Best Poker Sites For Americans
The above are the best Omaha poker sites online, where you can win big and have fun. The biggest difference between Hold’em and Omaha is that because of the hole cards, the latter is a game of math. A lot of members in the CardsChat forum ask, 'What's the best US real money poker site?' Some of the best poker sites for USA players are Ignition Casino, Intertops Poker, Bovada, America's. Below we’ve created a list of what we consider to be the best USA friendly poker sites in the market right now for Americans. These sites have all been around in excess of 10 years and are regarded as having.
- Poker Sites For American Players
- Legal Online Poker Real Money
- Top 10 Poker Sites For Us Players
- Top Poker Sites In Usa
Although things aren't as easy as they used to be, there are still plenty of options for Americans looking to play poker online. We have listed the best USA poker sites on this page - every site on this list accepts players from the United States for free money or real money poker play. Make sure to use the referral codes listed for each site in order to receive upgraded sign up bonuses when you make your first deposit.
Ignition might be one of the best online poker sites for US players, but Bovada can sure give it a run for its money. Bovada has an advantage because it has been around since 2004. Therefore, it has the most. Top 100 Poker Sites.Bear in mind that the online poker industry is constantly changing and in-flux when reviewing our Best Poker Sites; the data and research we have done on these rooms was up-to-date at the time, but may have changed since our research was first done –this is especially true for US-friendly poker.
The USA poker sites listed below are ranked in order based on ease of deposits and withdrawals, as well as best possible bonuses, game variety and traffic. Most of the US poker sites featured here are fairly easy in terms of competition with Lock and BetOnline attracting the most fish. All of the poker rooms accept US bank issued Visas, as well as Mastercard, prepaid debit cards, money transfers and of course, bank wires.
Update - PokerStars and FullTiltPoker.com are no longer open to US players.
If you live in the United States, you can play at any of the US friendly poker sites below, including Bet Online Poker All of the US poker sites featured on this page accept American players, and US deposits (including credit cards).
Rank | Poker Site | Bonus | Referral Code | Learn More |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | 100% up to $2000 | n/a - use link | Ignition Poker | |
2. | 100% up to $500 | n/a - use link | Bovada Poker | |
3. | 100% up to $600 | n/a - use link | Intertops Poker | |
4. | 100% to $2500 | n/a - use link | BetOnline Poker | |
5. | 100% up to $2500 | n/a - use link | Intertops Poker |
USA Poker Deposit Methods
Although dozens of other sites accept American players, it can often be a hassle depositing money because of USA laws. The above sites accept the most deposit methods, and some of the more common ones are listed below:
Credit/Debit Cards:
Depending on your bank and credit card provider, you may be able to make a deposit directly to a US friendly poker site using your credit card. This is the easiest and quickest way to get money from your pocket to your poker account. Click here to find out what sites accept Credit Card Deposits.
eCheck:
A lot of online poker sites, allow players to deposit using eChecks. How this works is that you provide your bank's routing number and your checking account number, and then can instantly transfer funds from your checking account to your online poker account. This is another instant form of money transfer, and just like the credit card option, there are no fees involved.
eWallets:
eWallets are getting tougher and tougher for American players. How eWallets work is that you create an online account, then fund the account by a bank transfer or credit card payment, then transfer money from the eWallet to the poker site. However, these are getting all but impossible for players located in the USA. Your best bet is either eCheck or a credit/debit card.
All USA Friendly Deposit Options:
- Credit/Debit Cards
- eChecks
- MoneyGram
Legality of Online Poker in the United States
Ever since 2006 there has been a shakeup in the online poker world for United States players. On October 13, 2006 President Bush signed into effect the SAFE Port Act, which was a bill designed to improve security at major ports and docks in the United States.
Now normally, an act designed to improve port security would have no effect on online poker or players trying to play United States poker games. Up until this point every USA friendly poker site had operated with no problems from the government, and everyone was happy (so it seemed).
However, at the last minute a Senator from Tennessee, Bill Frist, attached a section to the bill regarding online gambling and the legality of transferring funds to online gambling sites. This sub-section is called the UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act).
