1. Learn How To Play Poker
2. Guide To Play Poker
3. Guide To Playing Online Poker
4. Playing Poker With Friends Online
5. Online Poker Strategy Guide
6. Guide To Playing Texas Holdem Poker

For ease of navigation, I have split up the guide into 4 parts: Part 1: Basic Rules of Texas Hold’em Gameplay This part is for people who are either complete beginners or need a. Part 2: Basic Poker Fundamentals & Theory In this part, we cover the basics of poker strategy and fundamentals as. In Seven Card Stud poker, everyone puts an initial ante up for play, to give people something for which to play. After everyone has anted up, they receive an opening three card deal. The first two of those cards are dealt down to keep them hidden from the other players, and the third card is dealt as an “up” card.

1. How To Play Poker - Learn Poker Rules: Texas hold em rules. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device.
2. The idea of playing poker on Zoom is simple; you play with your friends on the same poker game while being in a conference with them to make interaction easier. When choosing a private poker room, customization options are the first thing that you should be looking at.

Playing poker online is very similar to what goes down in physical casinos, as the rules are the same. The only difference is that the online version is easily accessible. Also, it allows you to place smaller bets to reduce the risk.

With these advantages, online poker has surged in popularity in the recent past. Players get to enjoy the intellectual game in the comfort of their homes. If you want to get in on the fun, this guide has everything you need to know before getting started. But first, here is a brief story so far.

Top 5 Rated Online Poker Sites March

Online Poker – The Story So Far

Poker has its origins in the early 19th century in the US. Back in the day, players met in casinos or the back of smoky bars. In 1970, the World Series of Poker (WSOP) began, and it popularized modern tournament playing.

However, it was not until the age of the internet that the game became popular globally. Before the year 2000, though, most poker players met in chat rooms for recreational gaming. This situation changed in the 21st century after multiple poker sites launched as technology advanced.

At the time, players did not trust the online real money poker games due to everything being virtual. This perception changed in 2003 when Chris Moneymaker, one of the poker players in the WSOP main event, won. He walked away with $2.5 million by starting on a $40 tournament online.

Chris revolutionized the game as many players trusted and saw the potential of playing real money online poker.

Basic Rules

Poker is a one-deck game (uses the standard 52-card pack), and in most poker games hands contain five cards. The aim is to have the hand with the highest value. That said, the cards rank from low to high in this order:

• Ace
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• Jack
• Queen
• King
• Ace

In Poker an Ace can be low or high but is usually ranked high. Some games use wild cards like jokers and one-eyed jacks.

Poker Hand Rankings

These are the possible poker hand combinations in order of value (highest to lowest).

• Five of a Kind – This combination is only possible in poker games with wild cards. It is the highest hand a player can get, and if more than one hand has this, the one with the best cards wins. For example, five queens beat five jacks.
• Straight Flush – A straight flush is the highest hand in a regular poker game with no wild cards. It consists of five cards in a sequence (order of value) and the same suit. The highest straight flush is A-K-Q-J-10, which forms a royal flush. There are also low flushes like 5-4-3-2-1.
• Four of a Kind – Similar to five of a kind, but checks only four cards. It does not matter what the fifth card is.
• Full House – This hand consists of three cards of one rank and two cards of another value. If there is a tie, a ranking of the first three, then the pair is done. For instance, K-K-K-10-10 beats K-K-K-8-8, but A-A-A-K-K defeats all.
• Flush – A flush hand has all five cards in the same suit, but not in sequence.
• Straight – This hand has all five cards in a sequence but not in the same suit.
• Three of a Kind – Similar to four of a kind, but with only three cards of the same rank.
• Two Pairs – As the name suggests, this hand contains a pair of cards in one rank, another pair of a different value and the fifth card. An example is A-A-8-8-4.
• Pair – A pair only contains two cards of the same kind. Q-Q-4-6-2 is a pair.
• No Pair/High Card – With this, all five cards are different (not of the same kind, suit or rank in a sequence). If the two hands tie, the highest card among the second, third, fourth and fifth cards determine the winner.

