Whether you're looking for somewhere to play a few relaxing hands of Texas Holdem or you're on the prowl for fish that you can smash to make a huge profit, you've come to the right spot. Our teams of experts have analyzed and tested all of the top real money Texas Holdem poker rooms on the web to find the best options for you. These are the safest, most trusted, and most reliable online poker rooms available, offering high-quality real money action.
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4 Reasons These Are the Best Real Money Texas Holdem Poker Sites
Free Texas Holdem Poker. Voted the BEST play money poker site. No download required and US players welcome! Play against real people anytime & anywhere. If you're looking to play online Texas Holdem for real money, then you've come to the right place. On top of listing the few remaining brands that cater to the US market, as well as all worldwide operators, this page contains a chronological overview of everything that has transpired since the Black Friday events in the United States. The best online real money Texas Holdem sites reward new players for trying out the site with free cash, tournament entries, swag, and more. But that should just be the tip of the iceberg. Online poker rooms that really have their act together continue to offer players rewards in return for loyal and continued play.
- Games Filled With Recreational Players (Not Sharks)
- Cash, Sit and Go, and Multi-Table Tournament Action
- Smooth Table Animations and Quality Game Controls
- Deposit Bonuses, Rakeback, and VIP Programs
Games Filled With Recreational Players (Not Sharks)
Unless you're not a fan of money, you probably aren't seeking out the toughest Texas Holdem games on the web. Smart players understand that game selection is critical to being a long-term winning player. But it's impossible to game select properly if all of your options are tables filled with professional players.
For this reason, all of the real money online Texas Holdem sites we recommend are filled with recreational players. Our review teams have professional poker players who regularly test the sites we recommend to ensure the games are still profitable. Even if you're not looking to make money playing poker, this will help stretch your entertainment dollar a lot further.
Cash, Sit and Go, and Multi-Table Tournament Action
In order for a real money Texas Holdem site to be worth your time, there needs to be sufficient action available. Before we recommend an option, we ensure there is regular action available across all Texas Hold'em formats.
Whether you play cash games, sit and gos, or multi-table tournaments (MTTs), you'll want to know you're not joining a ghost town, but that there will actually be players for you to play with on a regular basis.
Smooth Table Animations and Quality Game Controls
Regardless of whether you're playing for fun or to make money, you want a poker site that has smooth animations, high-quality graphics and, most importantly, game controls that are easy to use. When the interface is confusing and not user-friendly, it not only lowers the quality of your experience, but it also creates the opportunity for mistakes. It's very hard to win playing Texas Hold'em online if you're constantly misclicking, calling when you want to fold, and/or betting incorrect amounts.
Deposit Bonuses, Rakeback, and VIP Programs
Many of the best real money Texas Holdem poker rooms online offer some great perks to loyal players. While you should never solely base your decision on where to play Texas Holdem online based on the promotions, it can be a great way to decide between a few top options. All of the online poker rooms we recommend offer some sort of deposit bonus, rakeback program, or VIP rewards. If they're giving out free money online just for playing poker, we want you to be able to take advantage of it.
Tips for Choosing the Best Real Money Texas Holdem Sites
Knowing what makes top real money Texas Holdem sites rank above the rest is an important first step in choosing the best poker room for you. But to help you in the picking process, here are a few additional tips to help you make the right selection.
- Check Player Volumes When You Plan on Playing
- Utilize the Play Money Tables to Better Gauge the Interface
- Confirm Deposit and Withdrawal Options
- Check for Overlays, Tournament Series, and Upcoming Events
Check Player Volumes When You Plan on Playing
If you're someone who likes to play poker online during the day, it won't do you any good if the site is slam-packed busy at night but a ghost town during the day. When you're picking out the best real money Texas Holdem option for you, log into the site during the hours you're planning on playing. See what the volume levels look like and determine if they're sufficient for you. If things look slow, check again on a different day, as there are slow days from time to time.
- If you like to play during the day and you live in the US… you may want to look into joining a Texas Hold'em poker room with predominantly European players. Nighttime is usually the busiest time for a poker room, so you'll be hard-pressed to get a lot of action during the day in the US. But due to time zone differences, it will be nighttime in Europe.
- If you like smaller tournament fields and less aggressive action… you'll have good luck with US poker rooms during the day. The tournaments are going to be smaller in size, and as a whole, the players who play are typically less wild and aggressive as the maniacs that come out at night.
Utilize the Play Money Tables to Better Gauge the Interface
Misclicks and mistakes can be costly at the online poker table. Additionally, keeping your cool is important. Both of these issues can be agitated by a bad layout and poorly designed user controls. If the interface is tilting, you're not going to be as relaxed when you play. Additionally, you'll be more prone to making betting mistakes if the controls are set up properly.
