All it takes is a web browser and you can play free online poker any time of day or night from just about anywhere on earth. You don't need an app. You don't need to download anything. And you don't need any money. Just head over to one of the top free poker sites above and start playing!
But not all free online poker games are created equal. Some are truly phenomenal games that give you the full poker experience with all the action, excitement and strategy of "real" poker. Others are little more than novelties or gimmicks that have very little to do with actual poker. If your only concern is to have some fun then that's fine but if you want to play the best free online poker games that most closely replicate the real thing, follow us!
What is the Best Site to Play Free Poker Games Online?
The best site to play free online poker is probably the one you're most familiar with - especially if it's a bigger site like PokerStars or partypoker that offers a much greater selection of free poker games than smaller sites.
Even among the big boys, however, there can be variations in the types of free online poker games offered as well as their software and overall level of professionalism.
For the record, based on our own extensive experience playing tons of free poker games online, our pick for the best free poker site is PokerStars, although partypoker is a close second these days. Read about all the perks at our .
Review of the Best NJ Online Poker SitesWhy is PokerStars the Best Site for Free Online Poker?
There are actually quite a few reasons why we think PokerStars is the king of the free poker games mountain but the biggest one by far is its sheer volume. With thousands of real-money players on the virtual felt at any given moment there has to be an equivalent amount (at least) of pseudo-players because all real-money players have access to free poker games for free (as well as low-stakes cash games, snGs and MTTs).
This means at peak times PokerStars has hundreds of ring games and tournaments running at every conceivable limit from 1c/2c up to $10/$20!
Every format of poker imaginable is available in both freeroll and buy-in formats including Hold'em, Omaha, Draw, Mixed games such as HOribe and even Badugi!
PokerStars also allows you to create your own private club where you can set up your own ring games or tournaments that only the members of your club can enter. Looking for a private €100 NLHE tournament? How about a 5-card draw freeroll? Chances are you'll find what you're looking for on PokerStars!
In addition PokerStars provides a more-than-authentic poker experience with their industry-leading software that includes unique features like "multiple currencies," rabbit hunting, table themes, sitting out, charting your results and much much more. Even the sound effects and music make you feel like you're playing for real.
Can I Play Free Online Poker Tournaments?
Yes. In fact multi-table tournaments (MTTs) are probably the most popular form of free online poker, drawing tens of thousands of players on the largest sites every day, day or night.
Free online poker tournaments have the same basic structure as their real-money counterparts with multi-tables starting when a sufficient number of players have registered and sit-and-go tourneys beginning at a specific time. The only difference, of course, is that they don't cost anything to enter.
Free poker SNGs typically begin with just one or two tables of three-to-ten players while free MTTs start with tables of 6-9 players (or 10 in some cases.) As players lose all their chips they exit the tournament and the remaining players battle on until just one player (or table) remains.
Another popular tournament format on many free poker sites is the "freeroll." These tournaments don't cost anything to enter but often offer either cash prizes or tickets to satellite qualifiers for much larger events. Sometimes you have to register ahead of time to get into a freeroll while others are open on a first-come, first-served basis.
Can I Play Free Texas Hold'em Poker Online?
Of course! Texas Hold'em is by far the most popular free online poker game and probably the most popular poker game in the world, period. It's simplicity of play and almost endless strategic possibilities make it ideal for both beginners and pros and the same rules that apply to No-Limit Hold'em main events also apply to free Hold'em games and tournaments.
will buffalo bills casino reopenIt's also the featured game in most overlay-free, soft-field free poker tournaments if that's what you're looking for.
Other Free Online Poker Options
If you've played Texas Hold'em to death (temporarily, of course!) there are a wide variety of other poker games and formats you can try for free including Pot-Limit Omaha, Stud games, Draw poker, lowball games like Razz and Badugi, 320 Las Vegas-style poker and even mixed games like HOribe and HoLee.
Many sites also offer free poker games with twists like lottery-style poker (each player is dealt a hand and the best hand wins a prize), jackpot side pots and bonus challenges.
Do People Really Play Seriously in Free Online Poker Games?
