Where to Play US Poker Online
URGENT UPDATE:
Several online poker rooms have suspended
US operations. Until the status of player balances and available games
becomes clearer we are redirecting their links to other operational
poker rooms. We will update this page as soon as more information becomes available.
In the meantime we recommend that players
visit our
US
poker room reviews page for a list of all sites still available
to US players, including our top-rated site
BetOnline.
More US poker information:
•
Why
Online Poker Isn't Illegal
•
US
Poker Reviews
•
Poker's Black Friday
•
American Poker Sites
•
Legal Poker Sites
•
USA Online Poker
"I live in the US and I still want to
play online poker. Where can I go?"
There are still many poker sites that
will accept US citizens despite the passage of the Port
Security Act and its unrelated attachment: the Unlawful Internet
Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). We recommended the following poker rooms
before this nonsense and we recommend them even higher now for
continuing to be available to US players.
The following sites realize that US
law has no jurisdiction on international companies and it's
encouraging to see them sending one of two messages to Americans:
"we're here to stay" or "it's business as usual". Many poker sites
have partnered with us through to offer larger bonuses to US players
who come through our site.
♠ Bookmark This Page ♠
Poker Sites Available to US Players
The following is a quick breakdown of
online poker sites we recommend that accept
US players:
(Visit
site |
Read full review)
BETONLINE -
The launch of a brand-new poker room that specifically
targets US players was perhaps unthinkable after "Black
Friday" yet
BetOnline
is precisely doing just that. Serving mainly as a
casino/sportsbook one-stop-shop for over a decade
BetOnline
is finally branching out into poker and the timing couldn't
be better for US players. The main draws of
BetOnline
include the excellent cashier system and the horrendous
quality of their player base. US credit cards should be
accepted at a near-100% success rate due to their
proprietary cashier system. Remarkably,
BetOnline
is even offering e-check checking account deposits to all
new US players.
The actual
BetOnline
poker room is still growing with a lot of potential due to
its incredibly loose player base. While the traffic numbers
are still low the poker room has just launched and thus is
largely populated by existing
BetOnline
casino and sportsbook players. As exposure for the poker
room grows and US players realize its one of the few games
left in town with easy deposit options the traffic numbers
will inevitably spike. Cash games are currently active up to
the $1/2 NL level with flop percentages frequently exceeding
40-50%.
BetOnline bonus information is still pending but will
eventually include an extra boost for our players.
 Positives:
Specifically caters to US players, terribly loose tables, e-check
and credit card deposits.
US credit cards are accepted at a near-100% rate.
Direct US checking account deposits have been added for all new and
existing players.
Visit
BetOnline
(Visit
site | Read full
review)
LOCK POKER -
Lock Poker,
another privately-owned poker site, has also declared that
will continue to deal to US citizens indefinitely. As this is a
smaller poker room that mostly markets to US players I don't
see them withdrawing from the market in the foreseeable
future. The main draws of
Lock Poker include the unique software, tons of player
rewards via freerolls, and a fairly extensive cashier. Our
players also receive an exclusive bonus of 150%, good up to
a sizable $750, in addition to an instant $11 tournament
coupon by using bonus code BTF. US deposits also tend to be
process easily to
Lock Poker
thanks to a proprietary cashier that allows one of the best
credit card success rates in the industry.
While
Lock Poker certainly doesn't have the traffic of the largest
sites the network has been growing with several key skins coming
onboard. During peak hours at least 10-15 active no-limit
tables can be found up to the middle-limits. The
Lock Poker software is also a big plus with unique features
like hand win percentages, rabbit hunting, animated chat smilies, and the
ability to only
show one card. Other unique positives to
Lock Poker
include a built-in player stats system, a "vault" that
allows greater player fund security by locking it until
required information is given, and player activity races
that give prizes to the most frequent players and tournament
winners. If you're brave enough to try a niche site
with more of a community feel you might try
Lock Poker.