Poker Table Betting limits

Betting limits in real money poker games refer to the rules and structures to follow when betting and raising. There are different sets, that are available st online poker sites which include:

• No-limit – You have probably watched actors playing poker on TV, and they say they are all in. This game is no-limit poker, where you can bet whatever amount so long as you meet the minimum raise. It is the most popular type of betting limit as it encourages a popular strategy called brute force.
• Limit – This type caps the amount you can bet or raise, as well as the number of bets/raises per round.
• Pot-limit – Pot-limit also caps the amount you can bet. However, the pot size is the determinant. Once the pot becomes big enough (after players bet and raise), you can go all in. The game is like a blend between no-limit and limit poker.

Popular Variations of Online Poker Games

Most people know of or have only played Texas Hold’em. More specifically, no-limit Texas Hold’em is king in both physical casinos and poker sites. However, there are other variations to try out.

That said, these variants have some slightly different rules, and we begin by looking at the most popular one.

Texas Hold’em Poker

Texas Hold’em variant requires two players on the left of the button to place blinds before the dealer issues the cards. After this, the dealer gives two hole-cards to each player. The game begins with the player left of the big blind going clockwise. Players can call, raise or fold during this round. Once this round is over, the dealer deals the flop (three community cards) for players to try to make the best hand. Next is another betting round, then the turn (one community card), a third betting round and finally, the river community card. After this card, players place their last bets, and any remaining one must show their cards (showdown). Whoever has the highest-ranking poker hand wins the pot.

Omaha

There are two variants of Omaha poker: Omaha Hi and Omaha Hi-Lo. The former is more popular and is usually a pot-limit type. It is very similar to Texas Hold’em, only that four hole-cards are dealt instead of two. However, with Omaha Hi-Lo, the pot is divided between the lowest and highest hands at showdown.

7-card Stud

This is very different from the two poker variants above. All poker players place an ante, after which the dealer serves two hole cards and one face-up card. The player with the lowest face-up card goes first by either placing the game bet or a bring-in bet. After that, the remaining players get three more face-up cards in the fourth, fifth and sixth streets. All have betting rounds, and the player with the highest cards plays first after each street. In the last one, every active player receives a hole card. All players turn their hole cards and pick the best five cards for a winning hand in the showdown.

Three card poker

In three-card poker, players play against the dealer as opposed to each other. The game begins with players placing an ante (forced real money bet), after which three hole-cards are given, including to the dealer. Each player determines whether to place a play wager or fold. If the player folds, the ante and pair plus wager go to the dealer. Otherwise, cards are turned and compared for the highest value. If the player has the winning hand, the ante and play wager is paid 1 to 1. If the dealer has the winning hand, the ante and play wager go to the house.

Variety of Poker Games You Will Find Online

Aside from the most popular poker games, there are different varieties you will find on various online poker sites. Some of them include the following:

Casino Hold’em

Casino Hold’em rules are similar to those of Texas Hold’em. However, you play against the dealer to have the highest-ranking hand.

Joker Poker

Joker Poker is a variant of Jacks Or Better (Draw Poker) played using a 53-card deck. The extra card is a joker wild card.

Caribbean stud poker

Caribbean stud poker is very alike to 5-card stud, however, there are no draws, and players play against the house. Also, there is no bluffing in this online poker game.

Short deck poker

Short deck poker game is a Hold’em variant played using 36 cards (without twos, threes, fours and fives), hence the name. With few cards, there is a higher chance of getting a winning hand. This probability makes the game more fun to play. As such, Short Deck is very popular in high-stakes real money poker games.

2-7 Lowball

2-7 Lowball is also called the 2-7 Triple Draw, this variant requires each player to have five cards face down after players left of the dealer place small and big blinds. You will get three draw chances, and your goal is to make the lowest 5-card hand.

