Online Poker Reviews for US Players
Top Online Poker Site Reviews 2022
It’s important to know where you’re putting your money, that’s why we take time to give you the best detailed online poker reviews.
Online poker is one of the most entertaining ways to spend time on the internet with the potential to make some real-world dollars. Different online poker rooms have different strengths and weaknesses. It’s important to research the top online poker sites by reading as many online poker reviews as possible.
We’ve done our best to create a curated list of the top online poker sites in the world with a detailed look at features such as software, promotions and even average skill level.
Here’s a look at the top online poker sites for US residents. Keep in mind, PokerStars isn’t on this list because it doesn’t accept players in all states. But if you want to play online poker, here’s what you should keep an eye out for.
Top Things to Look for in an Online Poker Site
There are somewhere between 50-60 different online poker sites currently in operation so it can be somewhat overwhelming to decide where to play.
Prospective poker players should think about what they want from their playing experience before they throw down their deposit.
The most important factors to consider are as follows:
We’ll go into more detail on all seven of the aforementioned items below.
Review Criteria
When reviewing and suggesting poker sites, there are certain things we look for that help ensure the safety of their players, their money, and personal information:
- The sites must be licensed and secure
- Must use top-tier gaming software
- Must offer a wide variety of payment methods
- Sites must ALWAYS pay out winnings in a timely fashion
Safety and Security
The #1 most important factor for most poker players is trust. That’s why it’s first whenever we review a poker site.
If they can’t trust an online poker site to hold their funds safely or offer a platform that operates reliably then they’re probably not going to bother putting money on the site.
Fortunately, online poker sites have come a long ways on this front. Nearly every online poker site uses a third party audited random number generated. This segregates player funds so there’s never a situation where a player can’t withdraw their money.
Software
It’s going to be difficult to have a good time playing poker on a site where the software is sub-optimal. Bad poker software can mean slow games, unintuitive design, glitches and uninspired aesthetics. Most poker players would rank software as one of the most important attributes for a poker site.
Software is another element that has been drastically improved since the early days of online poker. Just as phone apps and web apps are perfect these days so goes online poker software.
One thing to be aware of is that online poker sites tend to have stand-alone software or software that is built into web browsers. Stand-alone is generally better but there are merits to both.
Quality of Opponent
Poker is a unique game in the regard that most players want to be playing against the worst players available.
That’s because, quite simply: “Worse players = more money”
This isn’t like a video game where you might enjoy competing against the best players possible. In online poker you can earn significantly more money if you’re playing against worse players. Who doesn’t like earning more money?
There are some exceptions and some poker players just want to learn the game and get better. In those cases it can actually be helpful to compete against elite players.
The vast majority of players prefer playing against weak opponents (sometimes called fish). Some online poker sites are inherently “fishier” than others. It’s an important consideration when picking an online poker site.
The Best Poker Sites for Beginners
The term ‘beginner’ is being used loosely – this just means that the player has rarely or never played online before. Some things to look for if you are just starting to play online are:
- Good promotions for new players and existing ones
- A decent amount of low stakes tournaments
- Clear policies, greatly reviewed
- A lot of Texas Hold’em games
Beginner players want to look for a site that is more about a great user experience and enjoying the games.
The Best Poker Sites for Experts
In order to keep the focus on the characteristics of the sites and not on the definition of the term ‘experts’, we’ll say ‘experts’ are players who already know how to play poker, have played a ton of games online and isn’t put off by large buy-ins. These players will want to look for:
- High stakes tournaments and games with guaranteed big prizes
- A wide variety of poker games
- High traffic volumes on poker variants
- A generous cash back or rakeback program
Volume of Players
If you’re going to play online poker you’re going to need people to play against.
This is especially important for Sit & Go’s and multi-table tournaments where the number of players correlate to the size of the eventual prize pool.
It’s not quite as important for cash game players so long as there are a few games running at their stakes of choice.
So you don’t need to play on the biggest poker site in the world but player traffic is still an important factor to consider.
Game variety
The vast majority of poker players are all about Texas No-Limit Hold’em, but we always check out all the games in our poker reviews.
It’s one of the world’s most popular poker games online and is what’s played in the WSOP Main Event and every WPT Main Event.
It’s not the only game in town, however. You might remember the old-school 5-Card Draw or Seven-Card Stud. It’s possible to find those games online.
Even more popular than Stud or Draw is Pot-Limit Omaha, which is essentially four-card Hold’em and a fantastic game in its own right.
