Poker apps are a perfect way to play Poker on the go with players from around the globe or your poker-savvy friends. The best poker apps offer a variety of tournaments and game modes to elevate your gaming experience apart and offer much more than the usual Texas hold ’em.
Both Play Store and App Store feature a variety of free and paid poker apps that let you win real money. However, the sheer number of these apps can easily get you confused about what to place your bets on! Moreover, the legality of many of these poker apps depends on your physical location. In this list, we have mentioned both completely and selectively legal poker apps in the US. Check out our list of the best poker apps to ensure you win big whenever you are at the virtual poker table.
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Best Poker Apps for Players in the US
Only a few states in the US – Nevada, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania – permit real money poker apps to function lawfully. However, on a positive note, you don’t need to be a resident of these states to play real money poker as long as you are present within their physical borders. Here are some of the best real money poker apps in the US that let you experience poker in its rawest and most exciting form.
| Real Money Poker App | Rating | Welcome Bonus |
| PokerStars | 4.2 | 100% matchup up to $600 |
| BetMGM Poker | 4.5 | 100% matchup upto $1000 + $75 in tournament tickets |
| WSOP | 4.1 | 100% up to $1000 + $100 in freerolls |
| PartyPoker | 4.2 | 100% up to $600 + $30 in tickets |
| 888Poker | 4.1 | 100% up to $1000 |
| WPTGlobal | 4.3 | 100% up to $1500 |
| GGPoker | 4.2 | $50 in free play or 100% up to $600 |
| CoinPoker | 4.1 | 100% up to ₮1100 |
| BetOnline | 3.8 | 100% up to $1000 + 8 days of complimentary tournament tickets |
| Bovada | 3.9 | 100% up to $1000 |
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How to Select the Best Poker App?
Selecting the best Poker app requires you to think beyond the signup bonuses and consider factors such as the app’s reliability, security standards, payment modes, and much more. Here is a detailed checklist to make sure you always choose the best real money poker apps:
User Base:
Poker is no fun when you have to wait a million hours to find a competition. That’s especially true when you game on platforms with a limited user base. In the US, the choice of your ideal online poker app will highly depend on your physical location. For instance, you might want to go with WSOP in Nevada but not in Michigan, as Nevada constitutes a significant chunk of their user base.
A larger user base almost certainly ensures bigger price pools, frequent Poker tournaments, and the flexibility to bet on the go.
Number of Poker Variants Offered:
If you are a true Poker fan, you know the classic Texas hold ’em might be fun, but variants like Omaha, Stud Poker, and Razz are no less. When looking for the best poker app, you should choose apps that offer a wide range of poker variants.
Payment Options:
Most players don’t consider payment options when choosing a poker app. However, it is crucial to have the convenience of multiple payment options when withdrawing money. Shady mobile poker apps often complicate the process, making it difficult to withdraw money.
Desktop version offering:
Having a desktop version makes your Poker app more accessible and offers a better poker experience for multi-tabling on bigger screens. We recommend you choose apps that have their desktop versions for enhanced ease of playing.
Bonuses:
Mobile poker apps offer multiple bonuses, such as sign-up and first deposit bonuses. These are win-win for the players as they let you maximize your Poker experience. You should go for the apps that provide maximum welcome and first deposit bonus.
As these bonus amounts change frequently, you should check the latest bonus offerings before choosing the best poker app.
User Interface:
The app interface plays a significant role in defining your Poker experience. A complicated and clustered app can easily confuse players. It is often the simple and well-structured user interface that best hooks them.
Security Standards:
It is hard to judge the security standards working on the backend for your online Poker app, especially for the tech novice. One way to ensure a safe Poker experience is to check for SSL protocol on the app, choose apps with HTTPS instead of HTTP, and look for encrypted payment gateways.
Customer Support:
When your hard-earned dollars are at stake, well-equipped customer support is essential to resolve any queries or disputes during the gameplay. Moreover, the best poker apps often have good customer support, ensuring smooth gameplay and a fun Poker experience.
Top 10 Poker Apps For Real Money
PokerStars
If you’re looking for a top-notch reward system and fast-paced poker action while receiving up to $600 in match-up bonus, PokerStars is the ultimate destination. PokerStars shines the most when it comes to rewarding its loyal players. The app constantly rewards you with in-app points as you play more games and tournaments. You can further encash these reward points for real cash, ranking it among the best online poker apps.
The app currently has a Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania variant under its name.
Pros:
- A brilliantly designed reward system
- Features a wide variety of Poker tournaments
Cons:
- Even when it’s legal, you cannot bet in Nevada, Delaware, and West Virginia.
BetMGM Poker
BetMGM Poker is the best poker app real money can bet if you have just started at Poker and want to try your hand at low-stake games. BetMGM offers $75 in tournament tickets and up to a $1000 bonus on your first deposit.