Razz

With Razz the goal for poker players is to make the lowest hand possible. It is a stud poker variant where aces count as low only while straights and flushes do not count against low-value hands.

Badugi poker

Badugi poker variant is similar to Razz as it uses the low hand ranking system. The gameplay is like that of 2-7 Triple Draw (lowball). Straights do not count against low-value hands, and aces are always low cards.

Learn How To Play Poker

Badugi poker

Five-Card Draw has similar gameplay to Hold’em. However, it has one drawing round where players receive five cards. It is easy to follow and understand.

Poker Playing Tips – An Aide to Winning

There is an element of luck when playing online poker, especially in the short term. However, professional players employ some tips to make superior decisions, which enable them to win in the long run.

With that in mind, these tips will not guarantee a win every time. They will help you improve your chances of taking the pot, whether in real money cash games, live gaming or tournaments. Here are some of them.

Study Your Opponents

Professionals will agree that poker is about studying and playing people, not cards. If your opponent shows weakness, such as checking the flop and turn, you can implement an aggressive bluffing strategy.

Play Multi-table Games

Consider playing multiple online poker games at once. This action will increase your play volume, and if you are skilled enough, your winning might increase exponentially.

Participate with micro-stakes

This strategy helps to minimize losses and is only available in online poker casino games. Even though it reduces the winnings, it is a solid tip for beginners to manage their bankroll. Luckily, nearly all online poker sites begin with no-limit Texas Hold’em micro-stakes of $0.01/$0.02.

Use freerolls to boost your bankroll at no risk

A freeroll guarantees a pot split at the very least if you remain with one opponent before the dealer gives the last card. If such an opportunity arises, take it, especially if you do not have a good hand.

Check Site Traffic

It is vital to check how popular poker sites and the more popular they are, the better. Ideally, this indicates that players prefer such sites, However, the downside is there may be better players and more competition, so for beginners, the high chances of winning are lower. Also, you will get more players at the table.

Poker Bankroll Management

For any online poker gambling game, you must manage your funds to avoid running out if you lose multiple bets.

Experts recommend buying in at most 5% of your bankroll. If you lose more than 10% of your funds, quit the game.

That said, there are a few things you should factor in as you manage your bankroll. For instance, you can bet more than 5% if you are extremely good at poker. Betting limits will also determine how much you place on the table.

Consider Table Position

Since online poker is a game of incomplete information, it is vital to understand your opponents before deciding the next step. However, this is only possible if they play before you. Therefore, your position on the table matters. With that in mind, apart from the middle section, there are two table positions.

• Late – This position refers to the dealer (button) and two seats on the right side. Players in these three positions have the best spots in poker tables because they play last. They can decide whether to call, bet, raise or fold analytically after studying the other players. Within the three, the button is the best position. The second best is the cutoff (immediate right of the dealer), then the hijack.
• Early – An early position refers to three seats left of the dealer. These three are the worst positions in a poker table because players on them must act first. As such, they will not have any knowledge of how other players on the table will play their hands. That said, the one immediately left of the dealer (small blind) is the worst of the three. Next is the big blind, and on the far left is the UTG (Under the Gun).

Online Poker Bonuses

There are plenty of real money poker bonuses that you can find at online poker rooms, with the most common ones found below:

Sign Up Bonus

Perhaps the most crucial bonus in online poker is the one given after making the first deposit. This sign-up bonus is real money, but you cannot withdraw it. However, it increases your bankroll and is a great way to start playing poker at the site.

No-deposit Bonus

Some poker sites offer instant cash bonuses immediately after you sign up (without making any deposit). However, this is usually a small amount, say $10 or less. If you are lucky, some online casinos will give you free tournament tickets.

Reload Bonus

Occasionally, poker sites give bonuses to customers who deposit large sums into their poker room accounts. Furthermore, a reload bonus can be calculated as cashback where a percentage of net losses during a week or even a month at the poker room.

Referral Bonus

Online casino poker rooms usually offer Refer-a-Friend bonuses to players who bring in others to register and start gambling on their site.

Online Poker Tournaments

The best online poker sites will host many poker tournaments that bring together as few as two players in a single table (heads-up tournament) to as many as thousands playing in multiple tables. Such regulated online poker casino games allow you to showcase your gaming skills and win some cash. Some of the popular tournament types include:

Free Roll

In Freeroll tournaments, you play online for free as it costs nothing to enter. However, the poker casino game variants you play require cash bets. The contest is usually available on an hourly basis, with daily cash prizes.

Freezeout

Freezeout tournaments require a cash (real money) buy-in to get your chips to play online. If you run out of your chips, you are out. You cannot rebuy.

Multi-buy

This type is different from Freezeout tournaments because it allows you to register with multiple stacks for the same competition. However, you must register for these stacks at the start of the competition.

Rebuy

Rebuy tournaments give you windows of opportunity to cash in for more chips. Usually, there is a limited buying period at the start of the contest. You also get a rebuy period in the middle of the tournament. There is a last chance to buy more chips at the end of the rebuy period.

Guaranteed (GTD)

A guaranteed tournament has a minimum fixed pool prize, no matter how many players participate. It can help to increase your bankroll, especially if there are few people in the competition.

Bounty

As the name suggests, this tournament is about capturing (in this case, knocking out) competitors from the online poker game. You get cash prizes for every player to knock out, which can range between 20 – 50% of their buy-in.

Selecting the Best Online Poker Sites

There are very many online casinos competing to have you play real money poker on their sites. Not all of them are genuine, and most have different gaming terms. You should check what each online poker site offers depending on your skill level. Here are some pointers to guide you.

Online Poker Sites for Beginners

As a beginner in gambling, you should be extremely careful and thorough about where to begin your online poker exploits. The goal is to have an easy time learning to play online, so check for the following:

• An easy sign-up process
• Attractive bonuses
• Free play options (for learning)

Additionally, ensure the online poker casino accepts low stakes to minimize cash losses and has low playthrough requirements for bonuses. It should have a trusted and secure platform with fast cash payments.

Best Poker Sites For Advanced Players

As an advanced real money online poker gambler, chances are you will place high-value cash bets early on. Therefore, check for the following:

• Juicy welcome bonuses to double or triple your bankroll
• Safe and secure banking options
• Wide variety of poker games

On top of this, the site should have a lot of traffic, tournaments and easy-to-use software.

Our Online Poker Inspection Process 🔍 How We Review, Rate And Rank Poker Sites

In addition to the above pointers, you should use our online poker inspection process to rank the best online casinos.

Casino Security – Safe Online Casino Gambling

Every genuine online casino should ensure playing with real money is safe and secure. One of the ways to know if the casino is safe is whether it is licensed and regulated.

Also, look for security measures like SSL encryption to protect your data. Check for a padlock on the left side of the address bar plus HTTPS on the link.

Reputability of The Casino

Popularity determines reputation. As such, look at how much traffic the gaming site receives per day using various tools online. Additionally, the gambling site should host regulated online poker. Therefore, ensure it is licensed and regulated by a reliable regulator.

Poker Freerolls and Bonuses – New and Loyal Players

Poker gaming sites with more bonuses and freerolls rank higher because they boost your online wallet. With these, they will attract new and loyal gamers.

Available Poker Games – Quantity, Variety and Quality

Successful gambling is not just about playing any online poker game. It is about playing the specific online poker variant that you are good at. Therefore, make sure the poker site features several online variants allowing you a choice to play poker.

Poker Software – Innovative Software Developers

Apart from being a regulated online poker site, we check the innovativeness of the poker software providers. Ultimately, each poker game you play online should give you the best user experience.

Live Dealer Review – Interaction and Professionalism

Playing with a live dealer gives a genuine-like gaming experience. The gambling site should have options for both this and a virtual dealer so that you can try your hand in all.

