Top US Poker Sites for Real Money
The best online poker sites that accept US players for real money poker games in April 2024:
ACR Poker
States Accepted: US players accepted from most US states including: New York, Florida, Texas, California, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Georgia, North Carolina, Michigan & more.
ACR Poker
- $3.8 Million GTD MTT's weekly
- Fast fold Blitz Poker
- #1 Cashback - Elite Benefits
- 60 days to clear bonus
- Trusted since 2001
- 12-48h withdrawals
Ignition Poker
States Accepted: US players accepted from all states except: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Nevada and Washington
Ignition Poker
- $2.0 Million GTD MTT's weekly
- Most Popular US Poker Site
- #1 Easy to Clear Bonus
- HUD Free & Anonymous
- Low Stakes $2 Rake Cap
- 12-48h Bitcoin Withdrawals
Bovada Poker
States Accepted: US players accepted from all states except: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Nevada and Washington
Bovada Poker
- $2.0 Million GTD MTT's weekly
- Fast fold Zone Poker
- HUD Free & Anonymous
- 30 days to clear bonus
- Low Stakes $2 Rake Cap
- 12-48h Bitcoin Withdrawals
BetOnline Poker
States Accepted: AL, AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY, DC, MH
BetOnline Poker
- Accepts All US Players
- $2.5 Million GTD MTT's weekly
- $2500 X4 Freerolls
- 30 days to Clear Bonus
- Online Casino Games
- 24-48h Crypto Withdrawals
What is the best US poker site online?
The best US poker site online is ACR Poker for real money poker games because:
- Biggest & most guaranteed tournaments - $3.8 Million GTD weekly
- Most tournament traffic averages 6253 players on regular Sunday Majors
- Best cashback rewards program (5.5 - 66.2%)
- Lowest rake cap for mid and high stakes Texas No-Limit Holdem games at $3
- 100% Sign up bonus up to $1000 on with 60 days to clear bonus for new US players
Claim bonus and get up to 66.2% cashback at ACR Poker - use referral code: Sydney100
Contents
US Mobile Poker Apps & Downloads
Find the best real money US poker apps & downloads for device:
| Poker Software | ACR Poker | BetOnline | Bovada | Ignition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downloads | ||||
| Windows PC | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Mac | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | No-Download | No-Download | No-Download | No-Download |
| Chromebook | No-Download | No-Download | No-Download | No-Download |
| No Download | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Apps | ||||
| Android | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| iOS: iPad & iPod | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Traffic
The US friendly poker sites with highest traffic for real money players are Ignition and Bovada (same network) for cash games at 4280 players on average for all cash games. The site with the most players for tournaments is ACR Poker with over 2500 players in the largest tournament: The $50000 GTD with a $22 buy-in (Single largest tournament by number of players not dollar value).
Traffic numbers vary widely through out the day with evenings the busiest followed by afternoons. Large online tournaments like OSS and Venom spike traffic much higher.
| Rank | Poker Site | Cash Game | Sunday Tournament |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ignition Poker | 4280 | 4792 |
| 1 | Bovada Poker | 4780 | 4792 |
| 2 | ACR Poker | 3731 | 6253 |
| 3 | BetOnline | 1467 | 4500 |
| 4 | WSOP USA | 827 | 837 |
| 5 | PokerStars NJ | 604 | 662 |
| 6 | Party Poker NJ | 271 | 498 |
Traffic numbers is an aggregate of traffic monitoring sites and my best estimate based on active player participation where precise data is lacking.
Real Money
US players can play Ignition Poker for real money using US dollars or Bitcoin. Real money games can be played with software downloads for Windows PC and Mac as well as mobile poker apps for iPhone/ iOS or Android devices.
New accounts qualify for free poker cash deposit match bonuses of up to 125% for real money players in the United States. Deposit options include credit cards, bank transfer, Bitcoin and Tether. Texas Holdem cash games and tournaments are offered with fast fold Zone Poker, MTT's and Sit n Gos.
Is it Legal to Play Online Poker for Real Money in the United States?
US Federal Laws - Do not prohibit online poker for real money, the seizure of domains and assets of Full Tilt, PokerStars, Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker were due to unlawful banking practices of these companies in relation to the UIGEA. The online poker sites that I have listed here are not affected.
