The online poker world continues to expand, with the best online poker sites offering the biggest tournaments and robust bonuses to tempt new players to sign up.
But, with such a high number of sites to choose from, deciding where to play can be a hassle.
If you don’t know where to begin, you shouldn’t worry, as our industry experts have you covered.
After testing dozens of online poker sites, we’ve used our strenuous benchmark system to handpick the best poker rooms.
Ignition Casino ranks as our top poker site, which will likely not surprise regular players. But we’ve also listed several other sites that are worth your consideration.
Let’s check them out!
Ignition has remained a licensed and trusted online poker operator for the better part of the past decade, debuting in 2016.
As part of the massive PWL online poker network, Ignition is one of the biggest online poker sites available to U.S. players.
This poker site is not only popular among avid players, but Ignition — being one of the best online casinos — attracts many casual and rookie players because they utilize anonymous seating and gameplay.
This prevents professionals or cardsharps from targeting specific players or newcomers.
Ignition offers the three most famous poker variants found at all the top online poker rooms: Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and Omaha Hi-Lo.
No matter what time of day or night you want to play cards, cash tables are always available since the traffic here is consistently heavy.
Ignition recently increased their guaranteed (GTD) weekly prize pools up to a stunning $2 million, consisting of daily and weekly Knockout (KO) Tournaments, freerolls, satellites, Super Turbo, Hyper Turbo, sit and go (SNG), and Jackpot SNGs, among others.
Soon, this poker site will relaunch Super Saturday, an all-day long series with a guarantee of over $2.3 million in prize pools. And every Sunday, there is a $200,000 GTD tournament.
Ignition also hosts many online poker series throughout the year, including the Festival of Felt, held from November 29 to January 8, consisting of 63 events with a GTD surpassing $3 million.
Ignition offers new players a 150% match on their first deposit up to $1,500 for their poker room. Plus, you will also receive a separate bonus up to $1,500 for online casino games.
This combined $3,000 offer is only available to players who use crypto. You can still get the offer if you deposit using a credit card, but, in that case, the max you’ll be able to receive is $2,000.
The minimum deposit required is $20 using crypto, and the poker bonus is released in one dollar increments for every 30 Ignition Miles earned.
Miles are garnered upon exiting cash games or completing tournaments, so collecting poker bonuses has never been easier.
You won’t have access to instant play options for poker games via PC web browsers, which is a little disappointing.
But the poker client, available on Windows and Mac, is very fun and easy to use with super-fast gameplay, customizable features, and an innate user interface that makes selecting options and navigating a breeze.
Thanks to Ignition’s advanced software, Android and iOS users can enjoy cash games, Zone Poker (also known as Fast-Fold Poker), Jackpot SNGs, and most major tournaments.
For deposits, Ignition accepts Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), and Tether (USDT).
For payouts, you can use BTC, Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Bitcoin SV (BSV), ETH, LTC, and check by courier.
BTC provides the fastest payouts at this Bitcoin casino, with most withdrawals processed within 24 hours.
Play real money poker at Ignition with a 150% match on your first deposit up to $1,500
GGPoker has operated as a licensed operator since its 2017 debut. The site also holds a BMM Testlabs certificate for RNG (random number generator) fair gaming.
GG Poker has won numerous awards, including the 2020 Best Online Poker Operator.
They hold the Guinness World Record for the largest prize pool for an online poker tournament — a gargantuan $27,559,500 prize pool!
This online poker site is attached to the Good Games Network, one of the fastest-growing poker networks globally.
Though the traffic is not as vast as Ignition’s, there is still substantial traffic, with plenty of players always hitting the tables at all hours.
For cash games, the poker variants offered are Texas Hold’em, 6+ Short Deck, and Omaha.
Joining GGPoker means you can also access unique exclusive poker games for cash tables and tournaments.
These include All-In or Fold (AOF) cash tables, AOF SNGs, a 30-player Progressive Bounty SNG called the Battle Royal, Spin & Gold games with a prize wheel up to $2 million, and more.
The GGPoker ambassador is none other than Daniel Negreanu himself: winner of six WSOP (World Series of Poker) bracelets and 39 WSOP final tables.
He currently sits third in the 100 best players in the world in the All Time Money List.
This is fitting since there are two major WSOP opportunities to take advantage of in this online poker room, like Las Vegas satellites that start at just one dollar.
The winners receive two $1,200 tickets to Las Vegas, hotel accommodation, and a $10k entry into the WSOP Main Event.