Mobile compatibility – Play Poker on The Go

It is very convenient to play online poker on the go with mobile devices. Part of the software innovativeness should include a mobile app or a website optimized for mobile device browsers.

Gambling Limits – Max and Min Bets

For beginners, gambling limits should be low (minimum bets) for easier bankroll management. The goal is to play as many hands as possible with the real money deposit plus bonus. However, for experienced gamers, the limits should be higher, especially for the maximum bets.

Trusted Payment Methods and Payout times

Online poker requires cash to play, and the gambling site should have multiple trustworthy methods for making deposits and withdrawals. We recommend options like wire transfers, PayPal, Visa, Mastercard and the like.

Also, ensure the payout times are quick with at most a day as the waiting period.

Live Chat and Overall Customer Support – Quality of Service

Problems may arise when gambling. Customer support is crucial in this business to sort out issues swiftly. Live Chat is the quickest way to reach online poker administrators. Look for other options as well, such as calls and emails.

Online Gaming Experience – A Players Perspective

Overall, an easy and fantastic gaming experience is vital. If you are a beginner, the online poker site or app should be intuitive. For experts, a familiar user experience will help you navigate through it with ease.

Failure To Make The Grade ❌ Online Poker Room/Casino Blacklist March

Using the above inspection process, you should narrow it down to the best online poker rooms and casinos. Consider reading user reviews for the shortlisted gambling sites. This research will give you first-hand information from those playing online.

How do Poker Sites Differ?

Online poker sites might look similar, but there are some underlying differences. While shortlisting your options, you will notice their differences:

• Poker variations
• Tournaments
• Bonuses
• User numbers (traffic)
• Software providers
• Betting limits
• Online playing experiences

The list goes on and on as two online poker sites are very unlikely to be exactly the same.

The Importance of Poker Software

Since the games are online, the software is crucial in the entire process. It supports payments, accounts, wallets, gaming experiences, and many others. Additionally, the software determines how many online poker variants are available.

Thus, consider checking the software provider for every gambling site on your list. Some of the best ones include:

• OnGame Network
• Cake Gaming
• Microgaming
• Playtech

Why Play @ Online Poker Sites?

As compared to physical casinos, online poker players get a better playing experience, whether you are a beginner or an expert.

For instance, beginners get bonuses and micro-stakes for easier bankroll management. On the other hand, experts can try out multi-table playing, which multiplies winnings faster.

ll in all, after reading our real money online poker guide, you should be ready to dip your toe in the water and get into the game.

Online Poker FAQ

If you have questions or doubts about online poker, these answers should clarify them and hopefully assist you in attaining the best online poker experience.

UIGEA stands for the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006. The US law prevents online gambling sites from accepting payments (wagers) via the internet.

The more the traffic, the more opponents at the tables. Therefore, getting tables to play in will be easier, translating to more gameplay and competition.

Yes, some poker sites offer free games for you to play poker, which is ideal for training purposes. Alternatively, poker sites with massive bonuses will top up your deposit so that you play more hands with real money.

Bonus offers depend on the online poker site. Some provide sign up extras on deposits, while others have no-deposit bonuses. Make sure you follow the procedures to claim them.

Yes, poker mobile apps are usually extensions of desktop browser sites. They function the same way, where you can bet and win real money like on a desktop/laptop.

Yes, there differences between poker rooms in European and The United States, however, the main difference is the number of players. US poker rooms can be large, but their European counterparts restrict the number of gamers.

The best way to see if Poker Site is secure is to Check for data encryption protocols like SSL. This technology scrambles login details, credit card information, addresses, names and other data sent between the user and the site.

Yes, most online casinos and poker sites have apps for mobile phones or tablets allowing you to play poker on the go. Others have optimized their sites for mobile browsers to facilitate smartphones and tablets.

