Poker Sites

We rank poker sites by using a complex algorithm that takes into account scores from both regular players and our team of expert reviewers. With more than 30 years combined experience playing live and online poker, our experts know what makes a fantastic site. Any sites included in our top rated lists are the best of the best and have all scored top marks in this five-point audit:

1. Is this site licensed and regulated?
2. What is the history of payouts?
3. Are there a wide variety of payment options?
4. What software technology is being used?
5. What is the complaint to accolade ratio?

Only sites that easily pass our five-point inspection can be featured on our top ranked lists. This means that the poker site is licensed, has outstanding customer service and an above average response time to issues. It will have minimal complaints, a decently sized players base and fast, hassle-free payouts. On top of all this we make sure they have a history of honoring bonuses and loyalty rewards.

So in short, you can't go wrong with any of the sites found in our top rated lists, especially as you'll be covered by our satisfaction guarantee. However, if none of the sites meet your requirements it's a good idea to check out our blacklisted sites so you can avoid rogue operators.

Loyalty bonuses and promotions are ways for the best online poker sites to say thanks for choosing us. They are also a great way for you to build up your bankroll so don't underestimate the importance of free bonuses when choosing a site.

With 218,710+ members CardsChat.com is one of the biggest poker forums out there, and that size allows us to negotiate exclusive bonuses for our users. We offer a BEST BONUS GUARANTEE on all of our top ranked poker sites, meaning you will not find a better welcome bonus anywhere else online within 24 hours of sign-up or we'll match that offer.

Having fast, reliable payouts is a key factor for many of our users when choosing a poker site. Our expert reviewers anonymously play on poker sites for real money to check bonuses are honored, deposits are easy and payouts are speedy.

Any sites that fail on these points are automatically blacklisted as rooms you need to avoid. Trustworthy sites that have proven to be extra speedy in paying out cash to players are listed on our fastest payouts page.

Not all online poker sites are equal, and if you're not going with one of our trusted sites, then it's important to do a little research first. You'll want to check that your chosen site has a good reputation, pays out, and is financially stable. Without that information, you won't know if your money is safe or the games are fair.

To help you know which sites to avoid we keep a list of unsafe or disreputable sites. Check out the most recent additions to our blacklist before choosing a real money poker site.

Just because a site is new does not mean it can be automatically trusted. The main thing to remember when trying out anything new is that it's okay to test the waters. Before depositing money on any poker site you'll want answers to the following questions:

• Is the site licensed?
• Who regulates this organization?
• Are they using safe, reputable payment mechanisms?

If you're not sure whether a poker site can be trusted, check out our listings for proven trustworthy new poker sites.

To win at poker you need to have the best hand at the table currently, or you need to get the other players to fold their higher value hands. Winning consistently requires learning advanced gambling strategies and being able to put them into place over the long-term for success.

First start by deciding what hand you need to win the pot in your current game. Then consider which cards can help you complete that combination. If you’re holding the 7h and 7d and you believe you can win with 3 of a kind, you have the 7s and 7c to complete your hand. This leaves you with 2 outs. The more outs you have, the better, and a lower number of outs means you have little chance of successfully getting the necessary card.

To play Texas Holdem successfully you need a minimum of two people. The game can be played with anywhere from two to ten people, but most casinos today keep games to a maximum of six or eight people for the best gameplay experience overall.

Pocket aces are a solid hand that give you a good chance to win every hand that you enter into. Your odds of winning depend on the number of people playing, but generally at a minimum of 25% of each player stays in until the end, and the odds go up as each player drops out of the hand.

Knowing the hand ranking order is important in poker. The best hand you can in poker is a royal flush and nothing beats that! After that, you have a straight flush, four of a kind, a full house, a flush, a straight, three of a kind, two pair a pair, and then at the bottom of the list, a high card.

The approximate percent of hitting a set on the flop of a hand is 12% which isn’t too bad, but certainly nothing that you want to rely on while playing the game.

The side pot is money between two or more players that goes above and beyond what one all-in player can afford. When one guy goes all in, the side pot is the money that the other players bet after matching the all-in player. The side pot can only be won by one of the players that continues betting after the all-in move.