Online Poker

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Updated:
January 9th 2024

Online poker is now legal in several U.S. states — and counting!

Enjoy all the fun of a live poker game at a land-based casino from the comfort of your own home, favorite sports bar, or wherever you get cell or internet service. Online poker rooms offer live poker games, video poker, computer-opponent games, and more.

Is Online Poker Legal In The US?

Yes! Online poker is currently legal in several states in the country. So far, it is legal in Delaware, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

You must be physically located within state lines to place bets at online poker platforms. Online casinos require players to download geo-tracking software before they may create an account (just to verify they are where they say they are).

Before placing a bet, you’ll also need to activate the geo-tracking software.

It’s important to note that not all online poker rooms cater to every state where online poker is legal. Check out our reviews to find out where to bet legally in each state.

How does online poker work?

Online poker works similarly to in-person poker games. Simply sign up for an account, deposit money (if you’re playing for real money!), and try out different poker games online.

Take advantage of welcome bonuses to get free account funds or free bets to help you get acquainted with games without worrying about losing too much money. Some of the most popular online poker games are Texas hold ‘em, live poker, and video poker.

Most Popular Types of Online Poker

Texas Hold’em

Online Texas hold ‘em is one of the most popular variations of poker — both at land-based casinos and at online casinos.

Each player gets two cards, dealt face down. The dealer also deals three cards for the table, face up. Players place their bets. More cards are dealt in consecutive rounds face-up on the table.

Players make the best five-card poker hand using their cards and the table’s cards.

When you play Texas hold ‘em online, you’re usually playing against a computer (unless you’re playing a live game, of course!).

Live Poker

Live poker offers all the fun of playing at a casino — just online!

A live dealer will deal each player’s cards as well as the community cards via live video feed. As the cards are dealt, the dealer will scan a barcode on each card, allowing the system to know which cards are being dealt — and to prevent mistakes or fraud.

You need a speaker to understand the dealer, but you may interact with the dealer by messaging her. Other players may also message the dealer.

Essentially, this is the closest thing to the land-based poker room experience without leaving your home.

Video Poker

As in land-based casinos, online casinos offer video poker. These games are played against a computer and are more luck-based games than skill-based ones.

All you need to do is follow the instructions when prompted. Most online casinos also have video poker games, so if you're interested in more casual play, on your own time, check out the best online casino promos in each of the legal states here:

How to play online poker in the US

Playing poker at online casinos in the U.S. is super easy! All you need to do to start playing is to choose a casino, cash in on welcome bonuses, sign up for an account, prove your geographical location, and deposit money (if you’re not playing with a no-deposit bonus).

What To Do Before You Play Online Poker

Read online casino reviews

It’s important to read online casino reviews before making your first deposit. Not all online casinos and poker platforms were created equally!

Sadly, not all online casinos are legit, and some (read: offshore casinos) may even take your money without abiding by their own terms and conditions — since offshore casinos may not legally operate within the U.S., they may not be held accountable to local laws.

Online casino reviews will inform you which casinos are legit. This is also where you’ll find some of the best promo codes and welcome bonuses!

Find the best welcome bonuses

Most online casinos and poker sites offer some type of welcome bonus for first-time players. These bonuses just might be the tipping point to get you to play at one casino over another!

Welcome bonuses are usually redeemed either at the time you sign up for an account or when you make your first deposit. You’ll need to enter the promo code and/or follow the affiliate link to take advantage of these bonuses.

Read the fine print thoroughly as some welcome bonuses seem great on paper but come with a long list of terms and conditions (or hefty playthrough requirements) if you plan on cashing out winnings made with these bonuses.

Sign up for an account

Before you can play at an online poker site, you’ll need to sign up for an account.

You may need to enter your social security number, address, other identifying information and upload a form of identification (driver’s license or a passport) before you’ll be able to deposit or withdraw funds.

You’ll also need to enter your promo code at this time if you’re planning on cashing in on a no-deposit bonus.

Online casinos also require you to download geo-tracking software onto your phone, smart device, laptop or desktop before you start playing. You’ll need to activate this software before making any bets.

Make your first deposit

If you’re not planning on playing with a no-deposit welcome bonus, you’ll need to make a deposit to start betting! If you’re planning on cashing in on a deposit-match bonus, you may need to enter your promo code at this time.

Most online casinos allow you to deposit funds by debit or credit card, ACH transfer, payment processing provider (such as Skrill or PayPal), PayNearMe (with an added fee), Play+ prepaid cards, or by depositing cash at a local affiliated casino cage.

When it comes to deposits, online casinos make it very easy to transfer funds into your casino account. Most online casinos make funds available almost instantly.

Check playthrough requirements

Before cashing out winnings made with a bonus or promo, you’ll need to satisfy all playthrough requirements (also called wagering requirements).