You can also compete in the WSOP-C Super Circuit Online Poker Series of 48 WSOP Circuit Rings with low buy-ins, a $5 million GTD Main Event, with the main event winner becoming an official member of GGTeam.
Other popular games and poker tournaments at GGPoker include Omaholic Series with $5 million GTD, weekly GG Freezeouts with a GTD of $3 million, Sunday GGMasters with a $400k GTD, and a daily MTT with a $1 million GTD.
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New players are offered two bonuses to choose from: $100 in free SNG tickets plus C$ (dollars for cash games) or a 100% deposit match up to $600.
The $100 reward is released in daily SNG tickets valued at $52,50 with no rollovers attached, and you can claim up to an additional $37.50 in C$ for ring games by completing daily targets.
The 100% welcome bonus unlocks at a rate of $1 for every $5 paid in net rake and tournament fees.
No matter which generous offer you claim, both have very low wagering requirements, so the bonus should be easy for most players to secure.
There are no instant play options for both mobile and PC players alike, so you will need to download either the poker client for desktop or the mobile app for iOS and Android devices.
The poker software is speedy, reliable, and fairly easy to use, with some handy features.
There is a unique staking option to put action on your favorite poker player in certain games and customizable video reactions.
You’ll also find an intuitive HUD that allows you to analyze you and your opponents, which helps you build your poker-winning strategy.
For deposits and withdrawals, most players will be able to use credit cards and popular e-wallets.
The cryptocurrencies available are regionally based, which is not ideal, but BTC is offered to the vast majority of players.
Payouts take 24-72 hours on average.
Play online poker at GGPoker and claim up to $100 in free rewards or a 100% match offer
Americas Cardroom hit the online poker market over two decades ago in 2001.
They are the flagship of the Winning Poker Network (WPN) and sponsor world-famous players, including Chris Moneymaker.
Americas Cardroom is the biggest online poker site available to U.S. players, and the WPN is the second-largest network in the world.
For ring games, you can enjoy the three standard variants plus others that most online poker sites do not offer, such as Seven Card Stud and 32 Card Draw.
This is one of the best poker sites for big tournaments, guaranteeing $12 million in weekly prize pools for their poker tournaments, including daily PKOs (Progressive Knockouts) for tens of thousands of dollars and a weekly $1 million GTD.
And the WPN gives you access to the famed Venom Tournaments, including a $5 million GTD PKO and a mammoth $10 million GTD held twice a year.
In addition, there is a catalog of the industry-famous Americas Cardroom Online Super Series (OSS).
These include the Classic OSS of 150+ tournaments with $15 million GTD, the OSS Cubed of the three tournaments with $25 million GTD, the Big OSS of over 25 tourneys and several $1 million GTD events, and the Mini Oss of over 150 contests with prize pools up to $2.5 million.
Americas Cardroom is offering you a 100% match on your first-ever deposit of $25 or more up to $2,000.
You’ll need to earn 27.5 Awards Points to release the bonus in $1 increments. Points are earned through taking part in tourneys and rake fees.
There are no instant play options for PC or mobile users, but the poker client is speedy and dependable.
Mobile users have a few poker options for browser instant play: Blitz Poker, Jackpot Poker, and Venom Satellites.
The banking flexibility at this online poker site is outstanding. You can use credit cards, BTC, e-wallets, and over 60 altcoins for deposits.
For withdrawals, they offer BTC, check by courier, e-wallets, MoneyGram, and several altcoins. BTC payouts are usually delivered within an hour.
Play poker at Americas Cardroom today for a 100% match on your first deposit up to $2,000
Diving into the online poker scene in 2008, Black Chip Poker joined the enormous Winning Poker Network in 2012.
Both Black Chip Poker and Americas Cardroom belong to the WPN, but there are still several differences between the two brands.
Let’s check it out!
This is one of the best poker sites for cash-game variants, offering no-limit, split-pot, blitz, six-max, and full-ring games of Omaha, Texas Hold’em, Hi-Lo, 32 Card Draw, Seven Card Stud, and Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo.
You can enjoy the OSS and Venom series at Black Chip Poker since they are a member of the WPN, along with a litany of weekly and daily poker tournaments.
You don’t even have to risk any money to get started because there are daily $50 freerolls to capitalize on.
Some stand-out weekly tournaments include Beast and Sit & Crush Satellites, 35 weekly Day 1 flights for a two-day tourney worth a GTD of $100,000, and a Sunday $1 million GTD.
