Millions of US players enjoy online poker games each week but what makes these games so popular? Online poker comes in a number of different variations that are known to be extremely rewarding as well as entertaining.
This is why we’ve decided to delve deep into the world of online casino poker to help you understand a little bit more about how the different variants are played, which tournaments you can look forward to and which casino sites are the best for US poker players.
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The Best Online Casinos for Playing Poker Games
Poker has come a long way since it was introduced by French settlers in New Orleans in 1829 and, today, you’ll find numerous variations at online casinos. No matter which section of a casino you decide to visit, you’re bound to come across a range of different poker card games from video poker that can be found under ‘Slots’ categories to virtual poker games under ‘Table Games’. Because online poker games for real money have become increasingly popular over the years you’ll find that hundreds of casinos that accept US players will offer a range of different games.
However, in order to receive the best poker casino experience, you need to know which sites are the best. There’s no need to waste time scouring the internet in search of the best US poker games for real money because we’ve done all of the research for you. Below you’ll find the top 10 offshore gambling sites we recommend for poker players living in the United States.
- BetOnline – The Best US Poker Casino Online
- XBet – Range of Exciting Virtual Poker Games
- MyBookie – Play Virtual Poker Games in Demo Mode
- BetUS – The Best Low Limit Virtual Poker Games Online
- Bovada – Excellent Poker Bonuses for Crypto Gamblers
- SportsBetting.ag – Great Mobile Poker Casino App
- BUSR – Variety of Virtual Poker Variants Available
- Everygame – 15+ Thrilling Poker Tournaments for US Players
- Betanysports – 30+ Video Poker Games to Enjoy
- Jazz – Loads of Popular US Poker Table Games to Play
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Knowing which online poker games are the most popular is key to finding the variations that are the most rewarding. After all, there’s got to be a reason so many players are attracted to specific poker games, right? Below we’ve listed the most popular online variants in the US as well as a short description of each.
Pot Limit Omaha
Each player received 4 cards and must make the best hand with only two of their hole cards and only three of the five community cards.
Texas Hold’Em Poker
Known as one of the most popular poker variants of online. Players receive two hole cards and after a few rounds of betting five community cards are dealt. Players must use the community cards along with their hole cards to make the best possible hand.
3 Card Poker
This poker game is played directly against the dealer rather than against other players. After all ante bets are placed the dealer and player will receive 3 cards each. You will now decide whether or not to play your hand or fold.
4 Card Poker
This game is similar to 3-card poker except that players are allowed to bet up to 3x their ante when staying in the game and if the player’s hand is the same as the dealer’s hand the player wins, You receive 5 cards but can only use 4 to create the best possible hand.
Razz Poker
Razz poker is one of the oldest forms of poker. There are no community cards in this and throughout the game players will receive a total of 7 cards and the player with the best 5-card low hand wins.
5 Card Stud
This game starts with players receiving one face-up card and one face-down card. This is followed by a ‘bring in’ and a round of betting. Another face-up card is then dealt to remaining players. Betting rounds, also known as ‘streets’ will commence until the final fifth card has been dealt with the initial card still being face-down. After the last face-up card is dealt there is one more round of betting and the face-down card is revealed. Whoever has the best hand wins the pot.
Pai Gow
This game is played directly against the dealer and starts with each receiving 7 cards. These cards must be arranged into two poker hands – one with five cards and one with two cards. In order to win you must correctly guess whether the player’s hands will beat the dealer’s.
What is Poker: Base Types of Poker Games Online
Even though there are loads of different types of poker variants out there when it comes to online gambling you’ll find that it’s easy to narrow them down to general types as there are three main classifications of poker and almost every one of them will fall under one of these specific categories – draw poker, community card poker and stud poker.
The interesting thing about these poker games is that by making small changes to the winning criteria, players will get to enjoy a variety of games. For example, Omaha poker comes with slightly different rules depending on the specific game you play.
When you play Omaha Hi/Lo or classic Omaha, the rules will differ slightly in each game. Omaha Hi/Lo, also known as Omaha eight or better, is a split pot game which means that the best high hand will win half of the pot whereas the other half of the pot is won by the lowest hand. During classic Omaha poker, you’ll find that the rules are extremely similar to Texas Hold’em. One of the key differences is the number of hole cards that are dealt. In a game of Omaha poker, players will receive 4 hole cards, which is double what you’d receive during a game of Texas Hold’em.
The other main difference you’ll notice is that during a game of Texas Hold’em, players can make up their best hand using one, two, or no hole cards combined with the community cards whereas in Omaha you will need to use two hole cards and three community cards.