UIGEA
The UIGEA act was slipped onto the SAFE Port Act at the last minute, and quickly pushed through Congress. The implications of this bill were witnessed immediately, as all publicly held online gambling companies withdrew from the USA market right away. Corporations realized huge financial losses, such as PartyGaming who saw its stock drop over 60% in one single day because of the UIGEA bill. However, many privately held companies such as PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker chose to remain in the USA market, and have made tons of money for doing so.
Although the bill only targets financial institutions who process online gambling transactions, many players interpreted the new law as a total online poker ban. That is not the case; the bill only makes it illegal for banks and credit card companies to process monetary transactions to online poker sites.
2009 UIGEA Update
Targeted enforcement of the UIGEA bill was set to being on December 1st, 2009, but at the last minute the government pushed the date back six months to June 1st, 2010. Many analysts see this as an indication that banks simply cannot monitor every transaction, and refuse to do it. Only time will tell how things shake out for the American online poker market.
Other US Friendly Poker Sites:
Ever since the passing of the UIGEA bill in the United States, it has become increasingly difficult for an American poker player to gamble for money online. However, many poker sites are still USA-friendly, and it is easy to deposit and wager for US players. Basically, most of the privately held companies disregarded the UIGEA, but all of the publicly held poker companies were forced to obey the law and close to American traffic.
Besides our top four US poker rooms, we have reviewed a bunch of other USA poker sites that are great for American players. Here are some reviews of other USA friendly poker sites:
- Also, learn about more poker sites for USA players at HoldemReview.com - our sister website.
Poker Sites For American Players
More Country-Specific Toplists:
Legal Online Poker Real Money
If you’re a poker player and you want to make money, then you need to find the fish. Most players randomly play poker online, not even thinking about what kind of competition they’re going to be up against. This is a real error.
Half of today’s game is to seek and destroy. If you want to play online poker for real money, then you need to go to the sites that have the most traffic. By doing so, you’re going to find the largest pool of players. When you find the largest pool of players, you will find the most fish or the softest poker game. Let’s take a look at where to find the most fish.
The best places to play poker online for real money are Ignition, Bovada, and Intertops.
#1 Ignition
Ignition attracts a lot of players because you can win 1,000 times your buy-in in a short period of time in a tournament. They will also run a tournament series from time to time in order to attract new players. These new players are often recreational. If you want to take advantage of someone who will be willing to call your all-in with AJ-off while you’re holding AA, then you might want to play poker for real money on Ignition. It is considered one of the best online sites because of all the fish swimming around.
#2 Bovada
Ignition might be one of the best online poker sites for US players, but Bovada can sure give it a run for its money. Bovada has an advantage because it has been around since 2004. Therefore, it has the most US players of all poker online sites. Bovada is also known for having the fastest payouts, which might make it the best online poker sites US players. Americans love money, and they want their money fast. They can find that at Bovada.
If you love Monster Stack tournaments and you’re seeking online poker real money, this is the place to go. You will find the game you want at 7 a.m., 7:00 p.m., and 7:30 p.m. All of those are Daily Monster Stack tournaments. This is a limited-time event, but you can safely bet that something similar will launch right around the corner on this poker online site. Bovada likes to take care of its players. Therefore, if the Daily Monster Stack tournaments are a success, they will bring it back or do something similar in the near future.
Top 10 Poker Sites For Us Players
#3 Intertops
Intertops is a bit different. If you’re seeking a cash game, otherwise known as a ring game, then this is where you want to go. Cash game players tend to play online all day and/or night. It’s difficult not to do so if you know what you’re doing and your opponents don’t. When it comes to ring games, this is one of the top sites out there. Intertops also offers freerolls and sit & go tournaments.
Online Poker Strategy
Top Poker Sites In Usa
The online game is a bit different than the live game. You see a lot more hands per hour online and people tend to be more aggressive. They also tend to make looser calls. This is because they’re hidden behind a screen and won’t be embarrassed like they would in a live setting. This is a tremendous advantage for a patient player. You don’t even need to bluff. With the online game, you can be the biggest NIT in the world and still make money. Just sit back and wait for an opponent to make an error. Then start counting your money.