This poker site offers a valuable bonus of a 100% first deposit match up to a whopping $2,000.
A minimum deposit of $25 is required, and funds from the bonus are released in $1 increments for every 27.5 points earned through rake and tourney fees.
There are no instant play options for desktop card players, but the lightweight client download runs well on Windows and MAC machines.
Players on iOS and Android devices have a few poker game options, though the games only run reliably through Chrome browsers.
There is no dedicated mobile app, so you will need to use the PC client download to get the full online poker experience at Black Chip.
The banking flexibility is limited with deposits and payout options of BTC, e-wallets, and credit cards.
You can also collect your winnings via check by courier, but you will also pay a hefty fee to do so.
Credit cards can also become expensive to use, so, ultimately, we recommend using BTC for fast and free transactions, with payouts usually delivered within a mere hour.
Join Black Chip Poker today to get a 100% bonus up to a whopping $2,000 on your first deposit
Juicy Stakes has been in the online poker business since 2009 as a licensed operator.
Most poker players here love the upbeat vibes of attractive colors mixed with an old-school font set against a clean, user-friendly interface.
This poker site is part of the Horizon Poker Network (HPN), which is a smaller network than those attached to the previous poker sites, so traffic may be lighter during off-peak hours; however, there is an abundance of traffic otherwise.
In addition to the highlighted features below, Juicy Stakes is a great resource for the latest in poker news, industry happenings, and excellent beginner guides.
Juicy Stakes offers more variants for cash games than most other poker sites, including all the primary options plus Razz, Hi-Lo Chicago, and Triple Draw.
Juicy Stakes does not have the top-dollar poker tournaments found at Ignition or Americas Cardroom, though you can still find a variety of five-figure GTDs and some six-figure options.
Popular tournaments at Juicy Stakes include satellites, daily freerolls, GTD wipeouts, PKOs, and many location-themed MTTs like the Honolulu Brunch and the Los Angeles Sundowner of NL Texas Hold’em.
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When making your first deposit of $25 or more, use promo code 1000JUICY for a 200% match with a max bonus up to $1,000.
The bonus is released in $5 chunks for every 83.335 Frequent Player Points (FPP).
Unless otherwise stated, 1 FPP is earned for every $1 you pay in rake and 7 FPP for every $1 you pay in tourney fees.
Juicy Stakes offers a larger first-deposit match than most other top poker sites, but you will have to play a little longer here to unlock the bonus.
On the bright side, this poker site gives you 90 days to complete the wagering requirements, so most players who hit the felt regularly won’t have an issue collecting the bonus.
Juicy Stakes has the best online poker software out of all the biggest poker sites when it comes to instant play options.
MAC, Windows, iOS, and Android users are fully covered here for in-browser play, thanks to the utilization of both flash and HTML5.
And the full poker menu is available on instant play, a feature few poker rooms offer.
And this instant play is extra convenient since the client download leaves much to be desired between the occasional lagging and outdated user interface.
But if you are on the go or even using your favorite web browser on PC, you simply can’t beat the instant play features at Juicy Stakes.
For deposits, Juicy Stakes accepts all major credit cards, Skrill, Neteller, BTC, and several e-wallets and altcoins.
When you want to withdraw your funds, except for credit cards, you can choose any of the above methods plus bank transfer.
Most withdrawals are delivered within 48 hours, but each player only receives one feeless payout per month, so expect to pay some modest fees if cashing out more than twice monthly.
But the benefits of playing poker at Juicy Stakes certainly outshine this minor inconvenience.
Head to Juicy Stakes to start playing poker and get a 200% deposit match
When reviewing online poker sites, our foremost concern is that they are a secure and reputable poker operator.
Licensed online poker rooms are monitored by an iGaming authority that ensures the poker sites perform good business practices and provide fair games with legit RNG technology.
We analyzed the size of the bonus juxtaposed to the wagering requirements.
The bigger the bonus and the easier the bonus is to secure, the more points the poker site received.
If you’re looking for casino bonuses, here are a few handy guides:
Poker Tournaments and Cash Games
Virtually all poker rooms offer the three primary variants for ring games, so we gave extra points for additional options.
We also awarded points for robust tourney schedules, big-money tournaments, and industry-famous competitions.
We know that some poker players don’t like dealing with a client download or prefer playing instant play games on their mobile device, so we gave points accordingly for gameplay flexibility.
Furthermore, we tested the poker clients based on reliability and user-friendly features, as well as speed and any customizable options.
We understand that some poker players like using cryptocurrency for transactions.