These requirements simply state that you must bet a certain amount of your own money before cashing out promo winnings.

Most online casinos set playthrough requirements between 1-and-10-times the amount of the bonus. So if your welcome bonus was for $25 and the playthrough requirement is 2-times the amount of the bonus, you’ll need to bet $50 of your own money before cashing out welcome bonuses.

It’s best to read the fine print and check the terms and conditions before accepting bonuses or betting any of your own money at an online casino.

Best Online Poker Sites in the US

World Series of Online Poker

The World Series of Online Poker (WSOP) is one of the largest online legal poker rooms in the country! It currently offers gaming to residents of New Jersey, Michigan, Nevada, Delaware, and Pennsylvania.

BetMGM Poker

BetMGM has one of the hottest online poker rooms in the U.S. Backed by the MGM Casino brand, you don’t need to worry about the legitimacy of these poker games!

Online poker is currently offered in Michigan and New Jersey. Get a no-deposit bonus of up to $25 or a first-deposit match of up to $1,000 by following the OddsSeeker link.

Borgata Poker

Borgata is one of the biggest names in online casinos, sports betting, and poker. Its online poker games are legal for anyone physically located in New Jersey of legal betting age.

Get a no-deposit bonus of up to $20 or a first-deposit match of up to $600 by following the OddsSeeker link.

Stars Casino (PokerStars)

PokerStars at Stars Casino has become one of the hottest spots online to watch real poker stars play games — and to get in on the action yourself.

This online casino currently offers online poker play to those located in New Jersey or Michigan who are of legal betting age.

Right now, Michigan and New Jersey locals can get a welcome bonus of bet $1, get $50 FREE by following the OddsSeeker link.

Party Poker

Another big name in online poker is Party Casino.

Currently legal for anyone physically located in New Jersey of legal betting age, this platform is now offering OddsSeeker readers a no-deposit bonus of up to $20 or a first-deposit match of up to $600 by following the OddsSeeker link and using the promo code SEEKERBONUS when prompted.

Online Casino Bonuses and Promos

Most online casinos offer generous welcome bonuses and promos to entice customers to play poker with them.

These bonuses may help you boost your winnings or even help you familiarize yourself with games — before depositing money into your account! The most common types of bonuses are welcome bonuses and ongoing promos.

Welcome Bonuses

Welcome bonuses are often the most generous bonuses offered by online poker rooms. Some casinos even offer bonuses for up to thousands of dollars!

The most common types of welcome bonuses include no-deposit bonuses, deposit matches, and risk-free bets.

No-Deposit Bonus

No-deposit bonuses are exactly what they sound like: bonuses that don’t require you to deposit any money to snag!

These bonuses are often lower in dollar amounts than deposit matches, as you don’t need to deposit your own money to play (but you may need to deposit your own money if you want to cash out on your winnings).

You’ll usually see no-deposit bonuses between $20 and $30. If you see a no-deposit bonus for a much higher dollar amount offered by a casino that isn’t a big brand name or hasn’t been reviewed on our site, you may want to be wary — it could be an offshore casino.

Deposit Match

Deposit matches are usually some of the most generous welcome bonuses you’ll find. These bonuses may go as high as thousands of dollars!

That’s because you’ll need to deposit your own money before the casino will reward you with a bonus. Most deposit match bonuses are only good for the first deposit, too. This means that you’ll want to maximize your first deposit if you want to get the largest first deposit bonus.

It’s also important to read the fine print on deposit matches (and all bonuses and promos, really). You may need to bet some of your own money (often between 1-and-10-times the bonus amount) before you may withdraw winnings made with these bonuses.

Risk-Free Bets

Risk-free bets are another type of bonus where the name says it all. These bets are bets you can make where you won’t lose any money if you lose the bet.

Some online poker platforms allow you to keep your winnings made with risk-free bets, while other platforms won’t; at these platforms, risk-free bets are simply a way to try out new games or games the casino is promoting without worrying about losing any money.

Ongoing Bonuses and Promos

Casinos don’t just give bonuses to new players! Most online poker rooms also offer bonuses to loyal players that make bets throughout the month and to those that log in to the site frequently. The two most common types of ongoing bonuses and promos include login bonuses and VIP and loyalty club promos.

Login Bonuses

Login bonuses are a popular way for online casinos to get you to log in to the platform on slower betting days.

Simply log onto the platform each day (or on days you receive an email, text, or notification) to get your bonus. You may not need to bet any money to receive login bonuses.

VIP/Loyalty Clubs

Online VIP and poker loyalty clubs are similar to their land-based counterparts’: most online casinos enroll customers into these clubs when signing up for an account.

All you need to do to take advantage of these clubs is to make the number of qualifying bets you need each month to reach tier levels (and maintain tier levels each month). Online casinos often reward players for maintaining these tiers with free bets or account bonuses.

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