A Short Overview of the Best Online Poker Sites for US Players
With strong bonuses, rakeback and even anonymous tables, there is a site on this list for every kind of player. Here is a quick look at each room.
Americas Cardroom
Americas Cardroom is on the Winning Poker Network, one of the largest networks available to US players. One of the best things about ACR is its rewards program: you can collect VIP points to trade in for cash and tournament tickets, or opt for rakeback, which is usually the better choice for most players. ACR also offers a wide range of banking options. To deposit, you can choose a credit or debit card, a money transfer service like Western Union, or more than 50 cryptocurrency options. When it's time to cash out, ACR offers some of the fastest withdrawals in the industry via Bitcoin. In our experience most withdrawals are processed within 48 hours, and usually closer to 24.
For the average poker player, Americas Cardroom is one of the best choices for an online game in the US. Read more in our full Americas Cardroom review.
Ignition Casino
Ignition Casino was founded in 2016 as a rebrand of Bovada Poker. It was originally on the Bodog Poker Network, which has since become the PaiWangLuo Network, and it is one of the largest online poker rooms serving US players. Ignition is best known for its efforts to level the playing field: players are anonymous instead of using screen names, real-time hand histories aren't provided (which makes using a HUD more difficult), and there is no seat selection in cash games. You simply pick your stakes and are seated at the first available seat.
Ignition is the ideal room for US players who want fair games, good traffic, anonymous tables and limited HUD use. Read our full Ignition Casino review.
Black Chip Poker
Black Chip Poker is another room serving players in the US. It joined the Winning Poker Network in 2012 and has established itself as one of the best online poker rooms for American players. It offers the same strengths as every room on the Winning Poker Network: a strong rewards program, many banking options, quick cashouts and solid traffic. There isn't much difference between skins on the same network, such as Americas Cardroom and Black Chip Poker, since they share the same games. You are allowed to hold an account on each skin, but you can only play from one account at a time. That can suit players who want a fresh screen name or just a change of scenery.
Black Chip Poker has everything you need and is a great choice for American players. Find out more in our full Black Chip Poker review.
Bovada Poker
Bovada Poker is one of the oldest online poker rooms serving US players, having launched in 2004. Over the years it has built an excellent track record for fast payouts, strong player support and good traffic. Bovada took a break from poker in 2016, moving its poker players to Ignition Casino, then returned in 2017 with a full range of games for US players. As part of the PaiWangLuo Network, Bovada is very similar to Ignition: the same games, anonymous tables and quick cashouts. You can hold an account on both sites, but you can only use one at a time.
If you want a room with an excellent track record, a large player pool and quick cashouts, Bovada Poker is hard to beat. Find more information in our full Bovada review.
Everygame Poker (formerly Intertops)
Everygame Poker (formerly Intertops) dealt its first hand of online poker in 1996, making it one of the oldest online poker rooms still operating. As part of the Horizon Poker Network, it spreads a wide range of games and stakes, so you can find a game that fits. Its standout features include its deposit bonus, a wide range of banking options, some of the highest rakeback in the industry, and fast cashouts.
Everygame doesn't get as much traffic as some of the other US-facing rooms, but it has some of the softest games you will find online. Read our full Everygame Poker review.
Is Online Poker Legal in the United States?
One of the most common questions about online poker is whether it's legal, and the short answer is yes. Despite what some people say, there is no federal law that prohibits playing online poker.
However, Washington State has a law that makes online gambling, including online poker, a felony. That said, as far as we know no one has ever been prosecuted at the federal or state level for playing online poker in the United States.
There is still a gray area: the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), which prohibits banks from knowingly accepting transactions related to online gambling. This creates some friction, but numerous offshore sites still offer online poker to US customers and have found inventive ways around the banking issues.
A handful of states (including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Delaware and Michigan) license and regulate online poker. Players in those states who use a licensed, regulated room have nothing to worry about from a legal or banking perspective.
Is It Safe to Play Online Poker in the US?
Another common question from new players is whether online poker is actually safe. A bit of concern is healthy, but if you stick with one of the more reputable sites you should have little to worry about. Every room featured on our site has been researched and vetted, and we play on them ourselves.
That isn't to say there have never been problems. There have been several cases of sites behaving badly. Lock Poker went offline in 2015 owing players millions of dollars and never came back. Then there is Full Tilt Poker, once one of the largest rooms in operation, which turned out to be operating as a Ponzi scheme and reportedly misappropriated more than $300 million of player funds.
The general consensus is that you should be safe on a popular, mainstream room, but nothing is guaranteed, and players should take steps to protect themselves and their balances. The best way to do that is to keep only enough money online to cover your buy-ins for a few sessions. There is no need to leave your entire bankroll on a site: with almost every site offering cryptocurrency banking, you can easily move money on and off.
What Should I Look for in a US Online Poker Site?
When choosing an online poker room, there are a few things to look for. First, find a site with a good, long-standing reputation that you feel safe playing on. All of the rooms featured on our site are rooms you can trust.
Next, look for a site that always pays out, and pays out on time. What good is winning if you can't withdraw your money? To get an idea of current withdrawal times at a room you're considering, head to the Internet Poker forum on 2+2 and check the relevant payout thread. All of the rooms featured on our site have an excellent payout record and usually pay out within 48 hours.
Also consider which games you want to play and at what stakes. Professional tournament players looking for a full schedule will most likely want a room on the Winning Poker Network, while a recreational player looking for cash games may prefer a room on a smaller network, such as Everygame Poker (formerly Intertops).
Finally, consider whether you prefer anonymous tables and how you feel about HUDs. If you want anonymous tables, look at Ignition Casino or Bovada Poker. You can run a HUD on Ignition or Bovada, but it is limited to collecting and storing hands from your current session.
Where Can I Play Online Poker in the US for Real Money?
US players have plenty of options. If you prefer anonymous tables, Ignition Casino or Bovada Poker are the best choices. If you want to play a lot of tournaments, a room on the Winning Poker Network, such as Americas Cardroom or Black Chip Poker, is your best bet.
If you live in one of the states that license and regulate online poker, consider the rooms operating in your state, such as WSOP.com or PokerStars.
What Is the Best Way to Deposit Money on a Poker Site?
Even though the UIGEA prevents banks from knowingly processing online gambling payments, the sites operating today have found numerous ways around it, so players can move money on and off with ease. Depending on the site, you will usually have several deposit options, including credit and debit cards and money transfer services like Western Union.
Both are fine to use where available, but we recommend using a cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin to move money on and off a site. It's fast and isn't tied to your personal financial accounts. We recommend buying Bitcoin at an exchange such as Coinbase, transferring it to a Bitcoin wallet, and then sending it to the poker site. Most sites have a guide to walk you through the process if you're unfamiliar with it.