Take advantage of the play money tables offered at these real money Texas Holdem poker sites. Play a few hands from the device you'll normally be playing on to get a feel for how things work. If you don't like the controls or see the potential for mistakes, go somewhere else.
Confirm Deposit and Withdrawal Options
Hopefully, none of you are looking for real money Texas Holdem poker rooms to try and lose money. Even if you're just a recreational player, you're still interested in winning money. Because of this, it's important that you make sure there are withdrawal options available that work for you. Take a few minutes before creating an account and make sure the deposit and withdrawal options available fit for you. Make sure they're banking methods you have access to, and make sure the time frames mentioned work for you as well.
Check for Overlays, Tournament Series, and Upcoming Events
Mostly for MTT players, check to see what their current tournaments and upcoming series and events look like. If they are getting big overlays on events, you'll certainly want to take advantage of that.
Additionally, if they have some lucrative tournament series or events like leaderboard races coming up, that could be a big reason to join. Make sure you're joining the best real money Texas Holdem site for today and for the future.
Free Online Poker vs. Real Money Poker
We get a lot of questions about the differences between playing free online poker and playing online poker for real money. To answer these questions, we'd like to address the differences between the two.
To be more specific, though, there are two main types of free online poker that we need to address differently—social casino free poker and free poker at real money casinos.
Social Poker Apps vs. Real Money Texas Holdem
Social poker apps are those that you'll find on Facebook or through the app store that have no real money option attached to them. You might be able to pay for a subscription to play more or get more chips, but the ability to cash out real money is not there.
These social poker apps are wildly different from real money Texas Holdem for several reasons:
- The decks are often rigged in these games – Because these are not real casinos, they don't have to follow the same rules. Often, that means they spice up the action with better flops and better hands for all players. This can be more fun, but it can really restrict your view of how real money poker will be.
- The players are nothing like real money players – When there's nothing on the line, people are going to play like maniacs. When there's not even the ability to move up to real money, the play money players are even wilder. If you're looking to get better at Texas Holdem, this is not the environment to do it in.
There's nothing wrong with social casino apps, but make sure you understand their purpose.
Free Play Poker at Online Casinos vs. Real Money Texas Holdem
Your second option for playing Texas Hold'em for free online is to utilize the play money options at the real money rooms. These are closer to what 'real poker' will be like, but there are still some major differences. There are also some major differences with the social poker apps.
First, the decks in these games will not be rigged. They will operate under the same random number generator dealers as the real money games. This is nice, as it does start to give you the ability to see how cards will actually fall. Second, the players will still be pretty far from what you can expect in real money games because they still have nothing at risk. The one perk of these over social poker apps is a lot of these players have hopes of moving to real money, so they may play a little more in line.
Can You Win Money Playing Online Texas Holdem?
Yes! Online Texas Holdem games give you the ability to win big without having to leave the house. Additionally, poker is a game of skill played against other players and not the house. Because of this, it is completely possible to win real money online on a consistent basis. There are plenty of professional poker players around the world that make a consistent living playing online Texas Hold'em.
Real Money Texas Holdem Poker Bonuses and VIP Rewards
Another popular topic we get questions about is the different kinds of bonuses and rewards available to Texas Holdem players online. Here's a quick summary of the different options. All of the top real money online casinos with Texas Holdem recommended in this guide offer some variation or a variation of all of these bonus programs.
- Texas Holdem Deposit Bonuses
- Rakeback or Cashback
- VIP Reward Points
- Free Tournament Tickets
- Freerolls
Texas Holdem Deposit Bonuses
A deposit match bonus is one of the most common you'll see at online poker rooms. The room will match your initial or reload deposit up to a certain percentage and to a certain dollar amount. This means you could make a deposit of $200 and end up with $400 in your account to play with! Most deposit bonuses are a 100% match up to anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand.
These deposit bonuses are credited in one of two ways to your account. The first way is they put all the funds in your account immediately as bonus funds. You can start playing with them right away, but you won't be able to cash them out until you play a certain amount of hands to prevent people from just taking the bonus money and running for the hills. The second and more popular way is for the funds to incrementally be dropped in your account as cash as you play more.
For Example,A $100 bonus might be split into 10 $10 bonuses, and as you play a certain number of raked hands, they will credit your account with cash.
Rakeback or Cashback
Some real money Texas Holdem sites will give you a percentage of the money they collect in rake back to you. With a program like this, as long as you break even at the tables, you will turn a profit because of the rakeback. You can think of this as a profit share from the site for every hand or tournament you are involved in.