Positives:
One of the larger total dollar bonuses online, loose tables, unique software.
Our Exclusive Bonus:
150% up to
$750
Visit Lock
Poker
(Visit
site | Read full review)
BOVADA - Not to our surprise, the
typically rebellious
Bovada has
made clear that it will continue to accept US players to players to
its online poker room.
Bovada has
continued to be a dependable US destination as they stay true to their alternative
attitude and disregard for overzealous US government legislation.
While they initially had trouble sending out US checks in a
timely fashion following the UIGEA they've improved payout times significantly
in recent months.
Kudos to Bovada
for continuing to cater to US citizens despite being one of the
biggest targets over the years. With so few poker rooms
remaining in the US market
Bovada is one
of the better choices with a long history of player trust,
a large deposit bonus, and much looser-than-average tables.
The player base at
Bovada has
always been soft up to the higher limits with
35-40% average flop numbers typical at full tables 9-seated
tables.
Bovada has
also perennially had one of the best deposit bonuses online
with a 110% offer for our players with a $1,100 cap. Perhaps
most generous about the bonus is that 10% of it is given
immediately after your deposit as instant cash. Even though
it's only 10% instant bonuses are extremely hard to come by
in the current industry state. Although it's a terribly
logical concept
Bovada is one
of the few sites to immediately trust players enough to give
them extra cash to use at the tables or as a tournament
buy-in.
Positives:
Instant cash bonus, one of
the loosest player bases, fast and simple software.
Read full review...
Our Exclusive Bonus:
100% up
to $1,100 + 10% instantly
Visit Bovada
Poker
Visit
site
CAKE POKER -
Another poker room that has always open to US players is
Cake Poker,
which offers a 110% bonus for our new players. With several
skins leaving its network and traffic dwindling
Cake Poker
needed the shot in the arm that recent US legislation has
brought it. The softer-than-average cash games, which have
been one of the main reasons to play at
Cake Poker,
are now fairly busy again with about 8-10 active cash games
per level. The
Cake Poker
bonus is also less stringent than at the more popular sites
and mid-stakes players can convert as much as $5 per hour
per table.
Other selling points of
Cake Poker
include built-in checking account deposits and the rewards
system. The e-check system may be the only one of its kind
remaining in the US market with players easily able to link
their checking accounts to their poker room account. Other
deposit options include major credit cards and cash transfer
The
Cake Poker
rewards system is also interesting with prizes being awarded
by collecting various poker hands made up from cards given
out randomly at cash game tables.
Positives:
Beatable cash games, e-check deposit method, bonus is easy
to cash out.
Our Increased Bonus:
110% up to
$600
Visit Cake
Poker
POKER ROOMS BELOW HAVE CLOSED
TO US PLAYERS
(Visit
site | Read full review)
Sportsbook Poker is currently not
accepting new US signups. Please visit our
US
poker room reviews page for a list of all US poker rooms still
available.
SPORTSBOOK POKER - The brand new
Sportsbook Poker is accepting US players and, perhaps best of
all, their credit cards. Despite the persistent blocks at
almost every other site, Americans can deposit directly
through the cashier with any domestic credit or debit card
without issue. This is a significant draw as banking seems
to be the largest hurdle for online US poker players. The
other major draw is the largely poor player base with much
looser tables than the larger sites.
Even though
Sportsbook Poker has just launched,
the player traffic is fairly high because of the easy deposits
and new promotions. The bonus structure is more lenient than
comparable programs with most middle-stakes players earning
the full 100% bonus pretty easily. Our new players also
receive an instant 10% cash bonus. The new owners of this site
seem to be committed to the industry for the long haul so I
don't anticipate
Sportsbook Poker leaving the US market anytime soon.
Positives: Extremely poor player base, increased bonus through our
site, ability to process US credit cards.
Read full review...
US credit cards are accepted at a near-100% rate.
