Poker Sites Available To Us Players

  1. Anyway, multiple top online poker sites for US players pulled out of the market due to the unclear legality of online poker in USA. Among the biggest sites to leave after UIGEA was passed in 2006 were.
  2. Subsequently, all publicly-traded poker sites stopped allowing US players, allowing private mega-sites like PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker to take over the US market. Payment options slowly returned to US players and the market seemed to stabilize into a new normal: a distinct separation between US poker rooms.
  3. BetOnline Poker has been called by many as one of the best poker site in the US market. The poker brand may have been around since 1991, but its online poker operation only came into effect in 2011.

Although things aren't as easy as they used to be, there are still plenty of options for Americans looking to play poker online. We have listed the best USA poker sites on this page - every site on this list accepts players from the United States for free money or real money poker play. Make sure to use the referral codes listed for each site in order to receive upgraded sign up bonuses when you make your first deposit.

The USA poker sites listed below are ranked in order based on ease of deposits and withdrawals, as well as best possible bonuses, game variety and traffic. Most of the US poker sites featured here are fairly easy in terms of competition with Lock and BetOnline attracting the most fish. All of the poker rooms accept US bank issued Visas, as well as Mastercard, prepaid debit cards, money transfers and of course, bank wires.

SportsBetting.ag Poker is part of the growing Chico Network and is a sister site to the no.1 US poker room BetOnline.ag. We recommend BetOnline Poker above SB Poker, but both are viable choices for. When you join one of the top USA real money online poker sites listed on CardsChat.com, you will find lots of easy-to-beat players. You can use simple and secure banking options such as credit &.

Online Poker For Us Players

Update - PokerStars and FullTiltPoker.com are no longer open to US players.

If you live in the United States, you can play at any of the US friendly poker sites below, including Bet Online Poker All of the US poker sites featured on this page accept American players, and US deposits (including credit cards).

Rank Poker SiteBonusReferral CodeLearn More
1.100% up to $2000n/a - use linkIgnition Poker
2.100% up to $500n/a - use linkBovada Poker
3.100% up to $600 n/a - use linkIntertops Poker
4.100% to $2500n/a - use linkBetOnline Poker
5.100% up to $2500 n/a - use linkIntertops Poker

USA Poker Deposit Methods

Although dozens of other sites accept American players, it can often be a hassle depositing money because of USA laws. The above sites accept the most deposit methods, and some of the more common ones are listed below:

Credit/Debit Cards:

Depending on your bank and credit card provider, you may be able to make a deposit directly to a US friendly poker site using your credit card. This is the easiest and quickest way to get money from your pocket to your poker account. Click here to find out what sites accept Credit Card Deposits.

eCheck:

A lot of online poker sites, allow players to deposit using eChecks. How this works is that you provide your bank's routing number and your checking account number, and then can instantly transfer funds from your checking account to your online poker account. This is another instant form of money transfer, and just like the credit card option, there are no fees involved.

eWallets:

eWallets are getting tougher and tougher for American players. How eWallets work is that you create an online account, then fund the account by a bank transfer or credit card payment, then transfer money from the eWallet to the poker site. However, these are getting all but impossible for players located in the USA. Your best bet is either eCheck or a credit/debit card.

All USA Friendly Deposit Options:

- Credit/Debit Cards

- eChecks

- MoneyGram

Legality of Online Poker in the United States

Ever since 2006 there has been a shakeup in the online poker world for United States players. On October 13, 2006 President Bush signed into effect the SAFE Port Act, which was a bill designed to improve security at major ports and docks in the United States.

Now normally, an act designed to improve port security would have no effect on online poker or players trying to play United States poker games. Up until this point every USA friendly poker site had operated with no problems from the government, and everyone was happy (so it seemed).

However, at the last minute a Senator from Tennessee, Bill Frist, attached a section to the bill regarding online gambling and the legality of transferring funds to online gambling sites. This sub-section is called the UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act).

UIGEA

Poker Sites Accepting Us Players

The UIGEA act was slipped onto the SAFE Port Act at the last minute, and quickly pushed through Congress. The implications of this bill were witnessed immediately, as all publicly held online gambling companies withdrew from the USA market right away. Corporations realized huge financial losses, such as PartyGaming who saw its stock drop over 60% in one single day because of the UIGEA bill. However, many privately held companies such as PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker chose to remain in the USA market, and have made tons of money for doing so.

Although the bill only targets financial institutions who process online gambling transactions, many players interpreted the new law as a total online poker ban. That is not the case; the bill only makes it illegal for banks and credit card companies to process monetary transactions to online poker sites.

2009 UIGEA Update

Targeted enforcement of the UIGEA bill was set to being on December 1st, 2009, but at the last minute the government pushed the date back six months to June 1st, 2010. Many analysts see this as an indication that banks simply cannot monitor every transaction, and refuse to do it. Only time will tell how things shake out for the American online poker market.

Other US Friendly Poker Sites:

Ever since the passing of the UIGEA bill in the United States, it has become increasingly difficult for an American poker player to gamble for money online. However, many poker sites are still USA-friendly, and it is easy to deposit and wager for US players. Basically, most of the privately held companies disregarded the UIGEA, but all of the publicly held poker companies were forced to obey the law and close to American traffic.