VIP Reward Points
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Many of the online poker sites listed in this guide offer VIP rewards programs for their players. The more you play, the more points you earn toward rewards and tier status. With these points, you can usually cash them in for cash, tournament tickets, trips, or swag.
Free Tournament Tickets
Either through a welcome bonus or through VIP rewards, you may be awarded free tournament tickets at that real money online casino. These are free entries into real money tournaments that don't cost you anything. If you happen to win the tournament or make any money, it's all yours to keep.
Freerolls
Freeroll entries are usually awarded through a welcome bonus or as a VIP reward for loyalty. A freeroll tournament is a tournament where nobody pays an entry fee, but the poker room adds money or prizes to the prize pool. For no money, you have the chance to win real money, tournament tickets, or other prizes.
Often, freerolls are a great way to earn extra cash because a lot of people skip them for some strange reason. You may find yourself at a table in the tournament with a lot of players sitting out because they failed to show up for the free money. Your win!
Real Money Texas Holdem FAQ
Are Real Money Texas Holdem Poker Sites Safe to Use?
Yes. The online poker industry has come a long way since its early days and is completely safe and secure for you to use. This is, of course, assuming that you're only using the safest real money Texas Hold'em sites that we've selected. Other sites may be safe, but we can't vouch for them if we've not tested them.
Can I Play Poker Online If I Live in the US?
Yes! Online poker is not illegal in the US. There are many great online poker rooms that offer services to American players for you to choose from. If you'd like to check the specific laws and legal guidance for your state, check out our US legal guide where we break down our most current interpretation of the laws state by state.
Can I Try Playing Poker Online for Free Before I Play for Real Money?
Yes. All of the real money Texas Holdem sites we've listed in this guide offer play money or free money options. You can use these for as long as you'd like to determine if you're interested in playing for real money. All free play games at these sites use the same software and digital dealing software as the real money tables. The only difference is you have no money at risk.
What Kinds of Texas Holdem Games Are Available to Play for Real Money Online?
The options you have to play Texas Hold'em online at these sites are immense. They offer different stake levels, including micro, low, medium, high, and nosebleeds. Regarding the game types available, they offer cash games, sit and go tournaments, heads up action, multi-table tournaments, and short-handed action.
Online poker is back in Pennsylvania. Many of the biggest and best-known poker sites are now legal and licensed to run games within state lines. They include PokerStars – with partypoker and WSOP.com expected to join soon.
Table top casino fresno ca. As a player you can take advantage of the big marketing budgets these sites will use to gain traction in the Keystone State. There are no-deposit bouses, big matched welcome offers and generous loyalty schemes available right now.
This page has everything you need to understand the games, bonuses, and software options available at the legal PA online poker sites. You'll also find a brief explanation of how the sites work and a detailed FAQ located at the bottom of the page.
Play online poker in Pennsylvania at PokerStars
Is online poker legal in PA?
Yes. Seven casinos took up the poker license, most as part of a package deal.
Instead of $4 million per gambling vertical, several PA casinos paid $10 million for poker, online slots, and online table games licenses. Many also spent $10 million for a separate sports betting license.
It took a long time from when the gambling expansion act (H 271) of 2017 was passed for PA online poker sites to appear. License holders prioritized sports betting and casinos as these have higher revenue than poker.
Best Poker Sites in Pennsylvania
Poker sites need to reach a critical mass of players to offer a good enough choice of cash games and big guarantees for their tournaments. This naturally limits the number of successful rooms possible, and healthy market share is critical.
The biggest rooms in other regulated states are strong favorites to be the biggest and best in Pennsylvania. Here are the sites to check out:
- PokerStars: Poker players the world over agree that PokerStars has the best software. While you will not be able to play against the giant global player pool in PA, you can enjoy the huge game choice and slick platform. New players get $30 in free play with a small ($20) deposit, with the ‘Stars Rewards' loyalty scheme keeping your bankroll topped up after that.
- Party Poker: Soon, PA players will be able to check out the software and the famously soft poker games at Party with free money. Party offers NJ players $25 simply for signing up – which we expect to see on offer in PA too. Enjoy tournaments, cash games and the new Fast Forward poker format.
- WSOP.com/888: This brand is owned by Caesars Entertainment and will partner with Harrah's Philadelphia to bring their unique platform to PA. There is more to this site than just qualifiers to the WSOP tournaments. You can play cash game, ‘Blast' poker and a packed tournament schedule. New players get a matched welcome bonus of up to $1000 to get their bankrolls off to a flying start.
