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HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT SITE

There some very specific factors that will determine which poker sites are better than others. To choose the right poker site for you and your gaming needs, we’ve put together the key factors that you should check on your chosen poker site before playing with real money.

• Bonuses and promotions: Before you sign up to any poker site, look for the best poker bonuses and promotions on offer. Some will maximize your first deposit by giving you free real money to play poker with.
• Licensing: Always check if the poker site has a gambling licence and is independently regulated before depositing any real money.
• Banking options: Ensure the site allows you to make easy and secure deposits and withdrawals. The websites we’ve recommended on this page were selected for their wide variety of fast banking options.
• The fine print: Before you start playing with real money, it’s a good idea to read over the terms and conditions to see if there’s a limit on withdrawal amounts, high minimum withdrawals and restrictions with bonuses and promotions.
• Game variation: Choosing a poker site with a wide variety of games will enhance your gaming experience.

Why Play Poker for Real Money?

When it comes to playing online poker, real money poker cannot be beaten. While the prospect of winning or losing actual cash certainly adds to the excitement of the game, real money poker’s long-term benefit is that it makes you a much better player, as you play against much stronger opposition. In a casual play money game of online poker, players are much more likely to avoid using a strategy and will just play every hand as it comes. More still, with no real money at stake, players are unlikely to fold, especially pre-flop, and may go ‘all-in’ purely to force a showdown for entertainment purposes. While play money games can be good for practice or if you’re a beginner, you’ll quickly find your need to become a better poker player cannot be satisfied - unless you play poker for real money.

Online Real Money Poker vs Free Poker Games

REAL MONEY POKER GAMES

Free poker is an extremely valuable tool for players that are still learning the rules of poker games, such as Texas Hold'em, Blackjack, Omaha, Three Card Poker, Mississippi Stud Poker, Pai Gow Poker and Five Card Draw. Of course, it’s also useful for people that don’t have any money to gamble. But for most players, online poker real money sites have a lot of benefits:

• Knowing that you are gambling with real money gives you a real sense of motivation that makes every game more exciting and, in the process, you are forced to play card games as well as possible. This makes your experience more enjoyable and infinitely more useful when it comes to honing your internet poker skills.
• The benefit which is potentially the most important has less to do with how you are playing and more to do with how the competition chooses to play. With play money, just about every player will stick around to see the flop. This also leads to excessive amounts of bluffing, so much so that the game becomes essentially unplayable.
• At real money poker sites, even at the micro-limit tables, players tend to play in a much more reasonable way. This will save you a ton of headaches and be immensely more useful in terms of helping you improve your poker skills in a way that translates to all other real money poker situations.
• Finding the best real money poker site with excellent promotions makes a huge difference. When you start to make real money deposits and contributing rake, promotional opportunities like bonuses and loyalty programs will have a lot of value in the long run.

So no matter where you are, or what your gaming goals are, the best poker sites for real money can be found on this page. The poker sites we have reviewed include PokerStars, Full Tilt, William Hill Poker, 888Poker, PartyPoker, Ladbrokes Poker, Unibet, Betfair and Ignition to name a few, and we always tell you exactly what we think. When you’re ready, create a free account and when you're sure that you've made the right choice, you can start to play poker online for money.

Best Online Poker Bonuses

One of the biggest benefits of playing real money poker online is the ability to claim huge poker bonuses. As all the best online poker sites compete against each other, one of the ways they can stand out from the crowd is by offering huge bonuses. Check out our list below of the best bonuses for poker players:

How to Choose the Best Bonuses

To make sure you pick the best poker bonus for you, consider the following:

Read the bonus terms and conditions and make sure you understand the wagering requirements.

Wagering requirements mean the amount of money that you need to wager in the game before you can withdraw any winnings. For example, if you receive a 100% bonus on a deposit of $100 but the wagering requirements are 35 times, then you have to wager a total of $3,500 before you can claim any winnings.

If you cannot or do not want to use the maximum bonus, you can deposit a smaller amount and play with a smaller but still worthwhile bonus.

Top Real Money Poker Apps 2021

Android Devices

Android users can access real money poker apps easily from the web browser on their device. Most, if not all, Android-friendly online poker sites offer a range of real money poker games that can be played directly from the browser. There are also several online poker sites offering apps that can be downloaded from Google Play. Real money poker apps powered by Android provide smooth and seamless gameplay and excellent graphics, providing a quality equal to that of a desktop poker site.

Best poker site for android:

Intertops

Best games provider for android:

Bovada

Best mobile poker for android:

Betonline

iPhone Devices

Apple users have a wide range of options when it comes to playing real money poker apps. The majority of top-quality online poker sites provide mobile options available from your device’s browser and as downloadable apps in the app store. Interfaces are simple, allowing for ease of use when it comes to finding real money poker apps and placing bets, while the graphics are of a high quality and gameplay runs smoothly.

Best poker site for iPhone:

Intertops

Best games provider for iPhone:

Bovada

Best mobile poker for iPhone:

Betonline

How to Sign Up to a Poker Site

Looking to play online real money poker but not sure how to sign-up? Simply follow the steps below and you’ll be at the tables in no time:

1. CHOOSE YOUR ONLINE POKER SITE

Find the poker site with the best bonus that suits you

2. Sign up

Click through to the site and register as a new member.

3. Details

Fill out all the requested details including your name, address and proof of ID.

4. Bonus code

Reclaim your bonus code if offered.

5. Confirm

Confirm your account via email.

6. Play

Your account is now open and your bonus is normally applied instantly. So, get playing!

Are Poker Sites Legal?

The question ‘Is online poker legal in the USA?’ has proved a tricky one to answer in recent years, with various incorrect interpretations of US gambling law muddying the waters and giving rise to varying degrees of misinformation.

In truth, just four US states currently offer regulated online poker for real money. These are:

• Nevada
• Delaware
• New Jersey
• Pennsylvania

Games are shared between the first three states mentioned, while Pennsylvania players compete amongst themselves for now.

States expected to offer regulated online poker in the near future include:

• West Virginia
• Maryland
• Missouri
• New York

US players who live in states that do not currently offer regulated online poker often choose to access poker sites in other international countries.

Players playing in the four regulated states, Nevada, Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, have recourse in the unlikely event that their funds are lost or withheld, which offers peace of mind when playing poker online.

Legal Gambling Age to Play Poker

Wondering what is the legal age to play online poker in the US? Check out our image below to find out:

18 years 18-21 years 21 years unspecified age

Gambling Requirements

To comply with anti-money laundering legislation, legal US poker sites are not allowed to accept new players unless they provide Personal Identifiable Information (PII).

Under Know Your Customer (KYC), US players cannot open an account with a poker site without providing basic PII details.

These include:

• Full legal name
• Address
• Social security number

More importantly, no real money transactions can take place unless players submit official US government ID and proof of a permanent address.

Looking for US Sites?

We've found the best US poker sites for real money that accept players from the US.

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Poker Deposits

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Easy Competition

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No. 1 Ranked Poker Site For U.S. Players

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Intertops Poker

$1000 Bonus

Secure, fast deposit methods

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