About Us

Online Poker compares real money online poker sites and apps for US players. We look at traffic and game selection, bonus terms, payment methods, mobile software and licensing so you can pick a site based on what actually matters rather than the biggest banner ad on the page.

We're not a poker room and we don't deal cards. We research operators, cross-check the terms behind their promotions, and rank them against each other using the same set of criteria every time. This page explains who we are, how we work, and what you should know before you sign up anywhere.

Why We Built This Site

Online poker in the US is fragmented. Regulation runs state by state rather than federally, offshore-facing sites operate under a patchwork of licences, and welcome bonuses are written in language designed to look bigger than they actually are. Our job is to translate that mess into something a player can act on: which sites have real traffic at your stakes, which bonuses clear in a reasonable timeframe, and which operators have a track record worth trusting with a deposit.

How We Score the Sites We List

Every operator on Online Poker is assessed against the same checklist. Nothing here is paid for — commission from an operator, where it exists, never buys a better position in our rankings.

• Traffic and liquidity — how many players are seated at cash games, MTTs and Sit & Gos at different times of day, and whether stakes you'd actually play are populated
• Game variety — coverage across No Limit Hold'em, Pot Limit Omaha, fast-fold formats, Spin & Go-style games and any mixed-game spread
• Rake and rewards — the rake structure at each stake level, and whether rakeback or a loyalty scheme gives anything meaningful back to regular players
• Bonus terms — the size of a welcome offer alongside its playthrough or clearing requirements, time limits and any games it excludes
• Payments — deposit and withdrawal methods available to US players, typical cash-out times, and any fees attached
• Software and mobile experience — client stability, table speed, and how well the iOS and Android apps hold up compared with desktop
• Licensing and player protection — where and how the operator is licensed, and what that means for fund security and dispute resolution

A Closer Look at Where Our Top Sites Differ

The sites at the top of our rankings aren't interchangeable, even though their welcome offers look similar on the surface.

Coinpoker tops our list largely on the strength of its crypto-native setup and series events like the Battle of Malta Online Series ($30M guaranteed), which gives it a different flavor from the fiat-first US sites below it. The trade-off: players who aren't comfortable holding or moving crypto will find the on-ramp less familiar than a card deposit.

Bovada is one of the longest-running names accessible to US players, currently offering a 100% bonus up to $500. It's a solid pick for anonymous, quick-seat cash games, but its software is dated next to some regulated-state competitors and its player pool skews toward lower and mid stakes.

Ignition pairs a 100% poker bonus with a casino combo offer, and its "Quiet Tables" anonymity feature is genuinely useful for recreational players who don't want to be tracked by HUDs. The downside is that serious grinders relying on tracking software for their own game will find that same anonymity limits their edge.

Further down the list, sites like Americas Card Room, Black Chip Poker and Ya Poker each carry a 100% deposit match up to $2,000 — a bigger headline number, but one that typically comes with a longer clearing schedule spread over weeks of play, so read the release schedule before assuming the full amount lands quickly.

What "Bonus Terms" Actually Involve

A deposit match is not free money the moment you sign up. Across the sites we cover, welcome bonuses are generally released in increments as you accumulate rake or points, subject to a time window (often 30 to 90 days), and they usually exclude certain formats or carry maximum bet restrictions while active. Where a site advertises a headline figure like $500 or $2,000, we look at how long it realistically takes an average player to clear it — not just the top-line number.

Deposits, Withdrawals and What to Expect

Payment options for US poker players typically include debit and credit cards, ACH bank transfers, PayNearMe cash deposits at retail locations, operator-branded prepaid cards, and cryptocurrency on sites that support it. Withdrawal speed varies by method and by operator — crypto withdrawals tend to process faster than checks or bank transfers, and most sites require identity verification (KYC) before releasing a first cash-out, which can add a few days the first time you withdraw.

Cash Games, Tournaments and Beyond the Poker Room

Most operators we cover don't stop at poker. Several also run a sportsbook and a casino section with slots and table games alongside their poker client, and a couple of the crypto-facing sites in our rankings frame part of their offering around Gold Coins or sweepstakes-style credits rather than a traditional real-money buy-in. If you're comparing sites primarily on poker traffic, it's worth knowing whether the operator's resources are split across multiple verticals or concentrated on the felt.

Licensing, Eligibility and Staying Within the Law

There is no federal framework for online poker in the US — regulation happens state by state, and a site licensed and legal in one state may not be available or lawful in another. Some sites in our comparisons operate under offshore licences (such as Curaçao) rather than a US state licence; where that's the case, players should understand that consumer protections and dispute processes differ from a state-regulated site. Always check that a site accepts players from your specific state before depositing, and confirm you meet the applicable minimum age — 21 in most states, though a small number set it at 18.

Keeping Poker in Perspective

Poker involves skill, but it is still gambling, and skill does not remove the risk of losing money. Never deposit more than you can afford to lose, and treat any bonus or promotion as a bonus to a hobby, not as income. If poker stops feeling like something you're doing for enjoyment, free support is available through 1-800-GAMBLER, and our Responsible Gambling page has more resources and state-specific self-exclusion information.

Our Independence

Online Poker may earn a commission when a reader signs up through a link on this site. That relationship never decides where an operator lands in our rankings — a site with a smaller commission and a better track record will always outrank one that pays more but performs worse on our checklist. Full terms for site use are set out in our Terms and Conditions.

Questions About What We Do

If something on this site is unclear, or you think we've missed a change at one of the operators we cover, reach out through our Contact Us page. We update rankings as terms and traffic patterns shift, and reader feedback is part of how we catch that.