What do these PA poker apps offer?
PokerStars Pennsylvania
Poker players worldwide consider the PokerStars desktop client and apps to be the best software around. This covers the speed and smoothness of the games – plus small factors like how easy it is to resize tables and the ability to upload your own pictures.
PokerStars partnered with Mount Airy Casino. They were the first online poker site to launch in Pennsylvania – and have exceeded expectations in popularity. Player pools are not shared with their New Jersey site for the time being, which will be the case for all PA online poker rooms until further notice.
There are two bonuses for new players:
- Deposit a minimum of $20 to get $30 in tournament buy-ins and cash game tickets with bonus code THIRTY.
- Alternatively, PokerStars will match your first deposit up to $600. To claim this offer, use bonus code STARS600.
Regular players will enjoy a novel loyalty program. Stars Rewards gives you chests as you play, these have prizes tailored to you – going up in value depending on the stakes you play.
Games at PokerStars include the usual mix of cash games, tournaments and sit & goes. This site has a fast-fold cash game called Zoom Poker, and a lottery sit & go format called ‘Spins'. Regular ‘PACOOP' (Pennsylvania Championship of Online Poker) events feature big prize tournaments – the highlight of a busy tournament schedule. They also run a number of other exciting tournament series that come with hefty guarantees.
Party Poker Pennsylvania
Party Poker is the biggest rival to PokerStars. This site is owned by gambling giant GVC, which has a national deal with MGM. Valley Forge Casino will supply licenses for GVC.
Once live, PA poker players should receive $25 simply for signing up. This bonus comes in two parts:
- $10 is a cash bonus, you can use this for any type of game
- $15 is in tournament tokens
If you like what you find, then you can get a 100% matched welcome bonus on your first deposit up to $1000 max. Promotions include leaderboards, reload bonuses and a loyalty points program.
In addition to the packed list of cash games, tournaments and sit & goes, you can now play ‘Fast Forward' poker at Party. This is a fast-fold format, where players are moved to a new hand as soon as the current hand is folded.
The partypoker software has been completely revamped since they were last available in the US. You will find smartphone apps and desktop downloads for both Windows and Mac devices. At launch, games will only be against other players from PA. In time it is hoped that the shared player pools will expand to cover Pennsylvania – allowing games against other partypoker players from other states.
WSOP Poker Pennsylvania
WSOP is short for ‘World Series of Poker'. This brand is owned by Caesars Entertainment – owners of the iconic Harrah's Casino in PA. There are active WSOP.com poker sites in both Nevada and New Jersey – and soon, Pennsylvania.
Software for this site is powered by 888 Poker, offering both an app and a downloadable desktop version.
There are some generous bonuses for new players at WSOP Pennsylvania:
- A no deposit bonus of $10 to check out the games with zero risk. Use bonus code 10FREE to claim this
- A huge bonus of up to $1000 matched to your first deposit
Online Texas Hold'em Poker Real Money Legal
You can clear your bonus by collecting points in the real money games. WSOP have satellite qualifiers to the World Series events – as well as online poker promotions. Look out for new poker formats including ‘Blast' lottery Sit and Goes, alongside the usual mix of NL Hold'em and PLO cash games and tournaments.
How legal online poker sites in Pennsylvania work
For online casinos and sportsbooks, you'll normally access the website to enjoy gambling. Poker sites are different. Most players prefer to download a desktop software client to access the games. This gives you all the game types, and the ability to comfortably multi-table (play more than one table at a time). It also ensures the games are stable. Avoiding the client crashing just as you get dealt pocket aces is important.
Online Texas Holdem Real Money
PokerStars PA launched with both an Android and an iOS app available.
- Texas Holdem Deposit Bonuses
- Rakeback or Cashback
- VIP Reward Points
- Free Tournament Tickets
- Freerolls
Texas Holdem Deposit Bonuses
A deposit match bonus is one of the most common you'll see at online poker rooms. The room will match your initial or reload deposit up to a certain percentage and to a certain dollar amount. This means you could make a deposit of $200 and end up with $400 in your account to play with! Most deposit bonuses are a 100% match up to anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand.
These deposit bonuses are credited in one of two ways to your account. The first way is they put all the funds in your account immediately as bonus funds. You can start playing with them right away, but you won't be able to cash them out until you play a certain amount of hands to prevent people from just taking the bonus money and running for the hills. The second and more popular way is for the funds to incrementally be dropped in your account as cash as you play more.
For Example,A $100 bonus might be split into 10 $10 bonuses, and as you play a certain number of raked hands, they will credit your account with cash.