Besides our top four US poker rooms, we have reviewed a bunch of other USA poker sites that are great for American players. Here are some reviews of other USA friendly poker sites:

  • Also, learn about more poker sites for USA players at HoldemReview.com - our sister website.

More Country-Specific Toplists:

What is Freeroll Poker?

Poker Sites Available To Us Players

As the name implies, freerolls are free to play. That’s what makes them the best way for new players to learn poker, get a feel for the game and start building a bankroll of their own. While the tournaments are free to enter, they offer small cash prizes for the top finishers. This makes it possible to start building millions for free. Luckily, nearly all the best online poker sites off some kind of freeroll.

A lot of players have gotten their start playing on free poker sites and a few pros have even tried to challenge themselves by building up a bankroll from nothing. The path is there, it can be done, it just takes time, dedication and practice. Since they’re free to enter, you aren’t limited by your bankroll, only by the number of tournaments and time you want to put into improving your poker skills. Once you’ve mastered your skills in the free game and have built up a small bankroll, then you can jump to the more lucrative cash games with tons of experience under your belt.

There are all different kinds of freerolls too. You can play in tournaments or ring games. They’re also offered across the spectrum of poker games. You can play freeroll Texas No-Limit Hold’em or a number of other poker variants like Omaha, Seven-Card Stud or Razz.

Pros who Started out Playing Freerolls

Annette Obrestad famously won the 2007 World Series of Poker Europe a day before her 19th birthday for £1 million and has won millions of dollars in tournament poker since. But before she got to that WSOP final table, Obrestead, from Norway, had built up a ton of experience playing freerolls. Obrestad started playing poker as a teenager, when she wasn’t even old enough to deposit money on a poker site. That’s why she started playing freerolls and slowly started building experience and a bankroll.

Eventually, Obrestad kept moving up the stakes and making more money. Obrestad is said to have cashed out nearly $500,000 on PokerStars and hundreds of thousands of dollars on other sites. When she finally did deposit, there’s no doubt that a few poker bonuses helped push her bankroll up a bit.

Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, a co-founder of Full Tilt Poker and the 2000 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion, is a bit too old to have started out with freerolls, but he did show that it’s possible to build a roll from nothing.

In 2006, Ferguson took on a challenge to build a $10,000 bankroll from scratch. He started out by playing freerolls and it took him a few weeks to build up his first $2. After that, Ferguson built it up to $22 and started playing micro-stakes cash games and $1 tournaments. Little by little, Ferguson kept building and completed the challenge a year later in 2007.

Disciplined Bankroll Management

Ferguson wouldn’t have complete his challenge if he didn’t have strict bankroll management. Nearly all to high stakes pros have gotten to where they are by using disciplined bankroll management and making sure to only play higher stakes as their skills improved. Part of disciplined bankroll management is patience and knowing your skill level. Playing in games where you’re severely out skilled isn’t great for your bankroll management. That’s why discipline and patience are also essential in becoming a successful poker pro.

You’ll see the shift in skills every time you move up or down stakes. People in freerolls play very differently than real money players. And midstakes players play very different than microstakes player. So don’t jump in too deep at first. Start out slow and learn the new stakes as you jump up.

US Poker Sites with Great Freerolls

Freerolls are a bit tougher to find in 2021, but all the major sites still offer some kind of freeroll. PokerStars still hosts several freerolls throughout the day. Some sites in New Jersey and Nevada have freerolls peppered throughout their schedules. Lots of offshore sites have stopped offering them since demand was so high it would sometimes crash their servers.

BetOnline stopped offering freerolls in 2018, but they do have deposit bonuses for new players. If you sign up for an account there, you qualify for the New Player Freeroll bonus that offers up to $10,000 in prizes. The tournament runs on the second Sunday of each month and new players are given a free ticket to enter. The site also offers a Happy Hour Freeroll every Monday, but those winnings can only be used on the site’s live casino.

If you want more frequent freerolls, then 888 poker offers daily freeroll tournaments. 888 poker offers nearly $50,000 in freeroll prizes every week.

These are just some of the bonuses and freerolls out there. There are plenty of other sites that offer more if you start looking around. You can use any of these promotions to jumpstart your poker career with a minimal investment. You can start building your way towards your poker goals today.

Legal Poker Rooms and States

If you’re in New Jersey or Pennsylvania, PokerStars is a great option to get started with freerolls. They’re almost always available, just log on and check the lobby for tournaments in brown lettering.

Poker Sites Available To Us Players

Players in New Jersey and Nevada can also find freerolls on the WSOP site. They have a daily $100 freeroll bonus with a maximum capacity of 600 players. So be sure to sign up early. If you’re a member of the US Armed Forces, a police department or fire department, you can also qualify in the site’s monthly Hero Freeroll bonus.

If these don’t suit you, then there are plenty of alternative online poker options out there.

US Poker Sites with the “Best Value” Freerolls

If you’re in New Jersey, Pennsylvania or outside the US, PokerStars has the best freerolls. After that, BetOnline and Ignition Poker have some pretty solid offerings.

If you agree, disagree, or just want to chime in, then make your voice heard with an online poker site review.

These sites want to keep their customers and your reviews can help them gauge what they’re doing well (like freerolls) and what they can do better (like more freerolls). You can also contact customer service or go on social media to let these rooms know how you feel.

Author:Cliff Spiller
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