Collaborating with Entain, PartyPoker’s parent company, MGM Resorts International’s BetMGM app offers a unique Poker experience, especially if you are an MGM regular. All mobile Poker apps offer loyalty points but are typically limited to in-app games and tournaments. BetMGM’s MLife program, on the other hand, rewards you for playing at any MGM venue, both online and in person.
Similar to PokerStars, BetMGM has a Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania version.
Pros:
- Great for emerging players due to a variety of low-stakes games
- The MLife Reward program offers the best of both worlds.
Cons:
- The player pool is significantly less when compared to other best online poker apps.
- BetMGM is unavailable in Nevada, Delaware, and West Virginia.
WSOP Poker App
If you are into online Poker apps, you have probably heard about The World Series of Poker. WSOP especially makes sense if you are a pro at online Poker due to its variety of high-stakes games and tournaments. The app frequently hosts WSOP satellite games, allowing you to win and secure your spot in the big leagues. Additionally, you get up to $1000 as a welcome bonus with $100 in free play.
Coming to the app, 888 Poker has developed the backend for WSOP, resulting in a seamless and easy-to-navigate user experience. Moreover, WSOP provides a variety of game modes apart from the classic No Limit Texas Hold’em, like Fixed Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, and more, making it one of the best free poker apps.
WSOP currently operates in Nevada, Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Pros:
- It is one of the few real money poker apps that operate in Nevada.
- WSOP frequently holds high-stakes tournaments, making it perfect for the pros.
Cons:
- WSOP restricts inter-state games and tournaments.
- The WSOP player pool is heavily concentrated in Nevada and New Jersey.
PartyPoker
The PartyPoker app offers an attractive reward of up to $600 as a match-up bonus and an additional $30 on your first deposit. Additionally, the app has various game modes with a minimum participation fee of just $0.25. Although PartyPoker is considered one of the best online poker platforms globally, the PartyPoker New Jersey app falls slightly short due to its smaller player pool and availability only in New Jersey.
PartyPoker’s app is fairly easy to use, with conveniently placed tournament and game sections in the UI. Additionally, PartyPoker frequently sports daily offers and promos to attract a larger user base.
Pros:
- It is great for newbies due to the nominal entry barrier.
- It runs Frequent offers and promos.
Cons:
- PartyPoker is only available in New Jersey.
- The player pool is significantly less than other best online Poker apps.
888Poker
888Poker is one of the OG poker apps when it comes to real money online poker. If you are on the lookout for a good poker player base and a ton of exciting new stuff, 888Poker is the place to go. The enormous user base guarantees that you always land on a table with players with similar skill levels. Moreover, the user-friendly interface and the wide variety of poker variants make it a go-to Poker app.
888Poker is surely one of the best poker apps for beginners due to a thriving poker community that welcomes even beginners. You can also access various training and tutorials and test your skills in the freeroll tournaments. Although real money poker is the hot stuff on 888Poker, you may also play the freerolls only if you are only here for recreation.
Pros:
- The real money poker app is extremely beginner-friendly, and the UI and user base ensure that you will never feel like a novice in the poker world.
- 888Poker currently offers a 100% bonus on deposits greater than $10 up to $1000, easily making it one of the best bonus systems.
Cons:
- Although the huge user base is a boon in every sense, you may rarely end up on a table full of beginners leading to softer games.
- The user interface is really simple and interactive but it might come across as outdated to some.
WPTGlobal
If you are a poker tournament freak, WPTGlobal might be the perfect real money poker app. WPTGlobal frequently sports multiple high-valued tournaments, attracting skilled poker players from around the globe. With WPTGlobal, you get access to multiple qualifiers and events, winning which can easily land you at live poker events.
The poker app also slays when it comes to the user interface and the overall gameability. Moreover, the app supports tournaments for multiple poker variants in addition to the regular Texas Hold‘em games.
Pros:
- The frequent glamorous tournaments are WPTGlobal’s biggest USP.
- You can make deposits and withdrawals using most of the popular cryptocurrencies.
Cons:
- It is a fairly new name in the poker world when compared to 888Poker, and WSOP.
- As it is a more tournament-heavy platform, you may find it underwhelming for the pure real-money one-off games.
GGPoker
Launched in 2014, GGPoker is one of the fastest-growing online poker apps in recent times due to its innovative features and amazing bonuses. One such innovative feature is the mystery bounty games and tournaments where you initially don’t get to see your opponents’ betting amount. If you have played poker, you know how this adds a whole new level of thrill and surprise to the poker table.
Moreover, other innovative formats, such as Flip & Go games, have made GGPoker one of the best poker apps in recent times.
Pros:
- GGPoker ensures you always play the best and most exciting poker formats, such as Flip & Go and Mystery Bounties.
- The platform sports generous promotions, freerolls, and loyalty programs to ensure you always stay hooked.
Cons:
- As GGPoker tries to do a lot by experimenting with formats and tournament styles, the user interface might seem clustered to some.