Absolutely! While some free poker games are obviously soft with lots of opportunities (a.k.a "dead money"), others are surprisingly tough with plenty of aggressive players raising and re-raising at every turn. Since everyone starts with chip stacks of various sizes you can actually play a fair representation of tight-aggressive, loose-aggressive or any other style you choose provided everyone at the table speaks English well enough to understand the word "raise!"
As in real poker you'll have to read your opponents to some degree as raises, check-raises and bet-calling can provide valuable insight into how a player is holding out. Of course, since everyone's playing for free tempers tend to run cooler and bad beats and suck outs roll off people's backs a little easier.
Playing the same opponent(s) over and over can also help you develop a "poker feel" or sense of when something is "off" about a particular hand or situation. Later on when the real-money stakes are high you might suddenly realize you're in a similar spot to one you remember well from your free poker days.
best no deposit real money casinosFinally, playing a ton of free poker games can help build your confidence and hone your skills before you risk any of your own hard-earned money. If you're completely new to the game we strongly recommend playing tons of free poker hands before you venture onto the real-money felt.
Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Free Online Poker?
Although we certainly encourage everyone to play tons of free online poker hands we should point out that there can be such a thing as too much of a good thing. One of the greatest things about free online poker is that it's ... FREE! Which is great except when you realize you've spent hours clicking buttons with nothing to show for it.
While this isn't necessarily a problem it becomes one when you realize you've been staring at a computer screen for six hours and haven't moved from your chair. Sitting still for extended periods of time is not only unhealthy but can lead to a variety of physical problems including blood clots!
Another danger of free online poker is getting so much practice your friends and family members are scared to play you in a $5 NLHE cash game at the casino. Before you know it you're driving four hours to Albuquerque to find a game you can beat. We're not kidding. This really happens!
Can I Win Real Money in Free Online Cash Games?
No. Well, not usually anyway. Unless the online poker site you're playing at makes an administrative decision to allow play-money games to become real-money games (which does happen occasionally in small ways) no play-money chips are redeemable for actual cash.
That doesn't mean you can't win a lot of play-money though. Racking up huge play-money chip scores can be a goal in itself and a way to build your bankroll for buying into real-money games. Many online poker pros got their start building massive play-money rollups on free poker sites!
Do I Have to Download Software to Play Free Online Casino Poker?
Not necessarily. While many online poker sites will ask you to download poker software to play their free games it's becoming increasingly common for operators to offer no download, instant play versions of their sites with free games.
Instant play or "web client" versions of online poker sites use the same software but require an Internet connection and a current browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Safari.
Some poker sites will also let you play free poker games on your smart phone or tablet via their mobile app or instant play platform.
Free Online Poker vs. Free Casino Poker Games
When most people think of poker they think of texas hold em and other variations you can find at licensed online casinos. But there are actually dozens of different spin-offs and variations of traditional poker that have found their way into the portfolios of quality online gaming sites.
• Video Poker
Casino poker games like video poker are more 'gamble and draw' than they are test of poker acumen but they are still a lot of fun.
Here's a short list of the kinds of poker or poker-ish games you can find at most reputable online casinos:
- Video Poker (multihand options available)
- Caribbean Poker (also known as Classic 21 Oasis Poker)
- Texas Hold'em Bonus
- Three Card Poker
- Pai Gow Poker
- Four Card Poker
- Five Card Draw
- Let It Ride
- Ultimate Texas Hold'em
- Casino Hold'em
- Switch
- Rock Paper Scissors
- Crib Poker
- Jacks or Better
- Deuces Wild
- Aces and Eights
- Red Dog Poker
Most online casino poker games are easy to learn and have big payouts for high hands and even bonuses for drawing certain "poker" hands like four-of-a-kind or a royal flush. In fact many video poker games pay out 4,000-1 or more for landing a royal straight flush. Not many hands in regular poker are going to net you payouts even close to that!
Of course the downside to casino poker games is you generally have to put money down to start playing and depending on the game and house rules the edge could be with the house. That said a lot of online casino poker games offer very low minimum bets (as low as 10c in some cases) and solid payout rates (98%+ on many video poker games).
One nice feature of online casino poker games is that you don't always have to make the best five-card poker hand to win. In some games, like Caribbean Poker for example, you only have to have a better poker hand than the dealer to win your bet.