Poker requires a single 52-card standard deck, however, some variants require two jokers as additional cards (wild cards).

Cash games are on one table, and you can quit at any time, exchanging your chips for real money. On the other hand, tournaments can either be on one or multiple tables. Also, they end with one winner who takes all the chips.

If you are interested to get the best rakeback deals and private promotions on poker sites head on to PokerPro website (PS: there are plenty of options to choose from also for the USA players).

Physical distance is the new norm, and despite casinos opening up, we can’t really be 100% safe while playing. This challenge has created a new trend for many enthusiasts—playing poker on Zoom! It sounds a bit overkill at first, but it isn’t and has its own merits for many players.

To start playing poker on Zoom, you only need a platform where you can play online private games. PokerStars, 888 Poker, Poker Now, and Easy Poker are four excellent platforms that you can use for playing. Once you have the options set up for the games, you can start a Zoom meeting and start playing!

Playing poker on Zoom is pretty straightforward, but choosing the right platform can be challenging. We’ll go through the steps that you need to take to start your games, including some poker platforms that you can use. Stick around to learn more about it, and we’re sure that you’ll be up and playing in no time!

Why Should You Play Poker on Zoom?

When we first heard about it, playing poker on Zoom didn’t make a lot of sense. Why would we even bother ourselves trying to improve a gaming experience that we’ve already been using for more than a decade, right? But after trying it for ourselves, everything made sense, and it was actually one of the best online poker games we’ve ever played!

Guide To Play Poker

The reason why poker has become one of the most popular card games in the world is that it’s perfect for whatever we want. Whether for pastime, bonding, casual games, money games, or tournaments, poker has everything suitable for everyone.

The poker boom led many companies to release their online poker sites, which made playing poker more accessible. Nowadays, playing poker online is something that many enthusiasts do, and it won’t be that hard for you to start playing.

I played professionally on PokerStars for many years, even on FullTilt back in the day. But after PokerStars reduced their rakeback to almost zero, I moved to smaller sites, where my share of the rakeback is what I consider fair (meaning, good enough for me :))

There are many online poker sites that you can use to practice physical distancing without missing out on your favorite game. However, some things make live poker games more entertaining; areas where online poker just can’t compete, such as the following:

• The level of interaction with other players. Although many professionals advise against socializing while playing because of the possibility of revealing your tells and flaws, it will always be one of the most interactive games. You and your friends prefer to play poker because it’s fun to talk big and shut your friends up as soon as you win a big pot, right?
• Gather more data that you can use to win games. When you’re playing high-level online poker, you can never use the flaws, expressions, and tells of your opponents because you can’t see them. It may not be that important for casual players, but it’s still something that online poker sites can’t replicate. The only thing that is a must for many poker pros is a HUD.
• It activates your senses as soon as you enter a cardroom. Another reason why many players prefer live games is the experience. Online poker sites can never replicate the softness of the felt on your fingertips, the satisfaction of shuffling chips in between your fingers, and the luxurious comfort that only casinos can provide.

The more you cover all of these factors while playing poker, the easier it’ll be for you and your friends to replace live poker with online games.

Playing poker on Zoom is a way for you to level up your games because it allows you to have more interaction than if you were only playing private online games.

When you’re into high-level competition, you can even use Zoom to read through your opponents, albeit on a much lower quality than in real-life.

The idea behind playing poker on Zoom is just to take online poker games to a whole new level. You start a private poker table with your friends, start a conference with them, and then start playing and interacting with each other in real-time!

How to Start Playing Poker on Zoom

Playing poker on Zoom presents a huge upgrade with how we typically play online poker, but you don’t really need a lot to start. Here are the things that you need to play poker on Zoom:

• Laptop for every player
• Smartphone (optional)
• Zoom to host the games
• Payment Processor (optional)
• Private poker rooms

These are the requirements to start and host poker on Zoom. Of course, you’re free to make adjustments as you see fit, but we’ll cover the easiest way to play and what we think many people want for their games.