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CoinPoker
In recent years, cryptocurrencies have become a real thing when it comes to real money poker and other forms of real money gambling. While many mobile poker apps support cryptocurrencies as a payment method, CoinPoker takes it to a whole new level with completely decentralized poker. The app only allows deposits and withdrawals using popular crypto coins such as BitCoin and Ethereum. Apart from the untraceability and decentralization, cryptocurrencies-based withdrawals are instant, unlike their conventional counterparts.
Coming to the mobile poker app, CoinPoker offers many poker variations, such as Texas hold ’em, Omaha, and 5-Card Omaha. Moreover, the Sunday MTTs are among the best cash games in the online poker realm.
Pros:
- The online poker app offers up to three deposit bonuses for first-time players.
- You should definitely look out for the Sunday MTTs if you want to play some juicy cash games.
- Decentralized poker with high levels of anonymity.
Cons:
- Using crypto as the only payment method might put off many interested players.
- The app has a minuscule user base as compared to other best poker apps.
BetOnline
BetOnline is a one-stop app for all the gambling action under one roof with casino games, sports betting, and real money poker. Coming to the best online poker app, BetOnline shines when it comes to multiple table tournaments for its frequent high-stakes MTTs. Moreover, poker variants like Bonus Poker, Joker Poker, and more make gaming on BetOnline an exciting experience.
Pros:
- BetOnline offers plenty of poker variants like Texas Hold ‘em, Omaha, Stud, Bonus Poker, and more
- The poker app frequently hosts MTTs, making it one of the best real-money poker apps for those looking for some multiple-table action.
Cons:
- BetOnline is not a hardcore online poker app, which might dilute the poker experience for some.
- Apart from the MTTs, there is not much high-stakes action
Bovada
Bovada is a fairly seasoned name in the poker realm known for its balanced offerings for both beginners and skilled players. Due to its known name, it has a significant user base, making the poker experience fun from the start. The wait times on even high-stakes tables are significantly low compared to other best poker apps.
You can always find fast-paced poker variants like Zone Poker on Bovada for some instant adrenaline rush.
Pros:
- The app is exceptionally built with great features placed strategically for maximising the ease of gaming.
- Bovada pushes fast-paced game variants for a quick and exciting poker experience.
Cons:
- As the user base consists of both beginners and seasoned players, you might end up in some softer games.
- Although the user interface is extremely smooth, it might feel dated compared to the best real money poker apps.
Best Free Poker Apps in Restrictive US States
Global Poker – The Best Poker App in States Where Real Money Poker is Illegal
Global Poker is the best free poker app for players outside the US states that allows for real-money online poker. Although Global Poker is not technically a real-money poker app, you can still bet your bucks through the in-game “Sweeps Coins.”
You can buy these Sweeps Coins using real currency and further use them to play Sweeps Coin tournaments on the app. Additionally, you may redeem these Sweeps coins for real cash without any redemption limit.
Pros:
- A massive player base in the US and Canada
- Legal in most of the US
Cons:
- Not your typical real money poker app
Zynga Poker
Zynga Poker is among the best free poker apps for beginner or recreational players. With a laser focus on casual gaming and and free-to-play poker experience, Zynga poker tries to be as exciting as real money poker without the risk of losing anything. Moreover, the social elements are also Zynga’s strongholds; you can connect with your friends, send them gifts, and enjoy collective and casual poker.
Pros:
- Zynga Poker has a humongous user base ranging in millions of users, ensuring you always have a table ready for some poker fun.
- You don’t have to think about any legal obligations before you start gaming.
- The social elements make it one of the best free-to-play poker apps on the market.
Cons:
- There is no real money option, so it might become an underwhelming experience for the seasoned players.
- The vast majority of the user base comprises beginners which might result in softer games.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best real money poker apps in Delaware and Nevada?
Although real money poker is legal in Delaware and Nevada, these states have very few mobile poker apps to choose from. You can only bet on WSOP NV for Nevada and 888poker for Delaware.
Is online poker real or fake?
As long as you play on the best poker apps mentioned in the above list, online poker is as real as it gets. However, shady platforms may rig the games to dupe you off your money. If you don’t want to risk your money, you may try free online poker apps like Global Poker and Zynga Poker.
What is the best poker app for beginners?
The poker realm is full of apps specially catering to beginners. For beginners, the best poker apps for real money include Party Poker and 888Poker. If you want to go the free poker app route, you may go for Zynga Poker due to its enormous player base.
Which is the best poker app for Android?
Poker apps like PokerStars, BetMGM, and PartyPoker are among Android’s best poker apps. These apps provide a smooth gaming experience all while offering a great user interface.
Which is the best iPhone poker app?
As most poker apps maintain the same user interface for both Android and iPhones, it essentially boils down to choosing the best poker apps irrespective of the platform. Similar to Android, poker apps like PartyPoker, PokerStars, and BetMGM top the list of the best poker apps for iPhone.