Rakeback or Cashback
Some real money Texas Holdem sites will give you a percentage of the money they collect in rake back to you. With a program like this, as long as you break even at the tables, you will turn a profit because of the rakeback. You can think of this as a profit share from the site for every hand or tournament you are involved in.
VIP Reward Points
Texas Holdem Poker Online Real Money Australia
Many of the online poker sites listed in this guide offer VIP rewards programs for their players. The more you play, the more points you earn toward rewards and tier status. With these points, you can usually cash them in for cash, tournament tickets, trips, or swag.
Free Tournament Tickets
Either through a welcome bonus or through VIP rewards, you may be awarded free tournament tickets at that real money online casino. These are free entries into real money tournaments that don't cost you anything. If you happen to win the tournament or make any money, it's all yours to keep.
Freerolls
Freeroll entries are usually awarded through a welcome bonus or as a VIP reward for loyalty. A freeroll tournament is a tournament where nobody pays an entry fee, but the poker room adds money or prizes to the prize pool. For no money, you have the chance to win real money, tournament tickets, or other prizes.
Often, freerolls are a great way to earn extra cash because a lot of people skip them for some strange reason. You may find yourself at a table in the tournament with a lot of players sitting out because they failed to show up for the free money. Your win!
Real Money Texas Holdem FAQ
Are Real Money Texas Holdem Poker Sites Safe to Use?
Yes. The online poker industry has come a long way since its early days and is completely safe and secure for you to use. This is, of course, assuming that you're only using the safest real money Texas Hold'em sites that we've selected. Other sites may be safe, but we can't vouch for them if we've not tested them.
Can I Play Poker Online If I Live in the US?
Yes! Online poker is not illegal in the US. There are many great online poker rooms that offer services to American players for you to choose from. If you'd like to check the specific laws and legal guidance for your state, check out our US legal guide where we break down our most current interpretation of the laws state by state.
Can I Try Playing Poker Online for Free Before I Play for Real Money?
Yes. All of the real money Texas Holdem sites we've listed in this guide offer play money or free money options. You can use these for as long as you'd like to determine if you're interested in playing for real money. All free play games at these sites use the same software and digital dealing software as the real money tables. The only difference is you have no money at risk.
What Kinds of Texas Holdem Games Are Available to Play for Real Money Online?
The options you have to play Texas Hold'em online at these sites are immense. They offer different stake levels, including micro, low, medium, high, and nosebleeds. Regarding the game types available, they offer cash games, sit and go tournaments, heads up action, multi-table tournaments, and short-handed action.
Online poker is back in Pennsylvania. Many of the biggest and best-known poker sites are now legal and licensed to run games within state lines. They include PokerStars – with partypoker and WSOP.com expected to join soon.
Table top casino fresno ca. As a player you can take advantage of the big marketing budgets these sites will use to gain traction in the Keystone State. There are no-deposit bouses, big matched welcome offers and generous loyalty schemes available right now.
This page has everything you need to understand the games, bonuses, and software options available at the legal PA online poker sites. You'll also find a brief explanation of how the sites work and a detailed FAQ located at the bottom of the page.
Play online poker in Pennsylvania at PokerStars
Is online poker legal in PA?
Yes. Seven casinos took up the poker license, most as part of a package deal.
Instead of $4 million per gambling vertical, several PA casinos paid $10 million for poker, online slots, and online table games licenses. Many also spent $10 million for a separate sports betting license.
It took a long time from when the gambling expansion act (H 271) of 2017 was passed for PA online poker sites to appear. License holders prioritized sports betting and casinos as these have higher revenue than poker.
Best Poker Sites in Pennsylvania
Poker sites need to reach a critical mass of players to offer a good enough choice of cash games and big guarantees for their tournaments. This naturally limits the number of successful rooms possible, and healthy market share is critical.
The biggest rooms in other regulated states are strong favorites to be the biggest and best in Pennsylvania. Here are the sites to check out:
- PokerStars: Poker players the world over agree that PokerStars has the best software. While you will not be able to play against the giant global player pool in PA, you can enjoy the huge game choice and slick platform. New players get $30 in free play with a small ($20) deposit, with the ‘Stars Rewards' loyalty scheme keeping your bankroll topped up after that.
- Party Poker: Soon, PA players will be able to check out the software and the famously soft poker games at Party with free money. Party offers NJ players $25 simply for signing up – which we expect to see on offer in PA too. Enjoy tournaments, cash games and the new Fast Forward poker format.
- WSOP.com/888: This brand is owned by Caesars Entertainment and will partner with Harrah's Philadelphia to bring their unique platform to PA. There is more to this site than just qualifiers to the WSOP tournaments. You can play cash game, ‘Blast' poker and a packed tournament schedule. New players get a matched welcome bonus of up to $1000 to get their bankrolls off to a flying start.
What do these PA poker apps offer?
PokerStars Pennsylvania
Poker players worldwide consider the PokerStars desktop client and apps to be the best software around. This covers the speed and smoothness of the games – plus small factors like how easy it is to resize tables and the ability to upload your own pictures.
PokerStars partnered with Mount Airy Casino. They were the first online poker site to launch in Pennsylvania – and have exceeded expectations in popularity. Player pools are not shared with their New Jersey site for the time being, which will be the case for all PA online poker rooms until further notice.
There are two bonuses for new players:
- Deposit a minimum of $20 to get $30 in tournament buy-ins and cash game tickets with bonus code THIRTY.
- Alternatively, PokerStars will match your first deposit up to $600. To claim this offer, use bonus code STARS600.
Regular players will enjoy a novel loyalty program. Stars Rewards gives you chests as you play, these have prizes tailored to you – going up in value depending on the stakes you play.
Games at PokerStars include the usual mix of cash games, tournaments and sit & goes. This site has a fast-fold cash game called Zoom Poker, and a lottery sit & go format called ‘Spins'. Regular ‘PACOOP' (Pennsylvania Championship of Online Poker) events feature big prize tournaments – the highlight of a busy tournament schedule. They also run a number of other exciting tournament series that come with hefty guarantees.
Party Poker Pennsylvania
Party Poker is the biggest rival to PokerStars. This site is owned by gambling giant GVC, which has a national deal with MGM. Valley Forge Casino will supply licenses for GVC.
Once live, PA poker players should receive $25 simply for signing up. This bonus comes in two parts:
- $10 is a cash bonus, you can use this for any type of game
- $15 is in tournament tokens
If you like what you find, then you can get a 100% matched welcome bonus on your first deposit up to $1000 max. Promotions include leaderboards, reload bonuses and a loyalty points program.
In addition to the packed list of cash games, tournaments and sit & goes, you can now play ‘Fast Forward' poker at Party. This is a fast-fold format, where players are moved to a new hand as soon as the current hand is folded.
The partypoker software has been completely revamped since they were last available in the US. You will find smartphone apps and desktop downloads for both Windows and Mac devices. At launch, games will only be against other players from PA. In time it is hoped that the shared player pools will expand to cover Pennsylvania – allowing games against other partypoker players from other states.
WSOP Poker Pennsylvania
WSOP is short for ‘World Series of Poker'. This brand is owned by Caesars Entertainment – owners of the iconic Harrah's Casino in PA. There are active WSOP.com poker sites in both Nevada and New Jersey – and soon, Pennsylvania.
Software for this site is powered by 888 Poker, offering both an app and a downloadable desktop version.
There are some generous bonuses for new players at WSOP Pennsylvania:
- A no deposit bonus of $10 to check out the games with zero risk. Use bonus code 10FREE to claim this
- A huge bonus of up to $1000 matched to your first deposit
Online Texas Hold'em Poker Real Money Legal
You can clear your bonus by collecting points in the real money games. WSOP have satellite qualifiers to the World Series events – as well as online poker promotions. Look out for new poker formats including ‘Blast' lottery Sit and Goes, alongside the usual mix of NL Hold'em and PLO cash games and tournaments.
How legal online poker sites in Pennsylvania work
For online casinos and sportsbooks, you'll normally access the website to enjoy gambling. Poker sites are different. Most players prefer to download a desktop software client to access the games. This gives you all the game types, and the ability to comfortably multi-table (play more than one table at a time). It also ensures the games are stable. Avoiding the client crashing just as you get dealt pocket aces is important.
Online Texas Holdem Real Money
PokerStars PA launched with both an Android and an iOS app available.
When you access the PA poker rooms, you will find four main poker formats. Which are available (and have games running) will depend on the size of the player pool at each site.
Here are the main formats:
- Cash games: Your chips have a real monetary value and can be topped up to the table maximum at any time. Online poker cash games start at $2 buy-ins (micro-stakes) up to around $1,000+ buy-ins. The stakes at these tables range from $.02/$.04 to $1,000/$2,000. Tables typically have two, six, or nine players.
- Poker tournaments: A knockout format where each player starts with a stack of chips in exchange for their buy-in. The bet sizes increase steadily, and play continues until one player has all the chips. Expect 10% or so of the field to get prizes. There are many variations in speed, poker game type, and the ability to rebuy or re-enter if you bust.