Requirement #1: Laptop

A laptop is an absolute requirement for every player. This is the one that I love the most (Amazon link). You can play poker on a smartphone, you can be at a Zoom meeting with a desktop computer, but you can’t play poker on Zoom using either or both; only a laptop can do it!

It’s possible to play online poker on a smartphone, especially with the popularity of poker apps. However, if you’re going to play poker while in a Zoom meeting, you’ll have to run apps simultaneously, and many apps and smartphones can’t do it.

Using a desktop is possible, but you need to set it up for the webcam, mic, and headphones. There are just too many things to work on a desktop computer before you can use it to play poker on Zoom. It’s possible, but nobody has the time to prepare for it, especially if you and your friends are starting games spontaneously.

Requirement #2: Smartphone

Using a smartphone, alone, isn’t recommended if you want to have the best online poker experience. However, you can use it to upgrade the games that you play. Nowadays, most online poker sites have adapted to the mobile-first approach, and all of them have their apps that run seamlessly on any smartphone.

You and your friends can access the poker table you’ve created on a smartphone while in a conference with them on your laptop. We know many of you would want to have this experience, so we searched the web to look for a platform that you can use for this purpose.

Requirement #3: Zoom Account

If you’re only playing casually, a free Zoom account could work. However, it’ll drop the call as soon as you hit the 40-minute group meeting limit. Forty minutes for a poker game is possible; sometimes, one of your friends will even run out of chips in the first few minutes. But usually, poker games last a bit longer. So, if you really want untethered poker experience, we recommend a Zoom Pro Account.

With a pro account, you’ll have a 24-hour meeting limit—that’s more than the time that the best poker players can last at the table! It also gives you better customization features, making it easier for you to adjust the meeting to your liking. A Zoom Pro account only costs $14.99, and you only need one paid account to start hosting games.

Requirement #4: Payment Processor

Using a payment processor is optional; you only need it if you’re playing money games with your friends. Paypal is the obvious choice, but can also use other options like Revolut, Google Pay, Apple Pay, and even Messenger Pay.

Before you start the game, each player will send their money to an “escrow player”—a person who temporarily holds all the money and will transfer it to the winner at the end of the game.

You can also use a poker platform that has a feature that can help you manage money transactions.

Requirement #5: Private Poker Rooms

Guide To Playing Online Poker

Many online poker platforms will allow you to host a private poker room for free! We’ll discuss the ones that we recommend in a while, but what you need is something that you can customize and will allow you to invite your friends to join.

The idea of playing poker on Zoom is simple; you play with your friends on the same poker game while being in a conference with them to make interaction easier. When choosing a private poker room, customization options are the first thing that you should be looking at and how easy it’ll be for your friends to join.

Let the Poker Games Begin… on Zoom!

What makes playing poker on Zoom great is your ability to set up poker games with friends without investing money for the table, chips, and the space that you’re going to use for your games. It’s a step above online poker games because instead of typing whatever you want to say, you are interacting with your friends directly.

It’s the second-best thing that you can do if you want to play poker. You don’t have to go through the trouble of setting up the tables, and you don’t have to spend time visiting a card room.

In fact, in a world where we are encouraged to practice physical distancing, playing poker on Zoom is probably the only option for us to play with friends and interact with them in real-time.

The Best Private Poker Rooms That You Can Use

There are many options that you can choose from if you want to play poker on Zoom, but not all of them will have the customization features that you want. You may also find poker apps that are excellent for smartphones but don’t allow you to host games and invite your friends.

So to make it easier for you to start playing poker on Zoom, here are the four of the best poker apps that you can use:

• PokerStars – Versatile
• 888 Poker – Easy to Use
• Poker Now – Lightweight
• Easy Poker – Mobile-Optimized

PokerStars

PokerStars is the best platform that you can use to play poker on Zoom, not only because it’s one of the most popular sites but also because it has the best features that you can use when playing. We even think that it’s the one that many enthusiasts will use for their games.