US State Laws - The one state that prohibits online poker for real money is Washington State where it is a class C felony. No one has ever been charged under this law. New York, Utah, Missouri, Maryland, Louisiana, and Kentucky have vague laws where online pokers legality is a gray area. All other states either approve of online poker or have no laws against it.
The Wire Act - The wire act is a law that prohibits Sportsbooks from taking bets across state lines via telegraph or telephone and also applies to the internet. This makes it illegal for the Sportsbook and not the bettor.
UIGEA- This law was created in 2006 and is called the unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act: This law was not aimed at US Players but at banking and gaming companies that were using certain financial transactions that relate to money laundering. An unregulated Poker Site, Casino or Sportsbook that did not pass the strict KYC or Know Your Client laws for banks created an opportunity for transactions that were used to launder money into the financial system. On certain poker sites "chip dumping" in heads up games was seen as a possibility for moving illicit funds, the Department of Homeland Security wanted it closed, thus the law. source
Jurisdiction - The online poker / betting sites on this site are all outside of US jurisdiction and are legal and regulated in their offshore countries. Making US interference in an international business a violation of the World Trade Organization to which it is a member. Bet Online accepts players from every state.
Regulation - All the listed poker sites listed on this website are Licensed and Regulated offshore. This means that they are required to meet a lengthy list of regulations most important of which is to provide fair games, segregated accounts for players funds and customer support including problem resolution. If a site is found in breach of any of the regulations and a request to address the problem is not met their license can be pulled.
Top Licensed US Poker Sites
Deposit Options That are Accepted for US Players
The most commonly accepted deposit options for US players are Credit Cards and Bitcoin.
ACR Poker has the most deposit methods with over 60 cryptocurrencies accepted, all credit cards plus several other options.
For US players the best deposit option is to use cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin because:
- There are zero deposit fees
- Deposits are nearly instant
- ACR Poker and Ignition offer increased deposit bonuses
- Withdrawals are the fastest
There are currently no us poker sites that accept PayPal or Skrill.
| Deposit Method | ACR Poker | BetOnline | Bovada | Ignition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accepting Credit Cards | ||||
| American Express | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Diners Club | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Discover | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| MasterCard | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| VISA | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| VISA Debit | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Prepaid VISA | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Accepting Cryptocurrency | ||||
| Bitcoin (BTC) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tether (USDT) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ethereum (ETH) | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Other Methods Accepted | ||||
| Bank Transfer | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Cashiers Check | No | Yes | No | No |
| EcoPayz | Yes | No | No | No |
| Money Order | No | Yes | No | No |
| Player Transfer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ria | Yes | No | No | No |
| Zelle | No | No | Yes | No |
| Methods Not Accepted | ||||
| PayPal | No | No | No | No |
| Paysafe Card | No | No | No | No |
| Skrill | No | No | No | No |
Deposit Minimums
The US friendly poker sites with the lowest minimum deposit amount are Bovada Poker and Ignition Poker at $10 for depositing with crypto and still qualifying for the deposit bonus.
| Deposit Type | ACR Poker | BetOnline | Bovada | Ignition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin / Crypto | $10 | $20 | $10 | $10 |
| Credit Cards | $25 | $50 | $20 | $20 |
| To Claim Bonus | $25 | $50 | $10 | $10 |
Withdrawals - Options and Payout Times
Ignition Poker, Bovada, ACR Poker and BetOnline all are competing for who has the fastest payouts. Withdrawals at all sites are active Monday through Friday, excluding holidays and take 12-48 hours to be reviewed. Once reviewed payments for Bitcoin and other crypto are done immediately, checks and wire transfers take from 3 - 14 days.
Withdrawal options for US players are much faster for crypto and average about the same times for ACR Poker, Ignition, Bovada and BetOnline:
- Bitcoin 12- 48 hours
- Other Cryptocurrency - 12- 48 hours
- Wire Transfer - 3 - 14 days
- Cheque by Courier - 3 - 14 days
Rake
The poker sites for US players with the lowest rake:
The lowest rake at US poker sites is at ACR Poker for medium and high stakes cash games with a rake cap of $3. Ignition and Bovada have the lowest rake for low stakes cash games with a rake cap of $2.
The highest rake percentage is BetOnline poker with 5.56% vs 5% at ACR Poker, Bovada and Ignition Poker.
