Not only will we cover the best online poker sites for real money, but we will touch on some general poker terminology, the benefits of playing for real money vs. Free poker, the current legal status of the game in the United States, and the places to find the best mobile poker apps.
Video poker is in the Hall of Fame of gambling activities; at least, it would be if such a thing existed. The game finds a perfect mix of chance and strategy, combining aspects of slot machines and poker to create this prevalent form of real money gambling. Furthermore, there are numerous styles and rulesets available to suit any preferences.
The player is dealt a series of five cards from which they attempt to create poker hands. You may hold or discard any of those initial five. Whatever is dumped is then replaced by cards of random value. If a winning poker hand is made, you win.
Our Top Recommended Video Poker Gambling Sites
| Rank | DE Gambling Site | Sign Up Bonus | Get Started |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Betway Casino | 100% up to €250 | |
| #2 | Jackpot City Casino | 100% up to €400 | |
| #3 | Spinia | 100% up to €250 | |
| #4 | Spin Casino | 100% up to €400 |
The best strategies for determining which cards to hold and which to have re-dealt is dependent upon the version of video poker being played and the probabilities. Each ruleset has a unique recommended playing style that maximizes the players’ odds. We will share some of these systems later in the article.
Whichever style of video poker you inevitably enjoy, the most critical matter is finding the right places to play. That’s why we’ve scoured the web for sites offering the best real money video poker online. Where you gamble is just as significant as what game you choose and how you play it; we’ll explain why in the next section.
- Online Video Poker. Online video poker is a real-money casino game that is often played on casino sites. The game is based on 5 card draw poker and looks very similar to online slot machines.The only difference is that video poker is a game of skill and you can.
- As you can tell from this article, playing poker online for real money is simple. The process from downloading the poker client to making a deposit and then entering a game happens in a matter of minutes, in most cases. So, pick a poker site, make a deposit, and start stacking chips.
Why These Sites Are the Best
How To Play Poker With Real Money Online
Legitimate and Trustworthy
There’s no single factor that we value more than the safety of our readers as they venture into the world of online gambling. After an unfortunate encounter with a rogue site, LegitGamblingSites.com was founded with a mission to prevent this from happening to anybody else. There are too many high-quality, ethical gaming operations out there to have our readers wasting time with any frauds.
Our team of experts digs deep into every website we rate and review. They comb through a site’s past, analyze their reputation with previous customers, and examine the terms and conditions for anything troubling. If an online casino finds itself on our list of recommendations, you can be sure it passed all of our tests with flying colors.
Variety
Having a wide range of games and options available to our customers is another quality that we take extremely seriously. This becomes even more significant when discussing forms of gaming like video poker, where there are many similar versions with slightly different payouts, odds, and rulesets.
We want there to be plenty of choices when you sign up with an online casino so that you may find a version that best suits your needs. The websites found in our recommendations are where you’ll find a bevy of the best real money video poker games anywhere on the net.
Good Betting Odds
Sure, having tons of variations of video poker to play on a safe website is fantastic, but it won’t be fun for long if it’s impossible to ever win! That’s why our team looks into the rates of return for games offered at the online casinos we vet. While it’s expected that the house will always have an advantage (Vegas wouldn’t have all those beautiful buildings otherwise), if the balance is too far in the casino’s favor, it stops being fun.
The locations found on our recommended list offer the best real money video poker online by setting fair betting odds that allow readers to get the most bang for their buck. In some regions, the winning probability of gaming machines is regulated by the licensing authority in the jurisdiction, while in others, it’s not. Our experts take all of this into account when formulating our rankings.
Unique Versions of Real Money Video Poker Online
Jacks or Better
Jacks or Better is the most commonly found video poker game in existence. Its lasting power can be attributed to its simple ruleset and decent payouts. The full house pays 9 to 1, while the flush returns 6 to 1, making this a reliable option, especially for beginners.
Jokers Wild
In Jokers Wild, you’re trying to build the same poker hands as always, only joker cards are added to the deck as well. When one of these jokers is dealt, they become a wild card, capable of being any other card necessary to help create a winning hand.
The inclusion of wild cards makes getting a five of a kind possible, which pays out more than anything other than a natural royal flush. However, it means many of the other hands pay less. For example, three of a kind only pays 2 to 1, and a straight is only 3 to 1.
Deuces Wild
The most popular form of video poker is arguably Deuces Wild. Instead of only having a couple wild cards like in Jokers Wild, in this game, all 2s are considered wild. This makes winning hands much more probable but drastically reduces most hands’ payouts as well. For example, four of a kind only pays out 5 to 1. However, getting four 2s pays 200 to 1, which makes things interesting.
Double Bonus
Double Bonus Poker is a thrilling variation because following every win, the player has the option to participate in a mini-game to either double or lose the cash they just won.
If you chose to go for the double, you’re dealt five new cards, with only one facing up. You then select one of the remaining four, and if the value of your pick is higher than the face-up card, you’ve doubled your earnings from that previous hand.
In the absence of any wild cards, the payout table is higher than many variations, with four of a kinds becoming much more valuable. Four aces pays 160 to 1, which alters the optimal strategy somewhat.
Double Double Bonus
Double Double Bonus Poker is unique in the way it values four of a kind hands, including special kickers that significantly increase the size of the winnings. For example, four aces pays 160 to 1 odds regularly. But if you are dealt four aces, and the fifth card is a 2, 3, or 4 (called the kicker), that payout balloons up to 400 to 1 instead.
The game trades some lower-paying hands like two pair, which only results in a push in this variation, for more substantial rewards at the top of the pay table. If you can find a game with full houses paying 10 to 1 and flushes returning 6 to 1, you can actually eliminate the house advantage by following the optimal strategy.
Real Money Video Poker Online Strategy
The ideal strategy to use for any real money video poker game will depend on which version you have selected. However, while the payouts for particular hands may change, and the introduction of “wild” cards in some versions will alter the optimal way to play, the basics of video poker always stay the same. You’re trying to create the following hands using the five cards that you’re dealt.
Royal Flush
A royal flush is the best hand in poker. It’s made by getting the ace, king, queen, jack, and 10 all of the same suit.
Straight Flush
The second-best hand also involves five suited cards in sequential order, but they do not have to be face cards. For example, the 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, all of spades, is a straight flush.
Four of a Kind
As the name suggests, the third-strongest hand is comprised of collecting four of the same card. For example, four kings. In most cases, the fifth card doesn’t matter, but in some versions of video poker, the fifth card may significantly increase the payout of this hand.
Full House
A full house is made when a hand consists of a three-of-a-kind and another pair. For instance, if one is dealt three queens and two 4s, that’s a full house. If Uncle Jesse and Stephanie Tanner are there as well, even better.
Flush
A flush consists of five cards all of the same suit. In this case, the value of the cards doesn’t matter, only that the suits match. It’s the fifth-best poker hand.
Straight
A straight is when a poker hand is made up of five cards in sequential order, with differing suits. So, a hand consisting of 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 would be a straight if the 2 and 4 were spades, the 3 was a diamond, and the five was a heart, for example.
Three of a Kind
Three of a kind is the seventh-best hand in video poker, and it’s relatively common. It’s when you hold three of the same number or face cards.
Two Pair
Two pair is a relatively weak poker hand comprised of two separate pairs. For example, a hand may look like this: 5, 5, J, J, 9. The two fives and two jacks make it two pair.
Pair
A pair is merely two matching cards. In most video poker games, the couple must be face cards or aces to receive any payout. Often it results in a push, with only the credits that were staked upon being returned.
Legality of Real Money Video Poker Online
You may be worried that the best real money video poker online won’t be available in your region due to local gambling laws. The truth is, online gaming is still a gray area for many countries, while others have accepted and regulated the industry to great success. In regions like the European Union or the United States, things can get confusing due to there being one set of overarching laws or federal laws at one level, and then individual state or nation laws as well.
For example, when Italy tried to block all forms of internet gambling within their borders, the EU stepped in and made them accept online betting sites from the UK and other treaty nations in accordance with a law which prohibits blocking access to services from other member countries. Now, Italy has allowed citizens to access these websites while also legalizing some forms of gaming themselves.
In the United States, you can live in a legalized gaming state such as Nevada, yet companies are still not allowed to host online casinos and sportsbooks from within the country. Citizens that could walk down the street to a land-based establishment are forced to utilize offshore sites for their betting. And while the laws block companies from hosting a website in the US, there are no laws against residents of the States accessing these alternative locations.
As you can see, the legalities of online gaming can get quite confusing. That’s why we’ve dedicated an entire section of LegitGamblingSites.com to the different jurisdictions and wagering’s legal status in these various regions. For more information regarding what’s allowed in your area, check out the following link.
Other Real Money Casino Games
Video poker is one of the leading gaming activities found in both brick-and-mortar and online gambling establishments throughout the world. In person, you’ll see rows and rows of these machines taking up vast swathes of casino floor space. Online, where they don’t have to worry about things like square footage, betting sites are able to provide more variety and rulesets than ever before.
A neat feature of playing video poker is the ability to find a version of the game that best suits how you like to play. For the more cautious players who prefer to gamble for long durations of time, Jacks or Better and Deuces Wild are ideal. It’s difficult to hit any massive payouts on these games, but the rate of returns is reasonable, and you’ll win much more often.
The online gamblers that are more interested in chasing the dream of huge earnings and big jackpots may get more excitement from Double Double Bonus Poker, where the pay table is mostly distributed to the stronger hands. Whichever style best fits how you like to play, video poker provides an excellent combination of chance and strategy, with some eliminating the house advantage altogether when playing to maximize probability.
If you’re interested in other forms of online gaming beyond video poker, check out our page dedicated to other real money casino games. We’ve found the top online gambling sites for each individual activity, including blackjack, slots, baccarat, and craps. Follow the link to any of those pages to see the best recommendations, information regarding how to play, and even winning strategies you can employ.
For the best real money betting sites, look at this table:
Real Money Blackjack
Real Money Slots
Real Money Roulette Online
Real Money Keno
Real Money Craps Online
Real Money Online Pokies
Real Money Baccarat
Real Money Sic Bo
Table Of Contents
The United States has been a precarious place for online poker since 2011. Only a handful of states have legalized and regulated the activity, leaving thousands of poker enthusiasts looking for a place to enter real-money online games.
But there are options, even if you don't live in one of the states that offer legal online games. In this article we look at some of those options; be sure to check back as more states pass bills to allow us to play the game we love and don't forget to visit this page about online casinos in the USA if you want to play more games too!
New Jersey – The Place Where Online Dreams are Made
888poker NJ
888poker is one of the most trusted brands in poker, and with over 25 million customers around the world, there’s a reason for it.
888 offers large welcome bonuses and $10 free to get started. Players can also enjoy 888poker on their mobile devices. While players can only play one table at a time, cash games, sit & go tournaments and multi-table tournaments are all offered.
Obviously, the only downside to this U.S. poker site is that traffic is relatively low, because, there are only so many people in New Jersey who play poker.
So get going! Take to 888poker for all the games, bonuses and special offers.
PokerStarsThe best poker software around, PokerStars New Jersey is the real deal!
Play Nowpartypokerpartypoker has seen a major resurgence, and their New Jersey client is just as great.
Play Now888poker888poker NJ customers can enjoy playing at the site via their favorite Android or iOS powered mobile device.
Play NowBorgata PokerProperty of the world-famous New Jersey land-based Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Borgata Poker is available in New Jersey.
Play NowHow To Play Poker With Real Money Online Reviews
Borgata Poker
Of all the poker rooms you could choose, BorgataPoker.com is one of the most superb, namely because it’s the official poker site of the famous Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa.
Given its large signup bonus and VIP program, players enjoy a brand that’s trustworthy and secure with a free $20 in pocket.
BorgataPoker.com offers a similar range of games as 888poker but it is also home to FastForward poker, or “fast-fold” poker, meaning you can pick up a new table if you don’t like your hole cards and fold.
WSOP.com NJ
Play for a share of $700 for free; get a 100 percent match up to $400 first deposit bonus; and have all of it be legal!
With WSOP.com NJ, online poker rooms take a new form with exciting cash games, an awesome tournament schedule and, last but not least, the opportunity to qualify for the World Series of Poker!
Play on your mobile device or take it to the desktop, but either way, this trusted name won’t let you down. Play now!
PokerStars NJ
PokerStars' unrivaled game selection makes it a top play. Considered to be the best regulated online poker site in the U.S., PokerStars NJ is the market leader with excellent customer service, great software and a lucrative VIP scheme.
There’s a reason PokerStars says “We are Poker.” Their software is available on Mac, PC, iOS and Android devices. Their welcome bonuses are the most robust in New Jersey and they run alongside great promotions.
Download PokerStars today to see what you’re missing in this online poker room!
partypoker NJ
Partypoker NJ, an operator since 2001, is a major player in the online poker tournament scene. Play all your favorite games directly from your smart phone: cash games, FastForward poker, sit & go tournaments and other casino game favorites.
While partypoker does not offer multi-table tournaments, don’t let that stop you from enjoying their major signup package or free $25 bonus. This operator regularly offers value-packed promotions, so stop procrastinating and get going at this great U.S. poker site!
Nevada – Vegas, Baby!
WSOP.com NV
WSOP.com is the only online poker site where you can not only win your way into WSOP live events, but also win a WSOP bracelet. Enough said.
Free Poker 5 Seat Holdem No Turbo
With the backing of Caesars Interacting Entertainment the famous World Series of Poker brand, this U.S. poker site finds favor because it offers almost everything: a wide variety of game types and limits, 888poker software, a player pool linked with Delaware, deposit and withdrawal options at live venues and excellent customer service.
And to top it all off, if you sign up to WSOP.com from PokerNews, you can get a 100 percent match up to $400.
WSOP.com NV will make your online poker experience as enjoyable as possible. So take advantage of this state-of-the-art software and have some fun!
So, have no fear! U.S. gaming is here. These online poker sites are just waiting for you.
Anywhere But No Real-Money Element: WSOP's Social Site
You can't play for real money, but you can experience the thrill of poker anywhere in the world by logging onto WSOP's social poker site. You can play no-limit hold'em and omaha, and both ring games and tournaments. Sign up for the World Series of Poker social site via PokerNews.com, and receive 250,000 extra chips!
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