In this guide, you will find honest reviews of online poker sites in Pennsylvania, as well as helpful tips on how to beat your opponents. Learn about the different tournaments and cash games available, the types of bonuses you can claim, and more.
This page will serve as the ultimate resource for any player looking to enjoy real money poker online from the Keystone State. So, if you are ready to be schooled by a professional poker player, let’s get started with our review of the best Pennsylvania online poker sites for 2023:
While there are not too many sites offering legal online poker in Pennsylvania at the moment, the list is set to grow over the coming years. For now, players have three major brands to choose from: Global Poker, Ignition Casino, and PokerStars PA. Among those three operators, one stands out above the rest – PokerStars. Not only is it the most reputable name in online poker, but it offered plenty of action during its first few months in Pennsylvania. We expect other sites to up their game once global rival Ignition Catches up, but until then, PokerStars is king.
The Best Legal Poker Sites in Pennsylvania 2023
18+ | Play Responsibly | T&C Apply
Our Top PA Poker Room: PokerStars PA
Anyone that has played online poker over the last 15 years will know the PokerStars brand. It was the first site to offer 24/7 $1 tournaments and helped kickstart the boom that swept through America at the start of the millennium. Since then, it has gone onto become the biggest poker site on the planet and the flagship brand of the larger PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker network. When it comes to software, security, promotions, and features – no one does it better than PokerStars.
If you want to tap into the best online poker experience in Pennsylvania right now, you need to join PokerStars PA. Even though the market is still developing, the site has done an outstanding job of bringing its A-game to the Keystone State. There are weak fields, juicy rakeback offers, valuable bonuses, and a steady stream of big money . And we haven’t even mentioned MTTs yet. With daily tournaments costing $5 or less that guarantee between $20,000 and $40,000, plus weekly Sundays that see more than $120,000 up for grabs, this site really knows how to shift chips. Add to this SPINS hyper turbo SNGs, which allow you to play for up to $100,000 prize pools within five minutes, and it’s easy to see why Pennsylvanian like what PokerStars is serving up.
With robust safety features and the backing of Mount Airy Casino Resort, there’s no reason why this site won’t become a permanent fixture in the Pennsylvania poker scene. This means the games and player pools will get better and better over time. So, if you want to be part of something special, click the button below to create an account and claim your welcome bonus today:
Second Place: Global Poker
It might be second in our rankings, but that doesn’t mean we don’t rate Global Poker highly. In fact, if we were ranking the best sites in the US, this online poker room would probably be in pole position. Why? Because it operates in a legal gray area and, therefore, is available in every state except Idaho, Washington, and Alabama (plus Sudan and Pakistan). It also accepts Players Club Cards for validation when making a sweepstakes purchase or redeeming rewards. Despite being a social poker site, Global Poker provides hours of entertainment due to its fishy tables and freerolls.
You won’t be able to transfer winnings to your bank account or use UIGEA-compliant payment methods (e.g., Visa and MasterCard). However, you can play cash games and tournaments from all over the US (with the exception of the four aforementioned states). Their unique sweeps model and gold coins form the basis of the site’s operation.
In simple terms, you buy packages of Gold Coins (which have no monetary value) and receive free sweeps coins (SC). You can use SC to play cash games and tournaments, win more SC, and then redeem your winnings for gift vouchers. It sounds convoluted. But the system works and allows players in most US states to enjoy legal online poker. Based on unique IP addresses, you can only have one account per household. You can’t sell or trade coins, and purchases must be made using a Players Club Card. If you want to learn more about how this legal loophole works, be sure to read our Global Poker review and remember to come back!
Third Place: Ignition Casino
Rounding out our list of recommended PA poker rooms is Ignition Casino. Another site that isn’t limited to Pennsylvania, Ignition is a great place to play poker if you’re not in the mood to play on PokerStars. This site is also known for accepting players from almost every state and most countries around the world.
Why does Pennsylvania have a land-based casino sponsor while Ignition Casino—one of the top online poker sites in the US—doesn’t? That’s a good question without a clear answer. What we do know is that Bovada uses its own financial services to accept bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, so they don’t necessarily need a gaming partner in Pennsylvania.