Playing Poker With Friends Online

Why Is PokerStars Perfect for You?

Aside from having the most established platform for playing, PokerStars also allows you to create Home Games. This option is what you need because you can host private poker games, customize it according to your liking, and invite your friends to join.

You can even make the games easier to manage because PokerStars will allow you to set the rules to play for money. The blinds start at $0.01/$0.02 and could go up to $1/$2. When setting up cash games, you don’t need a payment processor to send payments to the winner, PokerStars will do everything for you.

Online Poker Strategy Guide

What Can PokerStars Do to Improve?

PokerStars is, almost, perfect for playing poker on Zoom because it has everything that you need. However, you and your friends need to download the game client to start playing. Accessing the game requires a few more steps compared to other sites. You need to create a poker club and generate a unique ID that you’ll share with your friends. Some poker platforms will only require you to log into your account to start playing.

Making the game client available to mobile devices is another area where they can focus on to improve. Many players want to have the freedom of playing on their smartphones while being able to stay in the meeting, using their laptops.

888 Poker

888 Poker is another huge poker site that you can use to play poker on Zoom. It has almost the same features as PokerStars, but it offers a more straightforward approach to starting your games. Many of the unnecessary steps in PokerStars aren’t in 888 Poker, so we recommend it for quick games.

Why Is 888 Poker Perfect for You?

There’s only one reason why you’d want to play using 888 Poker—ease of use. If you’re going to play with friends, you don’t have to create a private poker club, then send them a unique ID to join. You can just share it with the people you want to participate in, and once they get inside the room, you can already start playing.

What Can 888 Poker Do to Improve?

Despite the massive reach of smartphones, 888 Poker still uses game clients that you can only use on a desktop or laptop. If there’s one thing that they can do to improve, it’ll be developing an app that people can use to play poker on their mobile phones.

Poker Now

Poker Now is a non-profit poker platform that you can use to host your games. You don’t have to register or download anything, and you can access it from your laptop or smartphone. What makes it one of the best platforms is that it allows you to play on a lightweight platform that works seamlessly on any device.

Why Is Poker Now Perfect for You?

Guide To Playing Texas Holdem Poker

Since the platform developers aren’t doing anything to monetize the site, it runs so fast that you can use it even on a slow computer, and it’ll still work well. There are no complicated steps that you need to complete, and your friends can access the games that you create as long as they have a Discord account.

What Can Poker Now Do to Improve?

The platform is lightweight, but it lacks other game formats available on PokerStars and 888 Poker. You can only play No-Limit Hold’em and Omaha. Although these are two of the most popular games that we often play, adding more game formats is something that they can focus on to get more players to use their platform for poker games.

Easy Poker

We know that many players prefer to use their smartphone to play poker while in a Zoom meeting. So we searched for the most smartphone-centric app that you can use. Easy Poker topped this category because it only focuses on providing the best poker experience for mobile users.

Why Is Easy Poker Perfect for You?

If you want to play with your friends on a smartphone and leave your laptop on to stay in the meeting, Easy Poker is the best platform. It doesn’t have too many features that unnecessarily clutters the interface. Easy Poker allows you to focus on your hands and chips, not on details that don’t really matter when playing.

What Can Easy Poker Do to Improve?

Since they’re building a mobile-first poker platform, we can’t blame Easy Poker for having minimal customization features. However, just to make it a platform available for everyone, perhaps they can work on a desktop program that allows players to play on their laptop or desktop.

Conclusion

Playing online poker has gone from professionals-only to being available for casual games with friends. However, there are still a few things that they can do to improve, and one of these is the level of interaction. Whenever you’re playing with your friends on an online poker site, there’s really not that many options for you to interact with them.

Playing poker on Zoom has gained so much traction because it directly solves the need for better poker games. It allows you to play competitively with your friends, and it takes the games you play on a whole new level through real-time communication.