16 Best Poker Sites (2022): Play Real Money Poker at Top Online Poker Rooms
Unpredictable Nut Draws, unnecessary Holywooding, and a handful of (un)fortunate straights on the river were something you could only see in Vegas; now — you can experience the same high-octane action at some of the best poker sites in the world, straight from your home.
To that end, we’ve rounded up the best online poker sites so you don’t have to spend your time and money joining low-end tournaments and playing on buggy software until you find a halfway decent poker room.
We have extensively researched the market and ranked the most reliable, biggest online poker sites available right now. Ignition came out as the clear winner because of its top-notch tournaments suitable for players of all stripes and the highest traffic on our list of poker sites.
However, we strongly suggest you read our reviews on the rest of our picks, so let’s get down to brass tacks.
Best Poker Sites
- Ignition: Best poker site overall
- Everygame: Best for quick payouts
- Americas Cardroom: Best for pro players
- BetOnline: Most valuable Bad Beat jackpot
- Bovada: Best poker site for beginners
- Slots.lv: Best for online poker and slots combo
- Cafe Casino: Best loyalty program
- Red Dog Casino: Best for video poker
- Cloudbet: Best for crypto poker
- Sportsbetting.ag: Best for poker bonuses
1. Ignition — Best Online Poker Site Overall
Pros
- Tons of daily poker tournaments
- Stellar poker welcome bonus up to $1,500
- Well-established brand
- Anonymous tables to safeguard players
- High player traffic
- Advanced online poker software
Cons
- Limited payment options
- Must deposit cash to view tables
The choice for our #1 spot wasn’t really hard as Ignition rises above all the rest when it comes to online poker.
With its highest player traffic on our list of real money online poker sites, millions in weekly tournament guarantees, and a fully-customizable poker software designed to protect fish players — Ignition topped our list with ease.
Poker Tournaments & Cash Games: 5/5
The poker tournament line-up at Ignition stretches to over 20 daily tourneys, most of which feature $10k+ in GTD thanks to the high traffic the site enjoys. You have entries ranging from $5 to $1,000+, which makes Ignition suitable for both fish and high-stakes players alike.
Sunday is when most of the action takes place, and the entire range of tournaments during the day exceeds half a million dollars in GTD, which leaves more than enough options for you to find your stakes and test your skills head-to-head against other rookies or pros.
Ignition also features a good line-up of seasonal events you can join — and these are the real deal if you’re chasing the high stakes. You have the Monthly Milly ($1 million GTD), Monster Stacks, Million Dollar Weekends, and more.
If you prefer the vicious ring games, you’ll have Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and Omaha Hi/Lo to choose from.
Since some of you might be impatient, you can benefit from the Zone Poker that switches you to a new table each time you fold, sparing you from having to put up with players thinking for a minute whether to call a top pair to a flush draw.
Bonuses & Rewards: 4.8/5
This online casino offers some of the most competitive bonuses you can find today. As a new player, you can enjoy a combined poker and casino bonus of 100% up to $2,000, with 150% up to $3,000 if you deposit crypto.
Both promotions are split between the poker and casino sections, with the poker part unlocking in $1 installments each time you earn 30 Ignition Miles by joining tournaments or ring games. Ignition doesn’t have rakeback, but if you do the math, you’ll find out the bonus equals a much higher-than-average rakeback structure.
The site also offers tons of other promotions, including a refer-a-friend bonus, weekly boosts, Bitcoin promotions, $2,500 weekly poker freerolls, and much more.
Mobile Compatibility: 4.6/5
Ignition allows you to play on the go with a very responsive mobile platform. To play online poker at Ignition via your mobile, you’ll need to access the site directly via your browser; there’s no dedicated app for smartphones. If you prefer a desktop, you’ll have to download the app to start playing.
The site recently upgraded its mobile platform and fixed some of the bugs and glitches it had; you can now join tourneys without encountering any difficulties.
Banking: 4.5/5
You won’t find as many banking options here as you would at other top online poker sites. However, players who love to stay anonymous can easily send and receive payments via Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, and Litecoin.
If you would rather keep things simple, you can use other options like Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Zelle.
Withdrawals are pretty swift as well, with crypto payouts getting processed within a day.
Misc: 4.8/5
If you ever run into a hitch, you can visit the help center by clicking the “help” button on the main menu. Here, you will find in-depth answers to most of the common issues. Customer care specialists are also readily available via email and live chat 24/7.
If you’re a first-time poker player, you can take advantage of Ignition’s anonymous tables that’ll protect you from professionals.
If you ever get bored playing poker, you can always visit Ignition’s casino section for a spinning session or two on some of the most popular progressive jackpot slots that you can only find at the best online casinos.
>> Get started at the best poker site and claim up to $3,000 on your first deposit.
2. Everygame — Quickest Payouts of all Online Poker Sites
Pros
- Instant crypto withdrawals
- One of the oldest online poker sites
- Instant play available on mobile
- 36% rakeback
- Offers progressive jackpot slots
Cons
- Lacks a dedicated app
- Mobile game collection is not very extensive
Launched in 1996, Everygame (formerly Intertops) is one of the oldest real money poker sites you can find. The platform recently went through a major upgrade and was rebranded in late 2021.
Regardless of its name, the site has maintained a good reputation for over two decades and has a lot to offer to online poker players.
Poker Tournaments & Cash Games: 4/5
As our second pick, Everame features a rock-solid range of daily tournaments, including Sit & Go’s, Bounty Hunters, the Wipeout Series, and more. The most notable one is the Sunday Sundowner, featuring a $10k GTD, with buy-ins at $115 + $10, which is pretty fair considering the size of the prize pool.
However, we must note the scarce traffic at ring games; while you’ll find a couple of low-stakes tables active during the day, high-roller ring games are only limited to peak hours. If you’re looking for a poker site to play at during the dead of night, Everygame might not be your best choice.
If you ever need a break from poker, you can access over 100 slots, including a solid range of progressive like Aztec’s Millions.
If you’re looking to test your skills or luck playing poker against a machine, there are over 14 variants to pick from. Some popular options include 7 Stud Poker, Aces & Eights, and All American Poker.
Bonuses & Rewards: 5/5
Once you register at Everygame, you instantly get access to a 200% match bonus up to $1,000 on your first deposit plus 25 free spins for the casino. You’ll unlock the bonus in $5 increments by playing poker and earning Frequent Player Points.
The welcome bonus is fantastic — no discussion about it, but there’s also a 36% rakeback, which is the highest on our list of poker rooms and the primary reason Everygame is ranked as our 2nd pick.
Mobile Compatibility: 4.5/5
Everygame allows you to play poker on your mobile device using the instant-play option. If you prefer downloading a dedicated mobile app, you may have to search elsewhere.
Nonetheless, playing straight through your browser still offers pretty much the same results. Both the casino games and online poker software are optimized for smaller screens, and other than about 50% of the slots missing on mobile — we didn’t uncover any concerns.
Banking: 4.8/5
Everygame provides 9 different payment methods, with all the usual credit cards included. If you prefer near-instant withdrawals and anonymity, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Litecoin are also available.
You can also stick with wire transfers if you want to keep things basic, but note that it has a longer processing time and comes with a fee.
Misc: 4.6/5
As you would expect from a site that has been around for decades, Everygame has a reliable customer support team. They are available 24/7 and reachable via phone, email, or live chat.
Everygame’s black, red, and white background is a good getaway from dull-looking poker websites. The user interface is also designed with a player-first approach and is neatly organized to ensure straightforward navigation.
>> Join Everygame and enjoy a 36% rakeback.
3. Americas Cardroom — Best Online Poker Site for Professionals
Pros
- Accepts advanced poker tools
- 100% up to $2,000 welcome bonus
- Millions in monthly guaranteed prizes
- Good variety of online poker games
Cons
- Some withdrawal options have fees
- Not all games are available on mobile
Americas Cardroom (ACR) has built an impeccable reputation since 2001 and offers some of the best poker rooms and tournaments on the internet. It also boasts a very generous welcome offer, numerous banking options, and millions to be won in guaranteed tournament prizes.
Poker Tournaments & Cash Games: 4.8/5
Americas Cardroom is one of the best poker sites online for professional players, which becomes immediately apparent when you visit the daily tournaments section. Most buy-ins exceed the $100 mark, with the lowest entry we found being $16.5 — the BIG Ten tournament from Monday to Thursday.
That said, nearly all tourneys here exceed $10,000 in GTD, which might sound good — but it’s not exactly suitable if you’re a lower-stakes player.
ACR also allows you to use HUDs and other pro-player poker tools. If you’ve never heard of these, we suggest you stick with Ignition’s anonymous tables. These tools display your lifetime stats on the site, as well as per-session stats that truly experienced poker enthusiasts can use against you.
The traffic here is sky-high, with tournaments and ring games active regardless of the time you join. If you’re seeking dead-serious Internet poker action, it doesn’t get any better than Americas Cardroom.
Bonuses & Rewards: 4.3/5
This online poker site has put a ton of effort into its poker bonuses and rewards. There is a very generous 100% match deposit bonus up to $2,000 for new players. However, this requires a minimum deposit of $25, which we believe could have been lower. But considering the size of the bonus, it is well worth it.
There is also a VIP program for poker players named the Elite Benefits VIP club. Here, you will rack up points every time you play on a table for a chance to win cash prizes, entries into big-time live poker tournaments, and freeroll tickets.
The rakeback is 27%, which is pretty high, but the rake you have to pay to enter tournaments is higher-than-average by itself, so that’s not really the true number.
Mobile Compatibility: 4.5/5
There isn’t an official Americas Cardroom poker app available to download, but the actual gameplay through a browser rivals that of the desktop version. You can simply open the site and access the instant play mode to get started; add a shortcut to your screen for quick access.
That said, there is still a chance for a bulkier game collection on mobile in the future since some of the slots and other table games are missing.
If you’re going to play via your desktop computer, you can download an app.
Banking: 4.7/5
ACR ensures funding and withdrawing from your account is easy with its massive selection of payment methods. The platform supports 40 payment options, including credit cards, bank transfers, P2P transfers, and 30+ cryptocurrencies.
Besides Ethereum and Bitcoin, you can also move funds in and out of your account via less popular options like Vericoin, Namecoin, Wetrust, and Voxelus, among others. These options are ideal for high rollers since they are extremely secure and support high withdrawals.
Misc: 4.6/5
Americas Cardroom is regularly audited by iTech Labs to ensure its games are fair. The website also uses SSL encryption, ensuring your financial details remain safe and secure when you make transactions. It’s one of the safest online poker sites you will find today.
Also, if you ever run into a hitch, the customer support team is available to help 24/7.
>> Get started at Americas Cardroom to enjoy the highest-GTD poker tournaments.
4. BetOnline – Best Bad Beat Jackpot of any Online Poker Room
Pros
- Bad Beat jackpot reaches $100k
- Excellent mobile functionality
- Supports many cryptocurrencies
- Decent range of Omaha tables
Cons
- Credit card deposit fees
- Platform may lag during peak hours
BetOnline is an online poker website established in 2004 and licensed in Panama. With just about two decades of experience in the market, BetOnline turned into a stunning all-around gambling site with poker, casino, and a sportsbook.
Poker Tournaments & Cash Games: 4.6/5
Regardless of the type of poker you seek, BetOnline has you covered with more than a dozen daily tourneys, including some less-popular variants. You’ll get to enjoy full-blown Omaha tournaments with entries ranging from a single dollar to over $50, as well as Progressive Bounties (Texas Hold’em), Windfall Sit ‘n Go’s, and many others.
The traffic is decent, though not on par with Ignition, but just enough to keep you occupied during the day.
You can also play slots, table games, live dealer games, and a huge selection of poker titles. These games are powered by top developers like Betsoft and Visionary iGaming — ensuring the highest-quality possibly is available at the tip of your fingertips.
Ever heard about the championship online poker series? It’s available at BetOnline, and it features a $2 million prize pool; so there’s that as well.
Bonuses & Rewards: 4.5/5
BetOnline offers some of the best bonuses you can find at online poker websites today. If you’re a first-time visitor, you can register and enter the bonus code NEWBOL to claim a 100% match deposit poker bonus of up to $1,000.
What really caught our attention, though, was the Bad Beat jackpot — regularly exceeding the $50k mark, sometimes even reaching a whopping $100k. However, you’ll have to lose with Quads Deuces to a better hand, which is pretty unlikely to happen, but the bonus does activate once a month — so there’s a good chance it can happen to you as well.
BetOnline also offers other promotions like Play & Win Leaderboards, $1 Million Sit & Go ($10 entry), and a dozen more for the sportsbook and casino section.
Mobile Compatibility: 4.8/5
BetOnline has a dedicated application for both iOS and Android devices. The download process is simple, and you can get the app directly from BetOnline’s website or the App Store.
If you choose to play on your mobile, you can enjoy real money poker games on the move or any other casino game you prefer. Overall, the mobile experience is great, and playing casino and poker games is smooth sailing.
Banking: 4/5
BetOnline supports about 19 payment methods, including MasterCard, Visa, and American Express. You can also choose from cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ripple, Ethereum, Chain Link, and many more.
Crypto payouts are processed within 1 to 48 hours, with regular withdrawals via check by courier or a bank transfer taking 10 days to arrive. Bitcoin is your go-to method here since BetOnline levies a 7.5% fee on credit card deposits.
Related: How to Bet On the Oscars
Misc: 4.2/5
BetOnline has a beautifully designed website that runs flawlessly on mobile devices — for the most part, anyway.
At peak periods, when the site is flush with players, both the mobile and desktop applications have been known to suffer lag, which can be hugely frustrating if it happens when you’re in the middle of a massive pot with a killer hand.
>> Register at BetOnline and enjoy the best lineup of Omaha tournaments.
5. Bovada — Best Online Poker Site for Beginners
Pros
- Beginner-friendly anonymous tables
- Stellar reputation
- Fast crypto payouts
Cons
- Welcome bonus could be better
- No cash games with high limits available
Bovada is one of the top poker platforms, maintaining its sound name with its reliable and quick payouts, as well as a newbie-friendly poker platform that levels the playing field for inexperienced poker players.
Poker Tournaments & Cash Games: 4.5/5
You will find most of the most common poker variants at Bovada. These range from Omaha Hi/Lo, 7 Card Stud, and many more. You’ll also come across table limits ranging from $.01/.02 micro stakes all the way to big-limit, high roller stakes.
As a newer player, you’ll love the poker guides and anonymous tables featured by Bovada. Many of the daily tournaments feature newbie-friendly low buy-ins with decent prize pools, and there are also just enough freebies that give you a genuine chance at winning a decent cash prize.
If poker is not your thing, Bovada also offers a variety of casino games, including more than 200 slots, table games, and live dealer titles. It also supports horse racing and 30+ sports to bet on.
Bonuses & Rewards: 3.8/5
The bonus department is where Bovada slipped a bit since you’ll get to claim a 100% up to $500 welcome bonus. Most online poker sites will cover your deposit up to $1,000, but it shouldn’t be an issue if you weren’t keen on going that high on your first deposit anyway.
There’s a solid line of other promotions, but they’re all connected either to the casino or the sportsbook.
Mobile Compatibility: 4.4/5
You’ll enjoy a fully functional mobile platform that allows you to play both casino games and poker on the go. The company has invested in creating a user-friendly and responsive website, as is evident when you use it.
Games can adapt to any screen size and allow you to get the best experience. On the downside, you are limited to playing via your mobile browser as Bovada does not have a dedicated mobile app.
Banking: 4.6/5
Like many other leading online poker sites, Bovada supports numerous banking methods, including Visa and MasterCard. However, if you choose any of these options, you will need to pay a fee upon depositing.
If you prefer anonymity and swift payouts, Bovada also supports the use of cryptocurrencies. Some common options include Litecoin, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, and more.
Payments are generally fast, with cryptocurrencies requiring only up to 1 hour to process, which is on par with the best Bitcoin casinos.
Misc: 4.5/6
Bovada presently has a license from Curacao Gaming, so your safety is no problem here. There are also numerous countermeasures in place to ensure players are safe, including fully anonymous tables that prevent sharks from using special software to learn your poker habits.
If you ever run into trouble playing poker, the helpful support team will be readily available to help you out. They are available 24/7 and are accessible via email and live chat.
>> Get started at Bovada with up to $500 poker welcome bonus.
Runners-up:
How We Ranked the Best Online Poker Sites
Player Traffic:
Our first and primary benchmark was assessing the traffic levels of each poker site. Low traffic equals a lack of tournaments and cash games; with that in mind, we only selected online poker sites with enough action regardless of the time you join.
Game Variety & Poker Tournaments:
Playing the same game formats can become tiring extremely fast. We know, Texas Hold ‘em is all the craze, but some of you might want some Omaha action. That said, we focused on online poker sites featuring a solid variety of different poker types along with enough poker tournaments to keep you occupied each time you feel the urge to shuffle up and deal.
Rakeback:
All poker rooms take a small percentage of the money out of each pot as payment for their services; this percentage is called “the rake,” and over time, it can really eat into a player’s profits.
Some poker sites offer a portion of the rake back to attract new players. This is called rakeback and it’s essentially real cash, so it’s worth taking advantage of. For instance, Everygame offers a rakeback of 36%, which is extremely decent.
Bonuses:
Like rakeback, bonuses can be extremely valuable, and they come in a variety of forms: deposit bonuses, reload bonuses, VIP benefits, and more. Our experts reviewed the bonuses of each poker site and only recommended those with the best poker bonus offers.
Poker Software:
The poker software a poker site uses influences your overall experience on the platform. Good software makes it easy to read your hand, follow the action, and avoid costly misclicks, while bad software can make an otherwise decent site virtually unplayable.
Since many players are playing on phones and tablets these days, we also evaluated each site’s mobile software to ensure that the playing experience rivals that of their desktop application.
All About the Best Online Poker Rooms
Are Online Poker Sites Rigged?
No, the best online poker sites like those on our list don’t have rigged poker games. They utilize a random number generator to make certain that the outcome of every game is random. However, if you play on a shady poker site, the reverse may be the case.
What is the Best Poker Site?
Based on our evaluation and ranking methodology, the best online poker site is Ignition Casino. This poker site is balanced with a huge poker game variety and a very profitable welcome offer. In addition, it is properly licensed and offers numerous poker tournaments that will keep anyone happy.
Can I Play Online Poker with Bitcoin?
Yes, the best online poker sites like those we recommend allow you to deposit money using Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. This ensures you remain anonymous and benefit from fast payments.
Is it Safe to Play Real Money Poker Online?
Yes, your money is safe if you play on a licensed and reliable poker site like those we recommend.
However, if you fail to do proper research, you may jeopardize yourself by playing at an unregulated poker website. To find out if a site is safe, ensure it is licensed and uses a secure connection. Also, make sure the games on offer and payment options are from reputable brands.
Can I Play Free Poker Games?
Yes, you can. The best poker sites will let you play poker and other games for free via the demo mode. Sometimes, you can play for free using the bonus offered by the casino.
However, if you go with the first option, you will be unable to win real cash, while the second option restricts your earnings until you complete the set wagering requirements. You can also enroll in the so-called freebies, which essentially are no-buy-in poker tournaments with real money prize pools.
Comparing the Top 5 Poker Sites
Here’s a quick rundown of what the best poker sites on our list offer along with their bonuses:
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- Ignition: Numerous poker tournaments, high traffic, anonymous poker tables, tourney entries range from $1 to $200+; 150% up to $1,500 welcome bonus; overall score 99%
- Everygame: Highly functional software, instant crypto payouts, 36% rakeback, 200% up to $1,000 welcome bonus; overall score 98%
- Americas Cardroom: Accepts advanced pro-player poker tools, millions in monthly guaranteed prizes; 100% up to $2,000 welcome bonus; overall score 96%
- BetOnline: Extra-valuable Bad Beat Jackpot, high-octane Omaha tournaments, advanced mobile apps; 100% up to $1,000 welcome bonus; overall score 95%
- Bovada: Newbie-friendly poker software, a highly-reputable online poker site, anonymous tables; 100% up to $500 welcome bonus; overall score 94%
How to Get Started at Top Poker Sites
Creating an account, depositing, and starting to play online poker is a 5-minute task. Follow out step-by-step instructions below to register at Ignition:
1. Create an Ignition Account
- Click the orange “Join” button at the top right of the screen
- Provide all the necessary personal information
- Read and accepts the terms
- Click “Register”
2. Verify Your Phone Number
- You should receive an SMS from Ignition with a code; enter the code in the next window
- Click “Verify Now”
3. Deposit Funds & Play Poker Online
- Click “Deposit” at the top of your screen
- Select a payment option
- Enter the “IGWPCB100” code for regular deposits or enter “IGWPCB150” for crypto deposits to claim the welcome bonus
- Enter the amount you wish to deposit (minimum $20)
- Click “Deposit”
- Start playing online poker for real money!
Still Looking for the Best Poker Sites?
Sifting through so many options took some time, but it was all worth it as we managed to track down the best poker sites with the highest traffic available right now.
Deciding on the best poker site was difficult, but Ignition managed to topple the others with its excellent collection of poker games, fantastic welcome bonus, huge range of poker tournaments, and most importantly — the highest traffic.
Our second choice was Everygame, due to its highly functional poker software and fast payouts. The last of the top 3 was Americas Cardroom, which earned this spot with its rock-solid software designed for professionals.
Regardless of your choice, make sure that you gamble responsibly while having fun!
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.
Related: Best Poker Sites
While we review different gambling sites, you should check with local laws in your area before gambling online. Also, all gambling sites and our guides are rated 18+ only. We may receive compensation from the sites we recommended in our guides, but our reviews remain independent and reader-supported.
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:
