Top Poker Sites and Online Poker Rooms

Best Online Poker Sites

Because different players have different preferences, choosing a poker site is about more than what’s popular overall. There are many online poker promotions that are offered to keep your bank roll topped up.

One of the most interesting things about online poker is that there are so many different games to choose from. Because of this, there is a pretty wide variety of games available at different online poker rooms, so it’s really important for players to look for the games that they really want to enjoy, before making a deposit. While there are various types of games, there are also different betting structures, seating arrangements, and other variables as well.

Types of Online Poker Games

There are a few different factors that can change the type of game you’re playing:

• Buy-in size
• Tournament vs cash game
• Cash game format: normal stacks, small stacks, deep stacks, capped, full-ring, six-max, heads-up
• Tournament format: Blind levels, ante levels, payout structures, number of players

These factors are on top of the actual game types and betting formats that you’ll have for
various types of poker found at internet poker sites. While the most popular game is the no-limit betting version of Texas Hold’em, the simple fact of the matter is that there are dozens of permutations available at US poker sites.

What Types Of Poker Games Are There?

In a land-based poker room, you’ll usually only find two or three types of poker being dealt at once, and that’s at the most. Internet poker sites, however, give you the opportunity to play with a variety of different rule sets. Some of the poker games you can play are:

• Five Card Stud
• Seven Card Stud
• Hi/Lo
• Razz Poker
• Five Card Draw
• 2-7 Single Draw
• 2-7 Triple Draw
• Texas Hold'em
• Omaha Hold'em
• Omaha Hi/Lo and mixed variations of these games.

On top of that, you'll get fixed-limit, half pot-limit, pot-limit, no-limit, and other betting variations.
You can mix and match the styles of games with betting variations to get tons of different options. While the most popular games are Pot-Limit Omaha Hold’em and No-limit Texas Hold’em, you’ll get access to other games like Fixed-limit Seven Card Stud, No-limit 2-7 Single Draw and Pot-limit 2-7 Triple Draw. The bottom line is that Internet poker sites give you more game variations in one place, and it’s because of this that it’s easier for online poker players to find exactly what they’re looking for online, especially if they don’t prefer one of the two or three most popular games.

Can I Play Poker Online for Real Money?

While online casino games software developers usually create poker games that are available in free mode, obviously, they also have real money versions.

The secret to grabbing significant prizes is first trying the poker games in demo mode and then investing in them. The thing is, when you try out all of those poker cash games and tournament without having tried them in free mode, you could actually lose a lot of money since you don't really know the gameplay, the RTP or the hit frequency the games offer.

That's why you need to first try them out for free. Now, after you do that and you decide on the online poker rooms and games you'd consider playing, it is time for playing online poker for real money.

On the question of whether you're allowed to play poker online for real money, the answer is yes. There are remote gambling regulators that overlook online gambling. These regulators are the ones in charge of giving operators the licenses to offer different types of gambling for real money. Therefore, there are plenty of online poker sites where real money online poker is legit. Not only legit but also safe and protected. The regulators make sure that operators respect their players and treat them fairly. This means that you can rest assured that you'll get fair play and fair payouts.

What Poker Site Can I Play for Real Money?

Poker online is available in many online casinos, even though there are sites specialized in online poker alone. Poker games online can be found everywhere, but you have to find the best online poker sites where you can play real money poker without the fear of being tricked or robbed by the operator or some other third-party.

In your search for the best poker sites, you must consider several things: security, fairness, deposit and withdrawal methods you can use to play real money poker and software providers.

First things first. Considering you're playing online poker for real money, you'll need to be positive that the real money poker sites implement advanced security measures. An industry-approved SSL encryption is a must. Great SSL encryption providers are SECTIGO (formerly COMODO), DigiCert, and GoDaddy. If the site doesn't have this type of protection, you better skip it. If you cannot find the information on the encryption on the homepage, search through the terms and conditions of the site, but make sure it offers one.

Now, fairness is another aspect you must consider. On the homepage of the poker site, you should see whether the site displays a seal of approval by eCOGRA or whether it holds an RNG-certified seal. This is essential when you're playing for real money. You need to be 100% sure that the real money poker game you're playing gives random and fair outcomes only. Playing online poker at a site that doesn't have its games checked and approved for fairness is like putting your money down the drain.