Another option for free online casino poker is to take advantage of free spins bonuses at many online casinos. If you sign up through one of the links on this page you'll typically get at least a few free spins on slots or other games that also include a poker element (like Wild Turkey which is featured slots games at 32Red).
Free spins winnings are typically paid out in bonus money that is slowly released as you continue to play at the casino but it's a great way to get a taste of a real money casino and maybe even discover a new favorite game!
Free Online Poker with Friends
If you don't want to deal with the general public another great option for free online poker is to set up your own private game with friends, family members or co-workers.
Online poker sites typically offer very robust hosting services that allow you to control who plays, what kind of game they play and even the stakes! Most free online poker games hosted by a third party (ie not on Facebook) do require all players to download the site's poker software but it's usually worth the minor inconvenience.
Popular free online poker with friends games include Hold'em, Omaha, Stud, Draw and Mixed games with limit, pot-limit and no-limit betting options. You can typically host ring games, sit-and-gos and tournaments with multiple tables and variable sizes.
Chip denominations and buy-ins are also adjustable meaning your nephew's trust fund could technically be represented by a single $1,000 chip at the table. A couple of the top sites for hosting free online poker with friends games are PokerStars and Tiger Gaming.
Free Online Poker on Facebook
Unsurprisingly the world's most popular social network is also home to literally hundreds of free online poker games and apps. Unfortunately most of them aren't very good.
A lot of the early Facebook free online poker apps, like the infamous Quadrivium-powered Texas Hold'em Commanders of Capital ran into scalability issues as millions of users signed up only to abandon the apps within weeks. The end result was long delays, subpar software, constant buffering and a generally poor experience for everyone.
Amazing Mobile Casino Apps for Arizona Gamblers like Me (2023)Things improved slightly after Zuckerberg and crew changed their policies regarding third party apps but the market is still flooded with lackluster free online poker offerings.
That being said there are still a few bright spots worth checking out including Zynga Poker, the original and still most popular Facebook free online poker app with over 37 million fans.
Gameplay on Zynga Poker is relatively smooth despite occasional delays and complaints about the difficulty of advancing past certain levels without spending real money. Likewise the graphics and interface have been updated regularly to keep pace with the competition.
Free Texas Hold'em is the featured game with HOribe and Omaha rounding out the limited menu but the focus is definitely on socializing rather than actual poker.
Other popular Facebook free poker/casino games include Blackjack, Slotomania and DoubleDown Casino.
Free Old Maid Poker
If you're looking for a free online poker game that actually has very little to do with real poker we suggest Old Maid Poker, a fun and free variation on the classic card game Old Maid that you can play directly on your browser without having to download anything.
Like the old card game Old Maid Poker is a 3-6 player game (although you can also play against the computer) that consists entirely of drawing cards. In this case each player starts out with five cards and tries to get rid of them by finding matching sets of two.
Each time you reveal your cards you earn coins and experience points and your ultimate goal is to create three of a kind with your cards. The wild cards make it possible to complete sets so you'll have plenty of opportunities to hit the jackpot.
wallet with multiple card slotsOld Maid Poker also has a gift shop where you can blow your winnings on new backgrounds, avatars and other goodies.
You can also challenge your Facebook friends to play Old Maid Poker or stick with the computer. Either way it's a mindless waste of time but sometimes that's exactly what you're looking for.
Free Video Poker
If you're looking to play video poker online here's some good news and some bad news. The good news is there are literally hundreds of free video poker games you can play online right now.
The bad news is most of them aren't exactly legal where you live. That doesn't mean you'll get arrested or anything but it does mean you might have a hard time finding a legitimate site that offers free video poker for players in your country or province.
That being said we were able to find a few online gaming sites that appeared to offer safe, secure and legal free video poker games for Canadians and Europeans. Here are a few of our favorites:
- Casumo Casino (licensed in Malta and Sweden; offers several free video poker games)
- Betway Casino (UK-licensed; several free video poker games)
- Royal Panda Casino (Maltese license; several free video pokers)
- LeoVegas Casino (Multiple licenses including Malta and the UK)
- Mr Green Casino (multiple licenses including Malta and UK)
- 888 Casino (multiple licenses including UK and EU)
Note that while these casinos offer several free video poker games you typically have to sign up for an account before you can try them out.