Top No Deposit Casino Bonuses of January, 2023 - Pick Your Free Rewards!What makes Ignition Casino one of the best options for playing poker online in Pennsylvania is its generous welcoming bonus and anonymous tables. When you sign up, you will instantly qualify to receive a 300% deposit boost worth up to $3,000—and this bonus clears at a rate of 20% each week. Additionally, all players are anonymous and confidential statistics are hidden from view, creating a level playing field where the focus stays on you, your game, and your strategy.
As far as downsides go, there aren’t many—but one thing to keep in mind is that Ignition Casino only has throughs and sit & tops. If that sounds appealing, however, head to the site to create your free account and take advantage of that generous welcome bonus.
How We Rate Pennsylvania Poker Rooms Online
Ranking the best PA online poker rooms requires a combination of both subjective and objective factors. All poker players have their likes and dislikes, so some elements are always open to interpretation. For example, we all have preferred styles and tend to gravitate towards the card rooms that offer the games we like to play.
On top of personal tastes, there are several key metrics we use to compare different sites and determine a PA poker room’s overall rating. Some of the most important considerations include safety, software, game varieties and variants, traffic levels, bonuses, support, mobile functionality, acceptance of Bitcoin and alternative deposits, and regulatory compliance. To ensure we remain impartial, we score each factor out of ten before averaging the totals. Any operator that scores an average of eight or more is considered elite. Below is a more detailed breakdown of the categories we use and why they matter:
Safety & Security Considerations
Safety should be your number one concern when choosing anywhere to play online poker for real money. Therefore, it’s crucial to only consider sites that hold a valid licence from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) or another reputable regulator. These certificates prove the site has passed stringent security tests and is operating within the law. Without a license, an operator could leave you vulnerable to identity theft, fraud, and unfair pricing. As such, we exclude any site without a license from our rankings.
Even after removing any rogue sites, there will typically be one or two legal sites left in a state like Pennsylvania with limited regulation. In this situation, we rank the highest scoring site first. In PA’s case, PokerStars scored highest because it has been tested and trusted by players for 15+ years. It also has a respected parent company in Flutter Entertainment and a land-based partner in Mount Airy Casino Resort. Completing the top three is Global Poker, which doesn’t currently require licenses in the US, but still provides a secure service to customers in 48/50 states.
legal poker sites usaSoftware and Features
Software can make a huge difference to your enjoyment of online poker. From the lobby layout to the animations used during a hand, the right features can help you stay focused and focused on winning the pot. The wrong features can lead to frustration, confusion, and connection drops.
We judge software on its simplicity, customization features, speed, mobile compatibility, and security. In a perfect world, a poker site will offer downloadable and instant play versions of their platform, with the option to play on your smartphone or tablet. You’ll also be able to tweak the look of the cards, table felt, avatars, and user interfaces to suit your needs. Finally, the software will function flawlessly on all devices and provide statistic tracking tools that help you analyze your game and that of your opponents.
Although PokerStars isn’t available via a web app, it does offer a slick piece of desktop software that’s fast, stable, and packed with features. Its mobile app is also outstanding, and the ability to play via your browser using the Stellar client shows the site isn’t resting on its laurels. As mentioned previously, Ignition receives high marks for its anonymous tables and generic avatars, while Global Poker wins no points for its basic graphics and old-school styling.
Game Variety and Traffic
A good poker site will offer Texas Hold’em. A great site will also provide access to Omaha, Stud, Boost, and other formats. A top-rated room will also have enough players online at all times and host a variety of tournaments, cash games, and SNGs.
When it comes to variety, PokerStars PA is in a league of its own. The site hosted the first online series in November 2020 and welcomed 61,098 entrants across 30 events. That averages out at over 2,000 players per tournament—and this figure will only rise as the local player pool grows. Cash games and SNGs are also plentiful, with stakes ranging from $0.01/$0.02 blinds up to $50/$100 and $100 sngs for newbies and high rollers respectively. Read a full review of this legendary site to see what all the fuss is about.