It is fundamental that you check the payment methods available at the site. You don't want to end up playing with one deposit method and then having to use a different method for withdrawals. That's a real waste of your precious time. No, when you play real money poker you need to have secure, respected and world-used payment methods, such as credit cards, that you can use both for making your poker deposits and withdrawals. By picking the right payment method, you can sometimes even benefit from a poker bonus, depending on the casino. Plenty of casinos give out bonuses to players who decide to play using Bitcoin, for instance.

And last but not least, you need to check the software developers that provide the games at a particular poker site. You need to have a vast choice of casino games, slots, and online poker games to choose from. Side games are important, and having a choice is always better than not having one, right? Maybe sometimes you'd like to take a break from poker and relax playing slots, so make sure the site offers games by giants like NetEnt, Microgaming, Rival Gaming, Yggdrasil and other top providers.

Is It Legal to Play Online Poker in the US?

Online poker real money games have not been legal in the United States for years and years. Luckily, things have changed in the past few years, thanks to some states that pulled some strings and legalized online gambling.

The state that is likely to become the major online poker market in the US is Pennsylvania, even though Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware have legalized online gambling first. Pennsylvania's land-based casinos received licenses to offer all sorts of online gambling to their residents, online poker for real money included. These casinos are now allowed to offer their poker websites to their poker players, as these sites are overseen by PGCB (Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board).

Therefore, depending on which state you're residing in, you have the chance to play online poker for real money in the States. Not only that, but you also have the chance to try out other cash games that could actually turn out to be quite rewarding. Remember, online poker and other gambling forms are legal in some parts of the United States, not all, so make sure you check this out before you decide to play for real money.

How do I know if an Online Poker Room is Safe?

Considering online poker real money games are now legalized in some states in the US, and you are a citizen of one of those states, you are completely free to play at any site you want. Most international online casinos and poker sites have acquired their licenses to operate on US soil, so you have the chance to join one of those sites, as well. And many of those international sites give access to US players to all the offerings, including promotions and bonus offers. Therefore, you will need to know your poker strategy by heart, join an online casino or online poker real money site and start playing.

One thing you should be careful of is the legitimacy of these international sites. The thing is, many rogue online casinos have been tricking US players with free access, and then have stolen their money and disappeared virtually. You don't want that to happen to you. You must check for the same things: safety, security, fairness, payment methods, and software developers, but also licenses.

If you're unfamiliar with the most trusted regulators in the international online gambling scene, we can help you out with that. The most trustworthy one that gives licenses for operation in the world's leading gambling country is the UK Gambling Commission. If you see a foreign site you'd like to play at that holds a license by the UKGC you can rest assured that that particular site is a legit one. Another regulator you can trust is the Malta Gaming Authority. Malta is the online gambling hub, and the regulator takes overseeing seriously. It would be great if the site you want to join had a Gibraltar-issued license, but the best option would be to join a site that has at least 2 or 3 trusted licenses.

How to Register at an Online Poker Site and Get Started?

After you've made sure that the online poker site you intended to join checks for all of the aforementioned things, it is time for you to register and join the online poker world. You can do that in several simple steps.

First, you need to click on the Register or Sign Up button on the site's homepage. Then, you need to enter the necessary personal information in the required fields. You will be navigated to a page where you need to set your username and password and add the additional information needed.

The next step would be registering a payment method. You should choose wisely and check whether the same method can be used for both deposits and withdrawals.

Now, the next important step is going to the Promotions page. You need to check for the Welcome Bonus or the 1st Deposit offer. Many online casinos and poker sites offer excellent bonuses for poker players. Opt-in for the bonus or promotion and proceed to make your 1st deposit. The moment the bonus arrives on your account, you are ready to start playing.

Go to the site's Games page, find the poker variant you'd like to play, and press Play. If you're uncertain on the rules for that specific variant, make sure you read about them before you start playing. When you're all set, click on the Info or Paytable page to see the rewards you can get for each hand you land. After you've gathered all the important information, you can sit back, relax, start placing your poker chips and enjoy a fun and rewarding time!