Our Exclusive Bonus:
100%
up to $1,000 + 10% instantly
Visit Sportsbook Poker
(Visit
site | Read full review)
Players Only is currently not
accepting new US signups. Please visit our
US
poker room reviews page for a list of all US poker rooms still
available.
PLAYERS ONLY POKER - Another new poker room catered
to US players is
Players
Only Poker. This site is already building substantial
traffic because of their ability to process US credit cards
pain-free and without a block from the issuing bank.
Deposits are accepted directly through the cashier without
the need for a third-party e-wallet. A
side-effect of this surge of US players is a collection of
incredibly loose tables. Average pot sizes and flop
percentages tend to be much higher than the larger sites
meaning faster action overall.
One of the best promotions at
Players
Only Poker is the 10% instant bonus offered to our
players in conjunction with the standard 100% play-through
bonus. While the instant cash is modest it's nice to
immediately be rewarded for making a deposit. As
Players
Only Poker opened initially exclusively for US players, management is directly opposed to the US
legislation and does not plan to fold regardless of new
developments.
Positives: Visa
and Mastercard credit/debit cards processed successfully, 100% bonus, poor
players. Read full review...
Almost any US credit or debit card is accepted block-free.
Our Exclusive Bonus:
100% up
to $1,000 + 10% instantly
Visit
Players Only Poker
(Visit
site | Read full review)
Full Tilt Poker is currently
unavailable. Please visit our
US
poker room reviews page for a list of all US poker rooms still
available.
FULL TILT POKER
- More good news for poker-playing US citizens came from
Full Tilt
Poker, who has adopted the "We're here to stay" marketing
slogan. This site is a major player in the US poker market (as is
evident from anyone who watches ESPN) and their traffic will
increase significantly as they continue their massive marketing
campaigns. With their ever-growing army of poker pros, Full
Tilt Poker has become one of the busiest US poker rooms in terms
of both ring game and tournament traffic. The addition of
seamless eCheck deposits has only helped them grow more
popular in the US market.
More importantly,
Full Tilt
Poker has retained their integrity and professionalism despite
the growing size. The signup bonus has always been one of
the highest online with our new US players earning a 100%
match up to $600. With new US players being offered
instant check account deposits and check payouts arriving in
less than a week,
Full Tilt
Poker has also become one the model poker rooms in terms of banking.
Positives: Play with the pros, 100%
bonus, lots of traffic, direct eCheck deposits. Read full review...
Direct US checking account deposits have been added for all new and
existing players.
Our Exclusive Bonus:
100% up to
$600
Visit Full
Tilt Poker
(Visit
site | Read full review)
PokerStars is currently
unavailable. Please visit our
US
poker room reviews page for a list of all US poker rooms still
available.
POKERSTARS - Perhaps the biggest
news in the fight to play online poker from the US was the
announcement that
PokerStars will allow Americans to access the site without a
hitch. Another big development is the ability for all new US players to
deposit directly with their checking accounts. PokerStars
is now easily the largest online poker site with 300,000+
online players being the peak norm. While those sort of
numbers are great for the poker room's bottom line it
ultimately benefits the player. With so much traffic players
have dozens of ring game options at every limit as well as
tournament active every 5 or 10 minutes.
In terms of high-stakes games and tons of big tournament choices,
you can't get any better than
PokerStars.
Their software package is one of the best online with
designated fast tables and customizable backgrounds and
sizes. Also, their $1.5 million Sunday tournament is the
largest recurrent event online. Overall,
PokerStars
really excels at every facet without any real shortcomings.
In terms of a deposit bonus, they've started offering a
massive 100%
match to our US
players up to $600.
Positives: Massive traffic, high-stakes
tables, 100% bonus, direct checking account deposits. Read full review...
Direct US checking account deposits have been added for all new and
existing players.
Our Exclusive Bonus:
100% up
to $600
Visit PokerStars
(Visit
site | Read full review)
Ultimate Bet is currently
unavailable. Please visit our
US
poker room reviews page for a list of all US poker rooms still
available.