Ignition is much smaller, but still offers some credible volumes. Peak weekend traffic shows around 400 players online and climbing. Most tables are Hold’em and medium stakes ($1/$2 blinds upward), but there is some Omaha action and $10-$$200 SNGs. One final benefit of Ignition’s slightly smaller size is that you may encounter some pros, but generally the entire field is made up of casual players and recreational gamblers.
Bonuses and Promotions
There are lots of ways for online poker sites to entice new customers. Welcome bonuses are the most common type of deal. This promotion usually takes the form of a deposit match that gives you extra dollars to play for for every dollar you deposit up to a certain amount (e.g., 100% match worth up to $500). You then clear these bonuses by earning frequent player points (rather than receiving them immediately).
Other common deals include reload bonuses (the same as welcome offers, but for existing players), rakeback schemes (cashback based on the amount of rake you collect), and freeroll tickets (free entries to low stakes tournament). Finally, some sites give away loyalty rewards, such as Loyalty Chests on PokerStars and free play on Global Poker.
In Pennsylvania, PokerStars offers a mixture of bonuses. New customers can claim up to $300 in free play by entering the code “FREE30” plus deposit and play for over $600 worth of rewards. There are also $100 redeposit offers, free SPINS snap shot tables, Loyalty Chests, and Festival of Champions events throughout the year. Ignition is a bit more straightforward with its welcome bonus worth 200% of your first deposit worth up to $1,000. You also don’t have to enter any Pennsylvania Stones to claim any of these deals, just visit the site and accept the promo when prompted.
Advantages of PA Online Poker Sites
There are several advantages of playing poker online in Pennsylvania rather than at one of the twelve land-based casinos. While live gaming venues have a certain charm, their virtual counterparts provide a range of benefits, including:
1. More Games and Tournaments
Live poker rooms have space constraints. As such, they can only accommodate a limited number of games and tables. If your favorite variation is empty when you arrive, tough luck. You’ll either have to wait around or play something else.
On a regulated online poker site in Pennsylvania, space is unlimited. The software can handle hundreds of NLHE and Omaha tables at varying limits, as well as mixed games, Razz, Stud, and other format. Additionally, you’ll find all forms of tournaments, satellites, and SNGs catered for, with daily events and series finals offering seven-figure prizes.
2. Lower Cost Buy-Ins
Speaking of tournaments, you will find a much bigger selection of affordable options online than offline in Pennsylvania. Casinos often fill their weekly schedules with $150+ rebuys and $250 single chance events that cost at least $300. Although these tournaments are great, they price out many novices looking to build their MTT resumes or test their skills against moderate opposition.
Look online and you can find $1, $5, and $10 buy-ins tournaments on a regular basis. Some sites even offer freerolls and super cheap $0.11 tournaments that cost nothing to enter. This not only opens the door to new customers, but also creates softer fields and more potential winners.
3. Greater Anonymity Online
If you’re a beginner or emerging from a long hiatus, sometimes it’s nice to fly under the radar and avoid the sharks. By playing online in Pennsylvania, nobody will be peering over your shoulder to see your decisions or judging your moves. What’s more, online sites will usually hide your player stats, meaning experienced pros cannot check your win-rate or tell if you’re willing to risk 20 big blinds on a draw say.
4. Easier to Track Progress
On a linked note, online poker makes it easier to track your progress. Whether you’re noting down your starting hands, exploring complex GTO strategies, or simply counting your BB/hour, having a digital record of your activity can be very useful indeed.
From basic text files to advanced poker tracking software, online players have many options to monitor their development. Even if you don’t study the game intensively, online poker sites will provide you with a wealth of statistic and tools within the clients to help improve your performance.
5. You Can Multi-Table
Multi-tabling is possible in a live environment, but trying to keep an eye on four or five tables spread across the room is tough. Online, you can open a dozen cash games or tournaments and keep a close eye on each one. This not sole increases your earnings potential, but also ensures you never waiste precious playing time.
free slots online no registration6. More Payment Options Available
Finally, Pennsylvania online poker sites offer a variety of payment options you won’t find at brick and mortar casinos. While land-based venues may offer choppy water and paper checks as their main withdrawal options, online sites will accept visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and prepaid cards. Plus, ewallets, bank transfers, and crypto payments in the form of BTC, LTC, and ETH.