Online poker comes in many different shapes and sizes, and as a result, not all of them will fall into the specific categories we mentioned. Although these odd games may not be considered classic variations of poker, they’re still fun to try out if you’d like to enjoy something a little different from the norm.
Draw Poker Games Variations
In these types of poker games, players are able to discard and draw cards in order to form the best possible poker hands. Variants include Five-Card Draw and Lowball Draw Poker. Although each will come with slightly different rules the basic rules remain the same. Each player will receive the same number of cards, which is usually 5, and then the player who is to the left of the big blind will act first.
This player can either call the size of the big blind, raise his bet, or fold. This will keep on going until the last player calls or folds. Players are now able to discard any cards they wish and will receive replacement cards. The small blind is the next to act and can either bet or check. This too continues until the final player calls or folds. Some of the draw games you’ll play will feature three draws, however, the final step remains the same and whoever hasn’t folded will now reveal their hand. The pot will be awarded to the person who has the best hand.
Stud Poker Games Variations
During Stud poker games, players receive a number of cards, some face-up and some face-down. The face-down cards are the ones that each player keeps secret as only they’re allowed to see what they are whereas the face-up cards each player receives are visible to all players at the table.
These games are considered great for beginners as the rules are fairly simple and the combination of face-up and face-down cards is what sets these variants apart from others. Stud poker variants you’ll find at online casinos include Seven Card Stud, Razz, Five Card Stud and Mississippi Stud.
Community Card Poker Variations
Community Card poker games refer to any poker variants that use community cards, also known as shared or window cards. These cards are dealt face-up in the middle of the table and can be used by all players to form the best possible poker hand.
Players will receive hole cards which are kept secret from other players and the main difference between community card poker variants is the rules of how community cards can be combined with hole cards to form a winning hand. Texas Hold’em is known as the most popular community card poker variant and can be played at almost any online casino.
Casino Poker Games Variations
Online casino poker games come in a number of different variations, however, whether you decide to play community card poker games, stud poker games or draw poker games the objective remains the same: players must use the cards they’re given to get the best possible hand/hands. If you’re new to online poker we recommend trying out easy poker games like Texas Hold’em before tackling slightly more complex variants like Omaha poker as the rules of Texas Hold’em will help you understand the basics of most poker variants online.
Other Poker Games Variations & Formats
As we briefly mentioned, although most poker varieties will fall under specific categories there are some that are slightly different and can be seen as kind of fun and crazy poker games, a few examples of which can be found below.
- Live Poker – Live poker games are hosted by live dealers and instead of playing against other players, you will be playing directly against the house.
- Chinese Poker – This type of online poker game doesn’t resemble any common type of poker. After players receive 13 cards they will need to divide them into three poker hands. One must consist of 3 cards whereas the other two will need to have 5. They will need to use these cards to make the highest-ranking holdings to win.
- HORSE Poker – This game includes five different types of poker games in rotation and is considered one of the most common mixed game poker variants that include rules from five different games: Hold’em, Omaha Hi/Lo, Razz, Seven Card Stud, and Stud Hi/Lo.
- Zoom Poker – This is a fast-paced poker cash ring game and tournament format that is played against numerous players rather than a single opponent. If you fold you will move to a new table with a new hand and there’s also an option to allow you to fold when it’s not your turn to act. This is called “Fast Fold”.
- Sit and Go Poker – This is a type of poker tournament that doesn’t have a scheduled start time and will commence when a certain number of players have entered the tournament. Each game lasts around 30-60 minutes and is a great way for players to get a basic understanding of poker in general.
- Heads Up Poker – These poker games are played with only two players and are a type of tournament format. There will be a series of matches with each match lasting between 1 hour to 1.5 hours. Out of the two players, whichever one wins will go on to play against another player.
How to Play Poker Games Online
Getting started with poker games is easier than ever and if you follow the right steps, you’ll be on your way to enjoying the best online gambling experience. If you’ve been wondering how to start playing casino poker games simply follow our set of instructions below and you’ll be playing in no time.
Step 1: Choose the Best Poker Casino
You’ll need to start off by choosing the best poker casino. Make sure that the site you’re considering offers a long list of poker games for you to choose from. We recommend checking out any of the sites we’ve recommended for poker fans in the USA.
Step 2: Create Your Casino Account
After you’ve made your decision it’s time to create your account. Keep in mind that during this stage of the registration process you will need to provide information that matches the identity documents you will use to verify your identity when the time comes to withdraw your funds.
Step 3: Make a Deposit and Claim Your Bonus
Head on over to the casino’s Cashier/Banking page and choose your preferred method. Enter the relevant payment information and claim your bonus by either selecting it from the deposit page or by entering the relevant promo code that can be found on the site’s online casino Bonuses/Promotions page.
Step 4: Start Playing Poker Games
Once your deposit has been credited to your account it’s time to start playing exciting casino poker games. Go to the casino’s lobby where you’ll find virtual table games or click the Poker option that can usually be found at the top of the website’s page.
Top Casino Poker Game Odds
When playing crazy poker games online you should note that not all of these poker games that pay real money will come with the same RTP rate. RTP percentages (Return to Player) refer to how much the game will pay out over a large number of played hands and although playing poker games with high RTPs won’t guarantee a big win, it does increase your chances. Below we’ve provided a few examples of the average return to player percentages attached to each type of poker game online.
- Ultimate Texas Hold’Em – 97.81% RTP
- Caribbean Stud Poker- 90.33% – 97.44% RTP
- 3 Card Poker – 97.99% RTP
- Let it Ride – 96.49% RTP
- High Card Flush Poker – 97.36% RTP
Cash Poker Games & Poker Tournaments
When you decide to play poker games online you’ll find that there are loads of different variants of both cash games and tournaments. When it comes to these two types of poker games, there are some differences you should be aware of. For example, cash games are played on one table whereas tournaments can also be played on one table but can also consist of multiple tables.
Cash games also allow players to buy chips according to a minimum and maximum limit whereas tournaments require players to buy-in a specific amount and each player will receive the same number of tournament chips. Another key difference between the two is that during a cash game you’ll be able to quit at any time and exchange chips for cash whereas tournaments will only end when there is one player left with all the chips. However, there are some features that can be found in both cash games and tournaments, such as heads-up poker games, for example.
Poker Cash Game Variations Online
Before you start playing a poker cash game online you should note that there will be players from all over the world seated at the same table and where you might be a beginner at a certain variant, there could be players that have years of experience playing those specific poker games online.
Not all beginners will want to play Omaha, for example, against seasoned poker players just as not all seasoned players will want to play against someone who is just starting out simply because they pulled up a seat at the same table. This is why you should always make sure that the active players are into the same games as you are, so you all have a good time raking in those wins playing the types of poker games you enjoy most.
Poker Game Tournaments Online
A poker tournament is an online event where numerous players pay a set entry fee to compete against one another in real money poker games to win a portion of the prize pool. In sit-and-go poker tournaments, for example, each player will receive the same number of chips and if you lose all of the chips you won’t be able to buy more and will be eliminated from the tournament. Not all tournaments require an entry fee, however, and if you’re new to poker tournament casino games then we recommend taking part in freerolls. Many of these events will also offer a guaranteed prize pool as a way to attract players so keep your eyes open for tournaments like these as they’re known to be both entertaining and rewarding.
Best Software Providers for Poker Games
There are loads of quality game developers out there, and although not all of them will offer a straight-out poker room, the majority of them will offer a number of the best poker games online for real money under the ‘Table Games’ section of a casino. Below we’ve provided a few examples of the game developers that have powered up a number of casino lobbies with a range of the best poker games online.
- Microgaming: This online developer was one of the first to break into the world of online gaming and has quickly built a reputation for offering some of the best video poker and classic poker games online.
- Betsoft: Although Betsoft is known for providing an excellent range of online slots, online poker cash games like Oasis Poker can be enjoyed at many of the BetSoft online casinos in the USA. These games are known to be extremely rewarding and offer hours of gambling entertainment.
- Playtech: This quality developer has stocked loads of US casinos with not only the best online slots, roulette, and online casino blackjack variants but also some of the best poker games in the industry. You’ll find numerous Playtech poker games with a range of bet limits and variants to suit both your style and budget.
- NetEnt: This Swedish developer has offices in Malta and Sweden and since its launch in 1996 has become known for offering quality online casino games including classic poker and a range of other variations as well.
- Real Time Gaming: Even though Real Time Gaming’s portfolio consists of mostly slots, you will still find a wide range of excellent table and video poker games.
Play Free Poker Games
One thing we really love about online poker games is that many of them can be enjoyed for free. This is great because there are so many different variants available and it can take some time to learn how each works. Being able to play the best online poker games for free will help you decide which one you’d like to spend real money on so that you don’t have to waste chips on games you might end up not enjoying. However, you should note that although free play options are available at almost every casino, you will often need to register before being able to unlock that function.
Playing Poker Games on Mobile & Apps
When you decide to play online poker games for real money you’ll find that most casinos have ensured that the games they offer can be played on both desktops and mobile devices. Most casinos will allow you to enjoy your poker casino app by downloading the software, making it quicker to access your favorite poker games, and will also allow you to enjoy an instant play option. This means that if you don’t want to use up memory on your mobile device you’ll still get to access the best poker gambling apps within moments by using your mobile’s browser.
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Nikita Jones
Nikita Jones