Some other lesser-known games include Razz, 2-7, Omaha Hi-Lo and Badugi. Some sites even have their own proprietary games. It’s something to consider when signing up for a new site.
How Are Sites Different?
Poker sites differ based on user experience and the site’s intended audience. Some sites are designed for the high rollers who just want to win big, while others are built for recreational play with friends and just for fun. Figuring out the best site for you depends on what kind of player you are and your understanding of the games you want to play. Whichever category the player falls on, there is a site out there for everyone.
Playing Online vs. Playing Live
If you know how to play poker live, you’ll be able to play online without issue. There are differences in the games, however, this is really based on whether you’re sitting at a table at a casino or whether you’re at home on the couch on a rainy day. Online games move much faster than live games, seeing as sometimes you’re playing against computers, or just the house. You won’t be relying on a real dealer to shuffle between games and push cards out.
Mobile Compatibility
Most online poker sites are compatible with mobile including, iPhone and Samsung. While it is most likely the site you’ve chosen will work no problem, it’s important to double check and make sure your site is compatible.
Promotions
Player acquisition and retention are the two most important metrics for online poker sites.
That’s why online poker sites try to incentivize players with sign-up bonuses (for new players) and rewards programs (for loyal players).
Some sites are willing to give out huge cash bonuses as they attempt to aggressively acquire new players. It’s always worth considering the size of the sign-up bonus and the value of a rewards program when picking an online poker site.
Support
There’s actual money on the line so you definitely want your online poker site to have a good support team that can help you with any problems that might arise.
Most online poker sites offer a number of support options including live chat, email and phone. There are many players that definitely prefer getting to talk to a real person of an issue pops up.
Some of the support teams are significantly better so it’s another factor that’s worth considering when picking an online poker site.
Frequently Asked Questions
By all means play home games with your friends! It’s one of the most enjoyable ways to play poker.
There are some advantages to online poker, however. When you play online poker you don’t have to worry about slowing the game down because everything is automated (including the dealing) and your blinds will be posted for you.
Because you play more hands you’ll tend to learn the poker hand rankings faster and understand the game a bit better.
If you’re looking to improve your game, online is probably the best way to play because you can play a huge number of hands against skilled players.
Plus the huge perk of online poker is that it’s available 24/7 every single day of the year!
There’s a little nuance to getting money onto online poker sites but it’s not that difficult.
Here are some popular methods for depositing:
- Bitcoin
- Credit card
- Wire transfer
- Online wallet
Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies are becoming one of the most popular ways to make a deposit thanks to their anonymous nature and the speed that Bitcoin can be processed. If you’ve already got some Bitcoin sitting around then it’s a remarkably simple way to get money onto an online poker site.
Credit cards are another popular method but sometimes it takes several tries to actually get the transaction to go through.
Wire transfer is the old reliable but it also takes the longest amount of time for deposits and withdrawals.
Finally, some sites allow online wallets like Neteller and PayPal, which can be a great way to get money online.
This is up to the individual player but you don’t have to deposit that much if you exercise proper bankroll management.
Most players like to deposit anywhere from $50 up to $300 but there are some players who simply get bored by small money poker and will choose to make a big deposit.
Anyone who’s ever played live poker will realize that online poker is quite a bargain compared to brick & mortar casinos.
The smallest game in most real-world casinos is generally $1/$2 No-Limit Hold’em ($100 buy-in), which is a sharp contrast to online poker where the stakes scale all the way down to $.01/$.02 ($1 buy-in).
Unfortunately, PokerStars is limited to New Jersey and Pennsylvania in the USA. There’s a chance more states will allow the online poker giant but for now most people are going to have to look at other options.
For many online poker players PokerStars was their first love so not having access to it can be a bitter pill to swallow
Fortunately there are some other great options for online poker in the USA and it’s worth trying them out if you’re looking to get your poker fix. If you don’t like the poker site you’re currently playing there are always alternatives.
So far, Delaware, Nevada, New Jersey, Michigan, West Virginia and Pennsylvania have passed online poker bills. California and New York also show promise to potentially be regulated in the near future.
There are no federal laws prohibiting the play of online poker in the United States.
All of our reviewed sites have been thoroughly vetted and our readers can feel safe and secure when playing on the sites we’ve suggested.
The poker site is licensed, has great customer service and quick response time to issues. It will have minimal complaints, a decently sized players base and fast, hassle-free payouts. As well, they have a history of honoring bonuses and loyalty rewards.