ULTIMATE BET
- Another poker room that has been open to US players since the
early days of online poker is
Ultimate Bet.
They also offer an eCheck service that allows all US players
to deposit with their checking accounts directly through the
cashier. This site has always been a staple of
professionalism with busy ring games and tournaments. While this
remains a popular US poker room, please note
that software security issues have recently surfaced at
Ultimate Bet
and players simply have no way of knowing that these issues
have been resolved.
Positives:
High-stakes games, busy tournament schedule, eCheck deposits, strong software.
Read full review...
Direct US checking account deposits have been added for all new and
existing players.
Our Exclusive Bonus:
111% up
to $1,100
Visit
Ultimate Bet
(Visit
site | Read full review)
Absolute Poker is currently
unavailable. Please visit our
US
poker room reviews page for a list of all US poker rooms still
available.
ABSOLUTE POKER
- Here's another site open to US players.
Absolute Poker
has openly stated that they don't believe that any US anti-gambling law is applicable to
poker so they're still operating as usual. They still have a large
number of promotions, growing traffic, and a pretty strong software
package. Also, direct checking account deposits have been added for
all players making this one of the easiest sites for US to
deposit. Unfortunately, US players may wish to
play at the alternatives listed above on this page due to the
severe security issues that have been discovered at
Absolute Poker.
Positives: Constant bonuses on deposits,
high traffic, good software.
Read full review...
Direct US checking account deposits have been added for all new and
existing players.
Our Exclusive Bonus:
100%
up to $500
Visit Absolute
Poker
(Visit
site | Read full review)
We cannot currently recommend True
Poker. Please visit our
US
poker room reviews page for a list of all US poker rooms still
available.
TRUE POKER -
True Poker
has mostly served as a fun curiosity for online poker in its
10+ years of existence. While it was never able to attract a
fraction of the players of the better-known poker rooms it
has quietly provided a steady US poker operation catering
mostly to a group of loyal players. With a number of key US
poker rooms dropping out of the market
True Poker
has regained a bit of spotlight and has grown enough to
offer a number of active cash games up to the $1/2 NL level.
The 100% bonus at
True Poker
is also easy to cash out with only 100 raked hands required
for $10 of bonus money.
The "3D" software at
True Poker
was originally its claim to fame in 2001 becoming the first
to offer a first-person view of your seat at a real money
poker table. Players can choose their own pre-made avatar
from a handful of renders such as robots, aliens, and
cowboys. Surprisingly,
True Poker
offers the only first-person table view for US players.
Looking a bit long in the tooth in the HD age
True Poker
the first-person mode can now be disabled in favor of a
sharp standard birds-eye view.
Positives:
Unique "3D" table view, passive players, 100% bonus.
Our Increased Bonus:
100% up to
$200
Visit True
Poker
Poker Sites NOT Available to US
Players
Unfortunately, the following
sites/networks are not available to US citizens for the time being:
- Sportsbook Poker
- Players Only
- PokerStars
- Full Tilt Poker
- Absolute Poker
- Ultimate Bet
- 888 (Pacific Poker)
- PartyGaming (Party Poker, Empire
Poker, any skin)
- OnGame (PokerRoom, Hollywood Poker, any skin)
- iPoker, Playtech (Titan Poker, Noble
Poker, CD Poker, any skin)
- Crytologic (Sun Poker, InterPoker, any
skin)
- Boss Media (Celeb Poker, PokerHeaven,
Mansion Poker,
any skin)
- Everest Poker
- Paradise Poker
- PKR
While it may be easy for US poker
players to be outraged, discouraged, and simply give up the game
they love, why would you? It still isn't a crime to play and there
are plenty of privately-owned poker sites who will continue to
legally offer games to US citizens, which we've outlined above.
While a few corrupt special interests
may have gotten us into this mess and moved us backward in terms of
global commerce, we're confident that you will always be able to
play online poker from the US if you choose to. For now, that hope
hasn't been destroyed.
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US
Poker Rooms
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