- Sit & Go tournaments: Usually single table games, these kick off whenever a table is full. New variations include PokerStars' Spin & Go. These are three-handed games with a random prize pool of up to 10,000x your buy-in.
- Fast-fold poker: This innovation dispenses with the waiting time while other players finish hands by taking you to a new hand as soon as you fold. Players sit in pools rather than individual tables. Fast fold poker is used for both cash games and tournaments but is not available in Pennsylvania yet.
At international sites, there are a lot of poker variations to enjoy. The smaller player pools in Pennsylvania will mean that only No-Limit Hold'em and some Omaha variations like PLO and PLO8 will be available. If PA joins a wider group of state sites then Stud, Draw, and mixed games could become available.
Real Money Poker vs Free Online Poker
If you have only ever enjoyed poker on free to play apps, you will need to read up on strategy before you jump into the real money games. There is a huge difference in skill level as soon as real money is on the line.
The online poker rooms in Pennsylvania have options to enjoy play-money only tables. These can help you get to know the different types of poker game and how the betting rounds work. At PokerStars, the Home Games function lets you create private tables for your friends and colleagues. You can even play them with friends outside of PA, as long as they are for play money.
You can try out real money poker games at some sites without making a deposit. Party Poker should offer $10 in cash plus $15 in tournament entry tokens just for signing up. Other sites like PokerStars give you tokens worth $30 for just a small deposit.
To get off to a solid start at the real money poker tables, it is worth starting off at smaller buy-in levels than you would play in a live setting. This will give you a chance to assess the skill levels of your opponents and make sure you can beat the games before you move up to higher buy-ins.
Pennsylvania online poker: Bonuses and promotions
The online poker sites which have the most players in PA will have a huge advantage over competitors. PokerStars got a leg up on the competition as the first to market and exceeded expectations right away, taking in nearly $2 million in rake and tournament fees in its first month back in November.
As the number of players grows, bigger tournaments, better promotions, and a wider choice of cash games become available. This has the effect of attracting more players. Currently, PokerStars PA offers a choice of two welcome bonuses, namely $30 free if deposit $20 using marketing code FREE30, or a 100%bonus match up to $600 using marketing code STARS600, not both though.
Once more online poker rooms go live in Pennsylvania, there will be fierce competition for new players. You can take advantage of this by getting your bankroll off to a great start thanks to the sites' big marketing budgets and generous bonus offers.
Based on poker rooms in other regulated states, here is what to expect:
- No-deposit bonuses: Some poker sites will offer completely free chips, no deposit needed. This will sometimes come in the form of buy-ins to different tournaments or cash games. You'll need to play this money through a set number of times before it can be withdrawn.
- Matched welcome bonuses: Expect your first deposit to be given a 100% (or better) match. Some sites offer up to $1,000 in bonus money this way. This is usually released in increments as you play.
- Freeroll tournaments: New players will be given access to beginners or depositors freerolls with real money prize pools. There may be additional entries based on loyalty schemes or future deposits.
- Reload bonuses: If your bankroll gets depleted, you will usually be offered an extra bonus to reload. Be advised these are usually smaller offers than the initial deposit bonus.
- Loyalty schemes: Poker sites all handle their loyalty programs differently. For PokerStars PA, expect to be awarded treasure chests, which have prizes tailored to your individual gambling preferences.
Depending on the brand, you might also be offered crossover promotions for the different gambling verticals.
Sports betting and casino games are well established in Pennsylvania, with many of the license holders for poker involved in all three industries. For example, players can now sign up for Fox Bet online sports betting and also access the PokerStars PA online poker and online casino verticals.
Depositing and withdrawing at PA online poker rooms
With poker being a skill game, more players will withdraw money than the other gambling verticals. You'll have a lot of choices for how to get your money on board and your profits back off again.
While not all the online poker rooms will have all of the methods listed, the deposit methods below are the most commonly accepted.
- Credit / debit cards: Instant payments can be made with your regular bank cards. Visa and MasterCard are accepted by all the sites. Some sites will also allow deposits with Discover cards as well.
- Prepaid Play+ cards: Many gambling sites have branded debit cards. These add security and can be used for withdrawing your winnings. Then players can access funds via ATMs.
- Casino cage: You'll be able to deposit and withdraw at the casino associated with each of the poker room brands.
- PayNearMe: This is another way of depositing cash, this time via 7-Eleven or CVS stores. Note that the fixed costs make this expensive for smaller deposits.