This rake comparison is for Texas No Limit Holdem cash games with 6+ players - it is by far the most trafficked types of poker game, thats why I choose it. Other rake caps are in place for Limit Holdem, Omaha, Stud and other games as well as heads-up games and 3-5 player games.
| Stakes | ACR Poker | BetOnline | Bovada | Ignition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $0.10 / $0.25 | $3 | $3 | $2 | $2 |
| $1 / $2 | $3 | $4 | $4 | $4 |
| $5 / $10 | $3 | $5 | $4 | $4 |
Cashback Rewards
Cashback rewards (rakeback) for real money US poker sites:
ACR Poker is the best rakeback site for US players with a range of 5.5% to 66.20% cash back with Elite Benefits Rewards. ACR Poker rakeback is 27% vs Elite Benefits VIP program at 66.20%, Elite is a better deal for players generating more than $1500 rake per month.
Ignition poker and Bovada do not offer cashback or rakeback to its players.
BetOnline currently does not offer any rakeback or cashback rewards to its players.
ACR Poker offers an increasing percent of rake back you get on a sliding scale:
| Rake & Fees | ACR Poker Elite |
|---|---|
| $100 | 5.5% |
| $250 | 9.50% |
| $500 | 12.80% |
| $1000 | 21% |
| $2500 | 18.56% |
| $5000 | 22.20% |
| $10000 | 22.35% |
| $10000 | 30.55% |
| $50000 | 37.87% |
| $100000 | 36.20% |
| $200000 | 66.20% |
Tournaments
Where are the best online poker tournaments for US players?
The best online poker tournaments for US players are at ACR Poker. They have more guaranteed tournaments, more often, with more players plus they have more than 2X the weekly amount of guarantees ($3.8 Million) as second place is BetOnline with $2.5 Million in weekly guarantees. third is Bovada & Ignition ($2.0 Million) that share the same player pool.
Tournament stakes start at nothing for freerolls and go up to $5150 buy-in for the ACR Poker Super High Roller on Wednesdays.
The best day for tournament traffic is Sundays which have the biggest guaranteed tournaments of the week.
Tournament traffic is highest during evenings, followed by afternoons, then mornings for all poker sites. Overnight traffic is considerably lower.
The most popular poker tournament of the week is the Sunday $50 000 guaranteed with a $22 buy-in at ACR Poker which draws over 2500 players weekly.
Biggest Daily Guaranteed Tournaments
You can play in freerolls at all US friendly poker sites. Freerolls allow you to play real money poker tournaments for free and win real money. Ignition and Bovada require rewards points to qualify but the amount to be won is significantly larger. BetOnline offers its new players 4 $2500 freerolls in their first month. ACR Poker offers on demand $50 freerolls that you can play in every time 270 players sign up.
| Time (ET) | Poker Site | Guarantee | Buy-in | Play |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11:15 | ACR Poker | $8 000 | $55 | Register |
| 13:00 | ACR Poker | $20 000 | $530 | Register |
| 15:00 | Bovada Poker | $7 777 | $22 | Register |
| 15:00 | ACR Poker | $10 000 | $66 | Register |
| 17:00 | Bovada Poker | $5000 | $5.50 | Register |
| 19:00 | BetOnline | $15 000 | $55 | Register |
| 18:45 | ACR Poker | $3 000 | $5.50 | Register |
| 19:00 | ACR Poker | $20 000 | $109 | Register |
| 19:00 | Bovada Poker | $7 777 | $11 | Register |
| 19:07 | Bovada Poker | $17 777 | $33 | Register |
| 19:45 | ACR Poker | $20 000 | $88 | Register |
| 20:00 | BetOnline | $10 000 | $109 | Register |
| 20:00 | Ignition Poker | $25 000 | $55 | Register |
| 22:00 | Ignition Poker | $15 000 | $109 | Register |
21 Biggest Sunday Guaranteed Tournaments
The biggest online poker tournaments of the week are on Sunday. The biggest Texas Holdem Sunday tournaments from micro to high stakes are listed below. While there are plenty of choices for US players, ACR Poker has the most major tournaments on Sundays.
| Time (ET) | Poker Site | Guarantee | Buy-in | Play |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 | ACR Poker | $1 500 | $3.30 | Register |
| 13:00 | ACR Poker | $10 000 | $5.50 | Register |
| 14:00 | BetOnline Poker | $25 000 | $55 | Register |
| 14:00 | Bovada Poker | $15 000 | $33 | Register |
| 14:00 | ACR Poker | $50 000 | $22 | Register |
| 14:00 | ACR Poker | $200 000 | $1050 | Register |
| 14:30 | ACR Poker | $125 000 | $215 | Register |
| 16:00 | BetOnline Poker | $12 500 | $22 | Register |
| 16:00 | BetOnline Poker | $150 000 | $109 | Register |
| 15:00 | ACR Poker | $30 000 | $55 | Register |
| 16:00 | Ignition Poker | $30 000 | $55 | Register |
| 16:00 | Ignition Poker | $150 000 | $162 | Register |
| 16:10 | ACR Poker | $40 000 | $88 | Register |
| 17:30 | Bovada Poker | $28 888 | $16.50 | Register |
| 18:00 | ACR Poker | $50 000 | $530 | Register |
| 19:00 | BetOnline Poker | $40 000 | $109 | Register |
| 19:00 | BetOnline Poker | $10 000 | $11 | Register |
| 19:00 | BetOnline Poker | $1 000 | $1.10 | Register |
| 19:00 | ACR Poker | $30 000 | $109 | Register |
| 19:10 | ACR Poker | $20 000 | $66 | Register |
| 19:15 | ACR Poker | $50 000 | $215 | Register |
Biggest Online Poker Tournaments for US Players in 2024
Even bigger than the usual Sunday Majors, these are the largest online poker tournaments of the year for US players:
- ACR Poker Venom - May 23 2024
- Venom Main Event is $8 Million Guaranteed with first place Guaranteed at least $1 Million
- 160 Online Tournaments with the OSS 3D
- $15 Million Guaranteed
- $2650 Buy In or qualify via Cyclone Tournaments from $0.25 or with Sit n Go STEPS
- ACR Poker Online Super Series XL - May 18 - May 6
- 4 - $1 Million Guaranteed Main Event Tournaments (3X $630 buy-in, 1X $2650 buy-in)
- 110 Online Tournaments with the OSS XL
- $12 Million Guaranteed
- Qualify via Cyclone Blitz Tournaments from $0.25
- ACR Poker Online High Five - May 7 - May 26
- 3 - $840 000 Guaranteed Main Event Tournaments ($450 buy-in)
- 100 Online Tournaments
- $10 Million Guaranteed
- Qualify via Cyclone Blitz Tournaments from $0.25
- Black Diamond Poker Open (Ignition & Bovada) - May 28 - May 31
- $450 000 Guaranteed Main Event Tournament ($425 buy-in + 2 re-entries)
- 150 Online Tournaments
- $6.3 Million Guaranteed
- Qualify via Satellite Tournaments from $3.30
Freerolls
You can play in freerolls at all US friendly poker sites. Freerolls allow you to play real money poker tournaments for free and win real money. Ignition and Bovada require rewards points to qualify but the amount to be won is significantly larger. BetOnline offers its new players 4 $2500 freerolls in their first month, these are the biggest freerolls for new US players. ACR Poker offers the most freerolls with on demand $50 freerolls that you can play in every time 270 players sign up.
| Date | Poker Site | Guarantee | How to Qualify | Play |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursdays 21:05 ET | Ignition Poker | $2500 | Chrome Rewards Level | Register |
| Any Tournament | Bovada Poker | $50 - $75000 | Rewards Points | Register |
| Sundays | BetOnline Poker | $2500 X 4 | New Players - 4 tickets | Register |
| On Demand | ACR Poker | $50 | Open to Everyone | Register |
If you don't want to play for real money with no deposit your best bet is ACR Poker, remember once you place in the money you can use that to buy-in to real money tournaments starting at $0.11.
Bonuses
Biggest US New Account Bonus
Ignition Poker offers the biggest sign up bonus for US players at a maximum of $1250 on a first deposit of $1000. ACR Poker does offer 100% deposit bonus up to a maximum of $500. ACR Poker gives you 60 days to clear your bonus while all US sites give you 30 days to clear your bonus by playing in real money games and tournaments in which you pay rake & fees.
Best Bonus for US Players
Ignition Poker offers the best poker bonus for US players because of a 125% deposit match and its super easy to clear. The poker bonuses at Bovada and Ignition poker both clear to your account at a rate of 50% of the rake / fees paid ($5 Bonus released for $10 paid). ACR Poker and BetOnline both clear at 20% of the rake & fees paid ($5 Bonus released for $25 paid).
Poker Bonus Codes for USA Players
| Poker Site | Sign up Bonus | Bonus Code |
|---|---|---|
| ACR Poker | 100% up to $500 | Referral Code: Sydney100 |
| Bovada Poker | 100% up to $500 | Bonus Code: PWB500 |
| Ignition Poker | 125% on Bitcoin up to $1250 (Poker) | None: Claim Bonus |
| Ignition Casino | 200% on Bitcoin up to $1000 (Casino) | Bonus Code: IGBITCOIN200 |
| BetOnline | 100% up to $1000 | Bonus Code: NEWBOL |
Free Poker Sites
US facing online poker sites that you can play poker games for free online:
- ACR Poker - Play free poker games and win real money with on demand freerolls
- PokerStars.net
- Governor of Poker 3
- Global Poker
- Play WSOP
- Zynga Poker
- Replay Poker
- 24/7 Free Poker
- WPT Free
These poker sites are free but many hassle you to buy points to play with or advertisements to make their business viable.
Blacklist
Blacklisted US Poker Sites
It is recommended that you avoid and do not play real money poker games at these shady poker sites that accept US players:
- Carbon Poker
- Odds Poker
- Pay No Rake
- UPN Poker
Shut Down Poker Sites - Defunct
These defunct poker sites are now shut down:
- Lock Poker
- Cake Poker
- Absolute Poker
- Ultimate Bet
- Card Spike
Banned Poker Sites
Online poker sites that have banned US Players from real money games:
- PokerStars
- Party Poker
- 888 Poker
- Bodog Poker
- Bet365 Poker
- Full Tilt Poker
- WSOP
Bodog is the same player pool as Bovada and Ignition poker so US players can play there. PokerStars offers low traffic real money games in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Party Poker has a New Jersey site, 888 Poker and WSOP offer some low traffic (ring fenced by state) real money games in New Jersey and Nevada.
Other US Friendly Poker Sites
There are other US friendly poker sites you may know of and wonder why they are not listed as recommended These poker sites have low to very low traffic or are "skins" of other networks Chico Network or Winning Network.
- Interops Poker
- Black Chip Poker
- Poker King
- True Poker
- Ya Poker
- Sports Betting Poker
- 5 Dimes Sports Poker
- Nitrogen Sports Poker
- Seals with Clubs
In my opinion there are better poker sites for US players.
US Online Poker FAQ
You can play online poker in the United States legally in New Jersey, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Delaware In Washington State it is illegal. In all other states it is not officially regulated at the state or federal level.
In all other states there are no laws that make playing online poker illegal there are online poker sites that offer real money poker games to US players. These US poker sites have a long standing reputation of hassle free quick payouts and have not been charged under the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act like Party Poker, PokerStars and Full Tilt.
No US player has ever been charged with illegally playing online poker.
Americans can play poker online in the United States at the following websites:
- ACR Poker - acrpoker.eu
- Ignition Poker - ignitioncasino.eu
- Bovada Poker - bovada.lv
- BetOnline Poker - betonline.ag
You can play for real money in the USA at the following US friendly online poker sites:
Online poker is not banned in the United States, it is seen more of a gray market where the law is not clear. Online poker is not illegal under federal law, it is left to individual states to make online poker legal or illegal. In Washington State online poker is a class C felony and is illegal, but nobody has ever been charged under that law.
Safe US online poker sites including Bovada, BetOnline and ACR Poker (Doylesroom at the time) were not charged in Black Friday 2011 and are still operating today for US players with consistently fast payouts.
There were rigged poker sites pre 2011 at Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet in which employees hacked the software to see opponents hole cards and were able to steal millions in rigged poker games.
ECOGRA was created as a third parter watch dog to flag rigged online poker sites and legal jurisdictions have software audits, monitor for patterns of rigged games and segregated player funds which make legal licensed US poker sites legitimate and safe to play real money games for US players.
On Black Friday in May 2011 PokerStars was charged with wire fraud under the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act. PokerStars had their domain name confiscated and was ordered to pay $547 million in fines to the US government.
PokerStars now legally allows US players for real money poker games in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Yes you can play 888 poker in New Jersey for real money, visit their website at us.888poker.com
Ignition Poker and Bovada have the most real money players of any US poker site with 4280 +/- players online on average, The two sites are on the same player network and game play is anonymous so an accurate count is impossible. ACR Poker is a close second for cash games but they have more tournament players with bigger guaranteed prizes.