Texas Hold’em. The game is action-packed and gives players the opportunity to win (or lose) big on every single hand. Invented in the early 1900s in Texas (of course), the game has exploded in popularity over the last century.
Because of the many nuances and skillsets needed to be a winning Texas Hold’em player, it’s no surprise that the World Championship of Poker is decided by playing Texas Hold’em.

Best Texas Holdem Poker Sites

The best Texas Hold’em poker sites deliver massive tournaments, full cash game tables, great bonuses, and plenty of fish for you sharks to chomp on. As the United States moves toward full-on regulation of the game, the action and site options continue to grow. The best way to ensure the most success and the biggest pots is by sticking to the top-rated online Texas Hold’em poker sites.

Other Popular Online Poker Variations

Texas Hold’em may be the granddaddy of them all, but it’s not the only poker variation available. Many different versions of poker exist, and each of them offers unique opportunities to win and make money.

Pot Limit Omaha (PLO)

If playing a game with two cards is fun, playing a game with four cards must be twice as fun, right? Well, if you ask the players who love PLO this question, you’ll get a resounding yes. PLO has been around for years, but over the last decade has exploded in popularity, mainly due to the excitement and heightened action the poker variation brings to the table.

Stud Poker

Hands down the most classic form of poker is a tie between Stud Poker and Draw Poker. While many seasoned players love the game, Stud Poker is not just for older folks. The younger generation is finding the value and excitement that can come from this heavily analytical form of poker.

Draw Poker

Prior to Texas Hold’em coming onto the scene, the poker variation you probably played growing up was a form of Draw Poker. The several different variations of draw poker allow players to dump hands and cards that aren’t profitable for the chance at picking up a winner.

Best Real Money Poker Sites for Beginners

Many of you reading this guide may be new to the game of poker. Maybe you’re new to the game altogether? Maybe you’ve played before but never online? Maybe you’ve played for fun but never for real money? Whatever the case, you’re in the right spot.

When you’re first starting out playing poker online, you don’t want to be overwhelmed or swallowed up by sharks. The best US real money poker sites for beginners are user-friendly, offer low stakes, provide play money tables, and are not infested with good players.

Safest Poker Sites Anywhere Online

You won’t find us recommending any online poker rooms that are not the safest and most protected experiences. That being said, there are some options that go above and beyond when it comes to safety, security, and user protections. If this is of the utmost importance to you, we’ve included a thorough and regularly updated list of the safest online poker sites below.

The Legality of Online Poker Sites for Real Money

Over the years, real money online poker has had some major ups and some major downs. As governments around the world jockey to figure out how to deal with online poker, the climate continues to change rapidly. If you’re worried about the legality of online poker, we’ve pulled in some experts to help break down the current situation for you.

Laws and regulations will depend heavily on where you live. Additionally, things change rapidly, so it’s always important to stay up to speed. Our experts will look at the legality of online poker in all major jurisdictions. Be sure to keep an eye on our news section to stay as up to date as possible when things change.

Playing Online Poker Tournaments for Money

Real Money poker tournaments are heavily responsible for the industry boom over the past two decades. There is just something exciting about knowing you can turn a smaller buy-in into a massive win just by beating out some competition. Online poker tournaments come in all shapes and sizes.

You can play tournaments for buy-ins as little as a penny or as much as $100,000. Prize pools at top poker sites have been known to be millions and millions of dollars.

In the guide linked below, we break down every detail you need to know about online poker tournaments where you can win real money. We’ll discuss the types of tournaments available, live vs. online, how to get started, and where to find the best action.

Sit and Go Poker Online

If you’re looking for a little real money poker tournament action, but you want it on demand, you’re looking for sit and gos (SNGs). These smaller entrant pool tournaments don’t have scheduled start times like multi-table online poker tournaments. Instead, you sit, and when all the seats are filled, you go. But don’t let the simplicity fool you into thinking there isn’t a ton of money to be made in SNGs.

Whether you want to play heads-up SNGs, single-table SNGs, multi-table SNGs, satellite SNGs, or shootout SNGs, we’ve got you covered. Our dedicated guide covers everything you need to know about these tournaments, including where the best action is, the strategies needed to win, and how you can get started right now.

Playing Real Money Cash Games Online

Online poker tournaments are great, but you’re required to sit until the tournament is over. Cash games, on the other hand, give you the flexibility to come and go as you please. If you want to play just a couple of hands, great. If you want to play for 20 hours straight, you’re nuts, but go for it! Some of the most profitable poker players in the world make their living from playing cash games.

If you’re ready to get started with online poker cash games or you want to take your game up a notch, stay tuned. Our dedicated cash game poker guides get into how and where to find the best action, the strategies needed to crush all stakes, and resources that can help you to grow as a player.

Online Poker Bonuses

Did someone say free? We did! The best poker sites for money know that, to stay relevant, they need to incentivize new players and reward loyal customers. The way the companies do this is through poker bonuses. Some of the most popular poker bonus types include:

• Deposit bonuses
• Welcome bonuses
• Freerolls
• Tournament tickets
• VIP rewards
• Frequent player points (FPPs)
• Added casino or sports betting bonuses

If you love the words “free” and “bonus,” be sure to check out the poker sites listed at the top of this page. They all have a long standing history of taking care of their customers with generous real money online poker bonuses.

Answering Questions About Online Poker

Welcome to BestPokerSites.org, our online guide to finding the best poker sites. Our website offers over 300 reviews based on a variety of topics. Are you looking for the best US poker site, poker rooms that have the most fish, or poker sites with free cash bonuses? If so, you’re guaranteed to find the information you need here.

We offer online poker reviews for the top poker rooms. Each review covers software features including compatibility as well as the game selection, stakes, competition, bonuses and of course regular promotions. All of the reviews are written by poker players and provide an un-biased look at what the rooms have to offer.

We also offer pages for players from specific countries including Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States and most of Europe. Each review covers specific criteria related to each individual country, including which poker site accepts which currency, payment methods and more.

If you would like to start playing online poker right away, choose one of the poker sites below and click the poker room's name, or the poker room's website to be lead to the site's homepage so you can get started. Or, if you would like to learn more about the online poker rooms, read on.

Most Popular Poker Toplists

These toplists are the most popular on our site because they apply to the majority of players. Check out the most popular lists below, or browse all of our general online poker toplists:

Want to make more money playing poker online? Make sure you are playing at one of the easiest to beat poker sites. We have reviewed and ranked all of the softest/fishiest poker sites online.

Check out our toplist of the best online poker sites for American players. Only certain online poker sites accept USA players, so we have ranked and reviewed all of the USA-friendly online poker rooms.

Our list of UK poker sites includes poker rooms where you can deposit and play poker in Euros or GBP. Our toplist includes reviews of each poker room in addition to bonuses available for new players.

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Check out our list of the best poker sites for Canadian players. Includes detailed review of each room and exclusive bonuses for new depositing players..

This toplist ranks all of the best poker sites for real money poker. To find the best real money poker sites, we took into account each poker site's deposit/withdrawal options as well as their real money poker traffic.

The easiest way to deposit at the best poker sites is by using your credit card. Credit card poker deposits work the same as normal online credit card purchases - you put in your credit card number, name, and CSV code, and you're done!

Reviews of the Best Online Poker Sites

If you would like to learn more before you start playing, read our online poker room reviews. We have written up complete reviews of the top poker rooms - each review takes a look at the poker site's sign up bonus, software, player competition/traffic, deposit methods, and support options. Click the links below to start learning:

Ignition is our first pick for US poker sites. The poker room has no problems accepting USA players or US deposits. They offer fast software, friendly support and quick payouts. Join today and recieve a $2,000 deposit bonus. This site accepts Bitcoin.

Party Poker is one of the top three poker sites for European and Canadian players. The poker room offerslightning-fast software as well as cool features and a progressive bad beat jackpot.

If you would like to learn about sites other than the three listed above, check out our full collection of online poker site reviews. Or, read on to check out our poker toplists (you may also want to check out our online poker guide).

Poker Country Toplists

Certain countries have specific legislation regarding online poker. Only the best poker sites accept players from every country, and the toplists below will show you which sites accept players from which countries:

Learn which poker sites accept players from Canada. Online poker laws in Canada are a bit hazy, so we have ranked and reviewed all of the Canadian poker sites, and also discussed Canadian online poker law.

We recommend the best poker sites for players from the United Kingdom. The UK actually licenses and regulates certain online poker rooms, so by sticking to those UK poker sites you can guarantee a good poker experience.

Poker Game Toplists

These lists are perfect if you only play one game and want to find the best site for your specific game. Check out all of our poker game toplists, or view the most popular pages below:

Find the best online poker sites for Texas Hold'em games. Although almost every poker site offers Texas Hold'em, certain sites have more player traffic and softer competition at the Texas Hold'em tables.

What Is The Most Popular Poker Site

Check out our toplist of the best poker sites for playing Omaha poker. Omaha is the second most popular poker game online, but some sites offer much better Omaha tables with more traffic and fishier competition. Learn more here.

At the moment we are working on adding more toplists to our site, including rankings of the best USA poker sites, where to play online poker for real money and many more. Make sure to bookmark our site and check back soon to learn more about the best online poker sites. Also, check out our poker currency toplists, poker deposit methods, and poker game type toplists in the mean time. Alternatively, you can view the BestPokerSites.org sitemap to see a list of every page on the site.

Finding the Best Online Poker Rooms

Choosing the best poker site is the first step in your online poker journey. It’s also an important step because each poker site out there has its own advantages and disadvantages. The term “best” is relative in this sense because what may be the best poker site for someone else may not be the best poker site for you.

When evaluating poker sites, you want to consider your own playing style and goals first. For example, some poker sites offer bonuses that are perfect for high stakes players but others offer bonuses that are much better for low stakes players. And that’s just one example out of many.

No one factor should be the end-all decision maker for your choice in poker sites. When looking for the best poker site, you want to take all factors into consideration and then choose the poker site that best fits your needs. In the grand scheme of things, there isn’t a huge difference between one poker site and the next, but it’s still worth spending a little time to find a high quality poker site.

Poker Room Reputation

The most important factor of all is reputation. It is absolutely vital that you only play real money poker at poker sites that have positive reputations. Most online poker rooms are safe places to play but there have been isolated examples of poker sites that took forever to process cashouts and give players their bonuses.

You want to play at poker sites that are known for being safe, secure and trustworthy. With online poker, you have to have a lot of trust because you can’t see the games right before you like you can in live poker. The entire foundation of internet poker is based on trust and reputation. Fortunately, we know of many poker sites that have earned the trust of players over the past decade. If you want to play online poker, make sure to choose one of the poker rooms on this site, as all of them have been in business for a long time and have spotless records.

Poker Deposit Bonuses

Deposit bonuses are a great way to build your bankroll and earn extra spending money. Every online poker site has some sort of real-money bonus that they give you for signing up and depositing. At all poker sites, these bonuses are given out as match percentages of your first deposit there. For example, a poker site with a 100% bonus will match your first deposit dollar for dollar. Learn more at our poker bonus guide or see our top poker bonuses.

If you’re a medium or high stakes player, you will want to look for the poker site that has the highest maximum bonus amount. Bodog Poker, for example, has a maximum bonus of $1100. If you play lower stakes games, you’ll want to find poker bonuses that are easy to release quickly. In that sense, Full Tilt Poker comes to mind because its bonus can be cleared by most players very quickly.

If you are outside of the USA, you have several bonus options available at sites like Mansion Poker and Party Poker. Party's current bonus is a 100% up to $500 match for players with an exclusive Party Poker bonus code.

Player Traffic

When it comes to player traffic, most online poker sites fall into one of two categories:

• High traffic, difficult competition
• Low traffic, easy competition

High traffic poker sites offer players the advantages of lots of game selection, high stakes games and action at all levels. Low traffic poker sites do not have as many games but the players there are much softer. The reason for this is that professional players like to have hundreds of tables to choose from so they can pick and choose and run 12 tables at a time.

When I say “low traffic,” I don’t mean poker sites that only have four players logged in. I’m talking about poker sites that always have several thousand players logged in and playing at the real money tables. At the low and medium stakes levels, you will usually have a dozen or more tables to choose from.

High traffic poker sites have hundreds of tables at each level but there aren’t as many fishy players. The good thing about high traffic poker sites is that you can find soft tables if you practice the art of table selection. Finding soft tables is not as easy at high traffic sites but it can be done.

Speed of Software

This may sound like an odd criterion in identifying the best poker site but it actually has a major effect on your poker experience. I’ve noticed that some poker sites have software that takes forever to deal out each card, process each player’s actions and then dole out the pot at the end of each hand.

These little pauses and hesitations drastically affect how many hands you can see per hour. If you’re a winning player, this translates directly to a lower hourly rate simply because of the poker site software. PokerStars is a great poker site but their software is unbearably slow. If you compare their software to the software at Lock Poker, you’ll see a huge difference in how quickly the hands are processed.

Poker Player Incentives

All online poker sites have some sort of loyalty program for their players. These programs are based on frequent player points and those points then determine what types of benefits you get. The more points you earn, the more free cash, free items and free tournament entries you receive.

At the lower levels, poker loyalty programs are pretty much the same across the board. As you move up in stakes and play more often, different programs start to stand out for their incentives. Sportsbook Poker has a great player rewards program that gives straight up cash to loyal players. Some other poker sites pale in comparison.

Making Your Final Decision

Remember – the most important factor of all is picking a safe, trustworthy poker site. Once you have that out of the way, you can use all of the above-mentioned factors to help you choose the best poker site for your action. Deposit bonuses, player traffic, software, loyalty programs and all around quality should all be considered when making choosing the best poker sites.

In the end, these factors are worthy of consideration but no single factor will make or break a poker site. What’s most important is that you find a poker site you enjoy and can maybe even make a little money at. The online poker sites mentioned here are the ones we trust the most and that we think you’ll enjoy the most. So enjoy your stay while you’re here and good luck at the tables when you leave. Stop back any time for more poker site recommendations.

Online Poker News

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Another major section of our site is our poker news blog. Our blog is updated every day with new posts which contain poker news, tips, and humour articles:

'How To' Poker Articles and Poker Strategy

Another new section of our site is our How To Blog. The posts on our How To Blog all answer reader-sLockmitted online poker-related questions:

You may also want to take a look at our various poker strategy guides, including our:

Number 1 Online Poker Site

That's about it for now! If you have any questions, feel free to contact the BestPokerSites.org team.