- PayPal: This is a popular online wallet system. It is used as a secure bridge between your bank and online merchants. PayPal is used for both deposits and withdrawals. However, do not be surprised if this option is not available at most online poker sites. The fees associated with PayPal, combined with the high tax rates for PA online operators mean this will be a rare option, not a common one.
- Neteller / Skrill: Owned by the same company, these wallet services work in a similar way to PayPal. They have been popular with poker players internationally for many years. Like PayPal, there is a chance these will not be available at every site because of hefty fees.
- eChecks: Also known as ACH transfers, this poker deposit method comes directly from your bank. You can get pre-verified, making your eCheck deposits and withdrawals instant.
- Bill pay: If you use a major bank, you might already pay your utility bills with Bill Pay. Paying into your poker account works in the same way. This banking option is not used for withdrawals.
- Bank wire: This is a slower way to transfer from your bank, though can still be used if you wish to securely transfer large amounts.
- Money order / paper check: Another slower banking method welcomed by many sites. If there are no alternative ‘online' methods, you can withdraw your profits via a paper check.
Online poker partnerships in PA
For now, PA poker games are ring-fenced. This means that tables will not be shared with poker players from other regulated states like New Jersey and Nevada.
Three major international brands already partnered with Pennsylvania casinos, with only PokerStars and Mount Airy Casino live with their online poker product. More announcements are expected soon to clarify plans for online poker.
This is the full list of the PA casinos which have licenses to open online poker rooms:
Poker Site | Casino Partner | Software | Status | Bonus |
---|---|---|---|---|
PokerStars | Mount Airy Casino Resort | PokerStars | Live | $30 Free |
PartyPoker PA | Valley Forge Casino | PartyPoker | Approved | TBD |
WSOP.com | Harrahs Philadelphia | 888 | Approved | TBD |
SugarHouse | Rivers Philadelphia | Rush Street | Approved | TBD |
BetMGM | Independent License | GVC | Approved | TBD |
Penn National | Hollywood Casino | IGT | Approved | TBD |
Parx Casino | Parx Casino | GAN/Kambi | Approved | TBD |
Wind Creek Casino | Wind Creek Casino | TBD | Approved | TBD |
Online Texas Hold Em Poker Real Money Usa
Live poker in Pennsylvania
Texas Holdem Poker Online For Real Money
There are 10 live poker rooms in Pennsylvania. They are:
- Harrah's Philadelphia: This poker room is branded using the World Series of Poker name. It is open 24/7 and has 28 tables featuring cash games and tournaments. Types of poker include the popular No-Limit Hold'em, Seven-Card Stud, and Omaha.
- Mohegan Sun Pocono: Located close to Wilkes-Barre, this poker room holds 18 tables. Daily tournaments include bounty events. The room also offers bad beat and royal flush jackpots for cash games.
- Parx Casino: This is one of the bigger poker rooms, hosting 48 tables including a separated three-table high-limit poker room. Parx is located at Bensalem, northeast of Philadelphia. They hold big buy-in tournament events, as well their own regular schedule of tournaments and cash games.
- Rivers Casino: Located in Pittsburgh, Rivers Casino hosts a 30-table poker room, which covers more than 8,000 square feet. Hourly high-hand bonuses keep the cash games lively, while bigger buy-in tournament events run alongside their busy weekly schedule.
- The Meadows Casino: Rather than a separate room, the 14 poker tables at The Meadows are on the main casino floor. You'll have a view of the live racing while you play. This room is located 25 miles southwest of Pittsburgh, at Strabane Township.
- Hollywood Casino: This live poker venue is located at the Penn National Racecourse, at Grantville, PA. They have 17 tables and run cash games with a high hand promotion. Tournaments include both standard and turbo blind options.
- Mount Airy Casino: The poker parlor at the Mount Airy resort in northwest PA is a smaller live poker venue. With only nine tables, Texas Hold'em is the only variation you will find here.
- Presque Isle Casino: This is the smallest poker room in Pennsylvania, with only seven tables. While most rooms are 24/7, this one opens at 10 a.m. / 12 p.m. and continues only as long as there is substantial play. Single and multi-table tournaments are advertised, in addition to cash games.
- Sugarhouse Casino: Located in Philadelphia, Sugarhouse offers a 24/7 poker room which holds 28 tables. High hand and bad beat jackpots are run. Buy-ins for their cash games range from $60 to $3,000.
- Wind Creek Casino: This 28-table live poker room is located close to Bethlehem, PA. This was previously known as Sands Casino. With a complimentary beverage service, tableside dining, and a lot of TV's showing sporting action, this poker room is advertised as state of the art.