Online Poker in the USA
URGENT UPDATE:
Several online poker rooms have suspended
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.
Following the government's corrupt and
hypocritical ruling on online gaming, USA online poker has continued
to thrive. Rather than shut down the online USA poker market,
players have simply shifted over to sites that offer real money
poker for USA residents. The sheer volume of players that USA online
poker rooms have drawn is a testament to the continued popularity of
the game with top sites attracting over 100,000 simultaneous
players.
The most important thing for Americans
to keep in mind is that there are countless USA online poker
options. While irresponsible media outlets ran sensationalistic
headlines assuring us that online poker was now illegal, USA poker
sites were actually unaffected by the UIGEA. This new law admittedly
only targets domestic financial institutions and does not classify
playing online poker in USA jurisdictions a crime.
In this article I'll address where to
play USA online poker, cover the most successful USA deposit
options, and briefly give my opinions on the top USA poker sites.
Where to Play USA Online
Poker
The following established sites allow
real money poker for USA citizens. Furthermore, all of these poker
sites have clearly outlined their intentions in the USA online poker
market, which is to continue business as usual with no plans to
stray from that stance. Click the poker room's logo for a detailed
review.
USA Poker Deposit Methods
The largest obstacle for USA poker
players is not finding a place to play but rather funding their
accounts. Fortunately, poker sites have listened to players and have
been continually adding more deposit options available exclusively
to Americans.
The most obvious choice for USA online
poker deposits would be via credit card. Unfortunately, most USA
poker sites are still classified as gambling transactions by banks
and deposit attempts will be declined. However, there are several
poker rooms that can accept all major credit or debit cards without
being blocked. View our
US credit cards page or, more specifically, our
Visa online poker page for a full list of block-free sites. Our
top-ranked credit card site is
BetOnline.
Next to credit cards, direct checking
account deposits would have to be one of the easiest deposit methods
USA online poker rooms. Often called
eChecks, this method involves simply filling in your checking
account information directly in the poker room cashier. Deposits
typically take under a minute to process and are then available
immediately for use at the tables. While it was almost impossible to
find an eCheck poker room a few years ago,
BetOnline
has made this extremely simple deposit option available
again.
Other easy deposit options previously included the
UseMyWallet,
eWalletXpress, and
PIC-Club services, which were accepted by many USA
online poker sites but are no longer functional. They essentially worked just like Neteller used to:
link your checking account to your online e-wallet account and make deposits and withdrawals as often as
you'd like between multiple sites. You would either send your balance
back to your checking account or request an ATM card to withdraw
cash directly.
Finally, other sites that offer online
poker in the USA have introduced proprietary payment services that are
usually simple enough to set up in 10-15 minutes. One of the more
popular methods is the cash transfer service, which is essentially
available at every grocery or convenience store in the country.
Online transactions are also supported from most credit cards.
Top Sites Offering Poker
for USA Players
BETONLINE - This new USA poker room has quickly
impressed up with its simple payment system, extremely poor player
base, and an increased bonus for our players.
BetOnline
is one of the very few sites that will
process USA credit cards without being blocked. Besides the loose
tables new
BetOnline
coming from our site receive free tournament entries based
on their deposit. With its foundation as a casino and sports site
the poker room features crossover players that, on the whole,
comprise the weakest player base left in the US market.
LOCK POKER - Another strong option for USA online poker
players,
Lock Poker
is also able to accept all Visa and Mastercard
deposits with a higher-than-average success rate. While it is a new site the traffic
is already substantial due to its place on the Merge network with several active cash games at all limits
and 4 or 5 tournaments per hour. New
Lock Poker
players coming from our site receive an increased 150%
bonus, good up to $750.
BOVADA - While mostly operating under the radar of the larger sites,
Bovada has
been steadily growing due to allowing real money poker in
the USA market. Always a leader in terms of loose tables and
solid software
Bovada has
recently increased its bonus offerings to our players to 110%.
Bovada is also
one of the few USA online poker rooms to offer 10% of your
bonus upfront for immediate use at the tables.
Bovada deposit
options include US credit card and the MyPayLinq service, which allows you to link most
checking account for
instant deposits.
THE FOLLOWING POKER ROOMS NO LONGER ACCEPT US
PLAYERS
FULL TILT POKER - With the most respectable group of pro
sponsors under its wing it was only a matter of time before
Full Tilt
Poker became a powerhouse. Their decision to keep allowing poker
for USA players has quickly made them one of the largest poker rooms
online. In terms of deposit options, this is one of the very few
poker rooms that accepts direct checking account deposits from all
USA players. No fees are taken from e-check deposits, no separate
e-wallet is required, and deposits are available for immediate play.
Our new
Full Tilt
Poker players receive a 100% bonus and should enjoy the unique
software package coupled with tons of big weekly tournaments.
POKERSTARS - What else can be said about
PokerStars? It's simply become the largest USA online poker room
by offering quality software, employing some of the biggest pros,
and hosting the largest cash games and tournaments around. The
addition of direct checking account deposits for all USA players
also makes
PokerStars one of the easiest to deposit with. While the play
may not be as loose as the other top USA sites,
PokerStars offers one of the best all-around experiences. Our
players also receive a special 100% bonus, which has been greatly
increased lately to a $600 cap.
•
View
all US Poker Rooms
More USA poker information:
•
Why
Online Poker Isn't Illegal
•
US
Poker Reviews
•
American Poker Sites
•
Online Poker in the United States
•
US Friendly Poker Sites
•
Legal Poker Sites
•
eCheck Poker
•
US Credit Card Poker
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