In contrast, others prefer fiat, so we gave points based on the mix of both currencies available for payouts and deposits.
We awarded extra points for fast payouts and docked points for any hefty banking fees.
It is safe playing real money poker games if you are playing in reputable and licensed online poker rooms.
Licensed sites like Ignition — the best online poker site — provide provably fair games, fast and reliable payouts, and a slate of poker games available 24/7 because of heavy traffic.
Aside from safety, the most crucial factor for both poker operators and players alike is traffic.
For poker players to enjoy a vast number of cash games and tournaments and for poker rooms to turn a profit, there must be consistent and solid player traffic.
To offer a fantastic online poker experience and to keep business flowing, various poker sites team together under one poker network, such as how Ignition is a member of the PWL network.
When several online poker sites belong to the same poker network, like how Black Chip Poker and Americas Cardroom belong to the WPN, they are not mirror images of each other.
Both poker sites offer unique traits that are special to their brands.
In nearly all poker games, a hand is created of the best five cards. In Texas Hold’em, players have two pocket cards, or personal cards, which other players cannot see the face value of.
Through the rounds, five community cards are eventually placed face up on the table (the river).
Players must use both of their pocket cards with three river cards to form their best five-card hand.
Omaha Hold’em functions similarly, but a player receives four pocket cards and must only use two of them with three river cards to create the best five-card hand.
Also referred to as a Single Table Tournament, traditional SNGs usually run 24/7 and begin when the designated number of players required have registered at a table.
This exciting poker game feels like the final Main Event table of a standard MTT.
In Jackpot SNGs, only three players are at a table, and a jackpot pool is randomly selected at the start of the game.
The jackpots can range from modest amounts to tens of thousands of dollars, giving players a rare opportunity to score a big windfall in a single game.
These are qualifying-event tournaments. Most satellite tournaments cost very little to enter or are free, and the winner goes on to compete in a bigger contest.
For instance, GGPoker offers satellites starting at just $1, where the winner has a shot to sit at the Main Event table at the WSOP in Las Vegas.
The first step in choosing an online poker room is ensuring the brand has reliable software and is trustworthy and licensed.
Next, some online poker players look for big tournaments, others are more concerned with consistent traffic for ring games, and some look for big sign-up bonuses.
Here, you’ll need to prioritize the features that are most important to you.
Here’s a brief reminder of what our top online poker sites have to offer:
Ignition Poker: A member of the PWL poker network, they ranked as the overall best poker site. They are known for their heavy traffic and big tournaments. New players receive a 150% match on their first deposit up to $3,000 for poker and casino games.
GGPoker: An award-winning brand that provides low-stake WSOP satellites, exclusive poker games, and unique user interface features that enhance the gameplay, including personalized video reactions and detailed game logs. They also offer new players two bonuses to choose from, including a 100% first deposit match.
Americas Cardroom: This world-famous poker operator is the flagship of the WPN, known for their weekly $1 million GTD, major Venom tournaments, outstanding poker client, and lightning-fast payouts. You can also play cards here with a 100% match on your first deposit.
Black Chip Poker: Another WPN member, this poker site provides even more variants for ring games and major tourneys like a catalog of Online Super Series. You can claim a welcome bonus of up to $2,000.
Juicy Stakes: Modest traffic with anonymous seating and gameplay make this a must-use site for casual and rookie players. They have a solid offering of daily and weekly tournaments and are famous for their incredible software for instant-play action. New players can take advantage of a 200% first deposit match.
Let’s take a look at the process of signing up at Ignition to play in the best poker room. Most poker sites employ a similar sign-up procedure.
We hope our breakdown of the best online poker rooms helps you decide which site is perfect for you.
As documented above, we recommend playing online poker at Ignition Poker because they belong to a giant poker network, offer excellent tournaments, and have a stellar sign-up offer.
No matter which of the poker rooms you decide to play poker online at, if you choose any of the online poker websites we’ve listed, you can play with peace of mind knowing you are using trusted and licensed operators.
Remember to have fun playing real money games and always conduct all online gambling responsibly.
May the flop be with you!
DISCLAIMER: The information on this site is for entertainment purposes only. Gambling comes with its fair share of risks and it's important to recognize that when using online gambling sites.
While we review different gambling sites, you should check with local laws in your area before gambling online. Also, all gambling sites and guides are rated 18+ only.
If you have a gambling addiction problem or anyone you know does, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700. In addition, the following free gambling addiction resources can be of help: