A myth about the best poker sites for real money online play is that to earn substantial rewards you have to gamble a great deal of money. This is not always true. Why waste your time playing free poker when you could simply deposit $20.00 at one of the best real money poker sites and play stakes as low as $0.01/$0.02 or low stakes tournaments? Poker Online Guide to Best Poker Sites, Reviews, News and Tutorials for 2020. We at poker-online.com have carefully reviewed and rated the poker rooms featured on our site. We only choose those which we feel represent the best factoring licences, promotions and of course how safe the room is. Also check out my picks for best freerolls sites to see where you can play in real money tournaments for free. Zynga is by far one of the most popular free play poker sites. At any given time there are hundreds of thousands of players on the site. There are different rooms and stakes to play at depending on your bankroll.
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It’s known as the Cadillac of the poker world and a game that has given millions of people a lot of pleasure (and money), but how do you play Texas Hold’em poker? Moreover, why is it such a popular game and one that’s so easy to find at our top US poker sites?
In a nutshell, Texas Hold’em is the perfect blend of mathematics, strategy, psychology and luck. On top of that, because anyone, no matter how experienced they are, can win a hand, it’s extremely attractive proposition for novice players. Because there is an element of luck in the game, it means an amateur can, theoretically, beat the likes of Phil Ivey or Daniel Negreanu or any of the top pros in the USA given the right conditions.
To counteract this, the skill elements of the game are such that an experienced player will always win over an amateur in the long-run. Indeed, regardless of whether you’re playing Texas Hold’em in a limit, pot limit or no limit format, there are a certain amount of skills you can learn in order to improve your chances of success. However, before we delve into some top Texas Hold’em tips for playing at online poker sites in America, it’s important to breakdown the basics of the game.
“Hold’em is to stud what chess is to checkers.” – Johnny Moss
The Basics of Texas Hold’em
Thankfully, the rules of Texas Hold’em are relatively simple and in this article we’ve outlined the basic mechanics of the game so that you can begin exploring its wonderful complexities.
Before we look at the specific details of a hand of Texas Hold’em we first need to establish some general rules.
- In essence the aim of the game is simple: win the pot by any means possible.
- In practical terms there are two main ways you can win the pot: by having the best hand or by bluffing.
Having the superior hand means that your cards are better than your opponent’s at a showdown and bluffing is where you force your opponent to fold before a showdown.
A hand of Texas Hold’em uses five cards which can be any combination of a player’s two hole cards (the cards they are dealt) and the five community cards. This means that a player can use one, two or none of their cards in conjunction with the five cards in the middle to make a hand ranging from a pair up to a Royal Flush.
With this in mind a player must measure the value of their two starting cards before any of the community cards are revealed and decide whether or not the hand is worth playing. If they feel the cards are too weak then they can simply fold. However, if they like their hand then they must either call or raise (the size of each will be determined by the table stakes and the previous action).
This process is repeated by each player at the table until everyone has either folded or met the minimum bet. (A point to note here is the each new hand starts with a player in the small blind and one in the big blind. These forced bets kick off the action and it’s the player to the left of the big blind who starts the action).
After all the pre-flop action has been completed the first three community cards (the flop) are revealed. At this point another round of betting ensues with players having the option to check (take a free card if no previous betting has occurred), bet or fold based on the current strength of their hand. This process is repeated on the turn (the fourth card) and then again on the river (the fifth and final card).
If at least two players are still in the hand by the river then a showdown takes place and the best five-card hand wins. However, if at any point during the hand only one player remains then they are declared the winner by default and thus scoop the pot.
This, in a nutshell, is the basic outline of Texas Hold’em poker and should be enough for you to begin grinding at the tables.
Five Things You Need to Know about Texas Hold’em
- Texas Hold’em involves two hole cards and five community cards.
- A player can use one, two or none of their hole cards in order to make the best five-card hand.
- Texas Hold’em can be played in a limit, pot limit or no limit format.
- Texas Hold’em at US poker sites can be played as multi-table tournaments, cash games or single table tournaments.
- One of the best ways to win at Texas Hold’em is to be as aggressive as possible.
Top Texas Hold’em Tips
Texas Hold’em is a relatively simple game to learn, but if you want to become one of the best players in the world it takes a lot of work. Indeed, players such as Daniel Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth and Phil Ivey have all played countless hours of poker and refined their skills over a number of years.
While it would be impossible to outline every strategic concept you need to consider at the poker table in this article, we can give you some bite sized tips that will help you become a more profitable player.
Cut Down the Amount of Hands You Play:One of the biggest mistakes novice players from the United States make when they first start playing Texas Hold’em is to get involved in too many hands. Although the prospect of making a strong hand or bluffing our opponent is appealing, it’s can actually be a major drain on your bankroll if you get involved in a lot of pot. One important fact to remember is that if you play a lot of hands you will make a pair less than 2/3 of the time and this often means you’ll have to fold a lot post-flop. Secondly, if you do manage to make a hand it will be usually be weaker than average which means you’ll lose pots (and thus money) at showdown more often. |
Be More Aggressive:Coupled with a propensity to play more hands than is profitable, novice players will often adopt a passive strategy when they enter a pot. Instead of raising or re-raising they will usually limp or call and allow another player to take control of the hand. This is potentially fatal because it means the passive player is more likely to be bullied into submission and, thus, lose the pot. There’s an old adage in poker that you should try to remember if you want to avoid being passive and make more money: “If a hand is not worth raising, then it’s not worth playing.” |
Always Try and Play in Position:Position is king at the poker table and before you enter any pot you should consider where you are in relation to the button, the blinds and to any active players. Essentially this means you should play more hands the closer you are to the button because you’ll have the benefit of extra information. Sometimes playing out of position is unavoidable, but if you want to have the greatest advantage over your opponents, then you should always play in position. |
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In the US, Texas Hold’em is still the dominant poker game used to define ultimate champions and big money winners.
Biggest Winners in Hold’em History
Because Texas Hold’em has been the basis for the biggest poker tournaments in the world for a number of years and although players can earn $100,000+ in a single hand, these winnings pale in comparison to the $15,306,668 Daniel Colman won at the 2014 WSOP. After battling his way past the likes of Phil Ivey, Scott Seiver and Daniel Negreanu in the $1 million Big One for ONE DROP, Colman was able bank of the largest tournament hauls in history.
Topping Colman’s 2014 effort, Antonio Esfandiari banked $18,346,673 in the 2012 version of the Big One for ONE DROP. The Texas Hold’em MTT welcomed 48 players, but when the betting was done it was Esfandiari who clinched the title and more money than any other US online poker player in history.
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Poker players in the USA often run into difficulties when it comes to signing up to online poker sites – many international sites do not accept US players due to legal restrictions. Despite this, there are still a good number of reputable poker sites which will allow US players to join. Thanks to UIGEA legislation, poker sites are not legally authorised to base themselves in the United States, except in individual states where online poker sites are linked with a land based casino, such as in New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania among others. Players are not stopped from playing online poker at sites registered outside of the US however, and there are plenty of excellent and reliable online poker rooms out there for US players to join. We’ve compiled our list of the top ten!
| Rank | Poker Site | US | Rating | Sign Up Bonus | Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bet Online Poker | 4.7/5 | 200%up to$2500 | Read Review | |
| 2 | Bovada | 4.1/5 | 100%up to$500 | Read Review | |
| 3 | SB Poker | 4/5 | 75%up to$2000 | Read Review | |
| 4 | Ignition Poker | 4/5 | 100%up to$1100 | Read Review | |
| 5 | Americas Cardroom | 3.9/5 | 100%up to$1000 | Read Review | |
| 6 | Intertops | 3.9/5 | 200%up to$1000 | Read Review | |
| 7 | BlackChip Poker | 3.8/5 | 100%up to$1000 | Read Review | |
| 8 | True Poker | 3.8/5 | %up to | Read Review | |
| 9 | Tiger gaming | 3.4/5 | %up to | Read Review | |
| 10 | Pokerhost | 3.1/5 | 100%up to$1000 | Read Review |
Top Ten Poker Sites for US Players
Americas Cardroom
Americas Cardroom began its life as “DoylesRoom”, a popular poker site named after the legendary Las Vegas poker player Doyle Brunson. It had a makeover in 2011 and emerged as Americas Cardroom, part of the Winning Poker Network (WPN). It has a solid reputation and offers secure banking options with quick payouts and deposits. Software is advanced yet simple to navigate, and the site offers a wide range of poker games from low to high stakes. The VIP programme on Americas cardroom is attractive, consisting of a method that uses the dealt rake method to calculate VIP points for players, which they can build up to exchange for cash rewards. There’s some big online tournaments here worth up to $1 million in prize money each year. Daily tournaments on Americas Cardroom have prize pools of $5,000 and the big Sunday event is worth $50,000.
BetOnline
This bookmaking site is the only one to serve all 50 states, which makes it the third biggest online gambling service in the USA. It’s fully legal for US players to use and offers a sportsbook, casino and poker room. It ran into some difficulties when it launched back in 2010 with regards to its links to rival poker networks, but it overcame controversy to become a favourite poker site for US players today. BetOnline’s poker traffic is fair, with competition being on the softer side. Depositing on BetOnline is usually instant and withdrawals are almost as fast (customers using the most common payment methods can access their winning in around 24 hours). When it comes to depositing money into your account here, there are plenty of e-wallets and even Bitcoin options offered. Software is simple, straightforward and fast to download. Daily freerolls are offered on BetOnline Poker, with over $150,000 in prizes up for grabs in guaranteed tournaments each month. New players can triple their first deposit and give their bankroll a boost by depositing of $50 or more, and getting a 200% match bonus.
Bovada
Technically a Canadian site, but since it accepts US players it deserves a spot on the list. It was created by Bodog, its sister site which is available to players outside the US. It’s a well-respected, fully licensed poker room which also offers a casino and a sportsbook. It’s a popular poker destination for online players, and tends to attract balance of casual poker fans and serious sharks. The software is impressive, with a unique Las Vegas style card room and a number of special features like table customisation, card animation and Rabbit Cam. Tournaments are varied and plentiful, with the Nightly Majors, Turbo Tournaments and the regular $100k Events all taking place on the site. First depositors will get a 100% Free Bet bonus on their first deposit up to $1,000. One of the site’s best features is the impressive speed of their payouts, players can rest assured there won’t be any difficulties in transferring money to and from their account.
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Black Chip Poker
Black Chip Poker is a fast growing poker room on the WPN network which has been a player on the online poker scene since 2008. It offers poker players a high level of traffic (thanks to its place on such a popular network) with up to 5,000 players online at any time. New customers to Black Chip are offered a 100% match bonus up to $1,000, which players will find surprisingly easy to convert. Players here can get involved in multiple games simultaneously. Freerolls are running all day everyday and Black Chip’s Sunday Special Tournament is the biggest Sunday major of any US poker site. Banking methods are sufficiently varied here and the speedy processing times will rival any big name poker site.
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Carbon Poker
Part of the Merge Poker Network (MPN), Carbon Poker is popular with US customers for its varied selection of poker games and modern software, which has plenty of useful features, like customisable tables, instant play, quick seating and a time bank. New customers can avail of a first deposit match bonus of 100% up to $1,000 (depositing a minimum of $10 to avail of the offer). Attractive tournament opportunities like the Sunday $50,000 tournament, the Carbon Cash Game Challenge (which awards over $30,000 in cash prizes monthly) and the Bad Beat Jackpot offer huge cash prizes to Carbon players. The site has recently disappointed its customers due to its lack of VIP programme, which they discontinued in 2014.
Full Flush Poker
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Full Flush only launched in 2013 but has developed into a firm favourite amongst US poker players. There are a number of famous poker professionals who are affiliated to the Full Flush Team, which helps to boost its popularity. It’s a lively poker site with advanced software and and changing promotions offering great bonuses. A wide range of payment methods are offered here, which are all fast and promise to take no longer than 72 hours for cash withdrawals. New depositors can take advantage of the 200% Full Flush First Deposit Match Bonus up to a value of $1,000. Traffic here is decent, with competition being a good mix of softer and recreational, and more serious poker sharks. Texas Hold’em and Omaha are the only two games currently available at Full Flush, and the tournaments come with prizepools ranging from $2,000 to $5,000.
Intertops Poker
Intertops Poker been around since 1996, the very beginning of the online poker boom. It was the first online bookmaking site to allow players to transfer funds between their poker, casino and sports betting accounts – a useful feature which many gambling sites have subsequently copied. Intertops does not cover all US states unfortunately, a number of states are excluded from joining the site as customers (Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, New York and Washington). There’s a 200% first deposit bonus for new customers, up to $1,000 (once they pay $20 into their account). The site could do with a makeover however, with some of its software now looking a bit outdated when compared to other poker sites. A useful loyalty scheme here means that Intertops gives away up to $4,000 weekly to the site’s top Frequent Player Points collectors.
Pokerhost
Considering itself to be the oldest and most respected online poker room on the internet, Carbon Poker is currently on the WPN after moving from Equity in 2104. It is the affiliated poker room of the online sportsbook SBG Global. PokerHost isn’t particularly flashy but it attracts a decent amount of traffic thanks to its easy to use software and attractive bonuses. It offers new players a 100% up to $1,000 first deposit bonus, and existing customers can avail of a Birthday Bonus whereby they’ll receive a handy $10 bonus on their birthday. Tournaments are varied, with the Big $10k, new depositor freerolls and the High Five, as well as satellites to big live events. The Sunday Special has an impressive prize pool of $115,000. PokerHost is noted for its fast payouts to players, who can deposit to the site via Western Union, Visa, Mastercard and American Express.
PokerStars
No top ten list would be complete without a nod to the world’s favourite poker site. With it’s huge tournaments, including the famous Sunday Million, offering big cash prizes PokerStars is the obvious choice for poker fans opting for an online site to deposit on. A wide range of poker games are available here, as well as the generous 100% first deposit bonus up to $600. A decent VIP scheme and efficient customer service make it a reliable choice.
Sportsbetting Poker
The Sportsbetting online poker room is a lesser known but still great option for US players on the Action Poker Network. Traffic levels here are fairly consistent, although the vast majority of games are concentrated in No Limit Texas Hold’em. The site is on the whole, shark-free as it mostly attracts low-level recreational players. Tournaments here aren’t as lucrative as more high-profile poker sites, but there is a weekly Sunday tournament with a $10,000 prize pool. New customers can benefit from a bonus of 200% extra on their first deposit of $50 or more (up to $1,000). There’s no VIP programme here unfortunately. Banking options are decent, with Western Union, Bitcoin, bank wire and check all offered, as well as the usual credit and debit methods. Players will incur fees for transferring their funds, but can receive one free withdrawal per month if requested on a Friday.