All of the above links will take you to the homepage of each casino where you can click on "PLAY HERE" to go to the registration page. On the registration page look for a tab or link that says "Casino," "VEGA" or "VEGAS" that will take you to the casino lobby. From there you should be able to select "Video Poker" or "Jack» that will bring up a list of all the free video poker games available.
Unfortunately space considerations prevent us from detailing each casino's exact sign up/game selection process but it should be pretty self explanatory once you get there. Good luck!
MGM Casino Online Games NJ Players Love 2023Play Stud Poker for Free
Want to play free Stud poker online? It's actually not that easy to find quality free Stud games on most major poker sites but it is possible.
First off, if you're brand new to Stud poker we highly recommend playing free Stud games online until you get a handle on the action. Unlike Hold'em or Omaha Stud poker bears very little resemblance to cotton candy poker games. Instead it requires a deep understanding of both individual hands and the board if you want to be successful.
Fortunately the free Stud games on PokerStars are incredibly popular and seem to run around the clock at all limits. Since it's PokerStars you can basically find any type of free Stud game you can think of including 3-7 Draw, 7 Card Stud, Razz, Hi-Lo and more.
Partypoker used to have a very strong selection of free Stud games but seems to have de-emphasized the category recently. You might still be able to find some free 7 Card Stud ring games or SNGs but don't count on it.
If you can't find any free Stud games online you can always fall back to the old standby of playing for real money. Starting with micro or low-stakes games can also make the learning curve less steep and potentially save you from chasing losses in larger games.
Free Spanish 21 Poker
Spanish 21, also known as Pico Boario, is a variant of Blackjack that is growing in popularity in casinos around the world. As you might have deduced from the nickname Spanish 21 is played with no cards containing faces so all of the jacks, queens, kings and aces have been removed from the deck leaving just the numbered cards (plus a Jokers in some variants).
The removal of the face cards also removes a few of the Blackjack winning combinations so payouts are adjusted accordingly. For example a push is offered on a tie, 21 points made only of sequential numbered cards, 6-7-8 suited bonus only pays 5 to 1 and 7-7-7 suited only pays 3 to 2.
On the plus side players receive an automatic bonus of 3 to 2 if they are dealt seven, eight or nine consecutive numbered cards (spades are an extra bonus!) and a whopping 2 to 1 to 101 to 1 if they manage to deal 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 numbered cards in sequence.
Since the removal of the face cards reduces the average Blackjack from about 4.85 to 4.03 the house adjusts by paying out 1.5 to 1 on a Blackjack instead of 3 to 2. Winning hands that contain a Joker also get a 3 to 2 bonus payout.
Best Real Money Poker Sites of 2023Because the absence of face cards significantly changes the mathematics of Blackjack there are no reliable strategies that have been developed for Spanish 21. That said many players use a modified Blackjack strategy since many of the core concepts still apply.
You can search around the Internet and find a few websites offering free Spanish 21 games but your best bet is to search for the game at quality online casinos. Check out our toplist of safe casinos or visit the sites themselves to download free Spanish 21 software and get some practice.
Free Poker Apps for iPhone and Android
If you have a smartphone or tablet there's a good chance you can find a free online poker app to suit your needs. Although Apple used to strictly prohibit real-money poker apps in iTunes that policy has relaxed somewhat and there are now several quality free poker iPhone and iPad apps as well as ones for Android devices.
Zynga has long dominated the free poker app market on Facebook but the company also offers a free Texas Hold'em iPhone and Android app with over 50 million players worldwide. The free poker iPad app offers multi-tabling, daily awards and loads of free chips every hour.
If you're looking for free poker apps for iPhone and Android that offer real-money side streets you may be out of luck outside of the United States but there are still some interesting options out there for players in the UK, Canada, Australia and some parts of mainland Europe.
One of the best options for free poker apps for iPhone, iPad and Android is PokerStars. Despite initially being banned from Apple products the world's biggest online poker site found a way back in and the PokerStars free poker app and free poker iPad app have quickly rocketed up the download charts.
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