Types of Real Money Poker Games
The beauty of poker is its flexibility. A core understanding of the basic hand rankings is all you need to sit down and play any variant. From Texas Hold’em to Seven Card Stud, here are the top poker variations you can play for real money in PA:
- Texas Hold’em — The most popular poker game in history. Two cards are dealt to each player who then tries to create the best five-card hand using the community cards on the board. Popular in casinos and online.
- Omaha — Another popular game where each player receives four cards instead of two at the beginning of a round. You must use exactly two cards from your hand to create your final five-card hand. Can be played as a Limit, Pot Limit or No Limit game.
- Omaha Hi/Lo — Also known as Omaha High/Low or O8, this variant features the same rules as Omaha, but with the possibility of splitting the pot between the winner of the high hand and a player with a qualifying low hand.
- 7 Card Stud — A classic game where each player is dealt seven cards and must make the best five-card hand as in Texas Hold’em, but with an extra card and a few more betting rounds. Always played as a Limit game.
- Razz — A fun Seven Card Stud side game that’s played for low. The aim is to make the worst five-card hand, with straights, flushes and singles being strong, and ace being low. Rare, but a fun way to mix things up.
- 5 Card Draw — A Limit poker variant where players can exchange up to five cards from their hand after one round of betting. Popular in casinos and home games, but barely featured in online MTTs.
- H.O.R.S.E. — Short for Hold’em, Omaha, Razz, Seven Card Stud, and Eight or Better (hi-lo version of Stud), this game features one hand in each betting round using the rules of a different poker variant. A premium event on the EPT, WPT, and WSOP. Not commonly found in Pennsylvania.
- Fast Fold — Also known as Zone or Twister, this SNG style puts you in a shared pool with other players on a single table. When one table foldfinishes, you automatically move into another. Great if you hate waiting and want fast poker cash games and tournaments.
- Short Deck — A rising trend in Vegas and online that uses a 32-card deck (all cards from 2-6 and 7-K). Popular among the likes of Tony G and Homeless Bob, this variant encourages big hands and huge pots.
- Open Face Chinese — OFC is a fun poker game played with one nail (face) up. Starting with five nails, players take it in turns to turn over the next nail to replace any nail in their wall that matches or is higher in value than the one they held. Pairs result in taking all nails in the middle into a communal wall. The last person with nails remaining wins.
Legality of Online Poker Sites in Pennsylvania
Is online poker legal in Pennsylvania? Yes, it is. Governor Tom Wolf signed HB 270w into law on October 30, 2017, and online poker sites began going live in the summer of 2019. Prior to this, players had to use sites based outside the US at their own risk. Now there are licensed sites within the state you can trust, we strongly advise against using offshore poker rooms.
Must-Know DraftKings Casino Promos & Games for First-Time PlayersAlthough many unlicensed sites claim to be safe havens for US players, they rarely live up to their promises. Indeed, most of these sites are fly by night operations designed to take your money and run. Others are legitimate businesses, but operate in a legal gray area. Although these sites may be trustworthy now, you’ll have no comeback if something goes wrong and the site closes or changes its policies.
For instance, what happens if the site’s payment options are blocked, or it decides to increase its fees or make other negative changes to its service? What happens if the site refuses to release your bankroll or hands over your funds to the state regulators? By playing on a locally licensed site, you protect yourself from these issues and ensure any disputes are resolved quickly and fairly.
Are you allowed to play on Pennsylvania poker rooms online? Yes, if you’re::
- 18 years of age or older, and
- Located within the state, and
- Accessing the site with a geolocation-enabled browser or app, and
- Not a Bonus Abuse Jew (BAJ).
BAJs are professionals who use bonus codes and other offers to gain an edge and profit from online poker welcome bonuses without depositing their own money.
How to Start Playing Poker Online
Getting started with PA online poker rooms is easy if you follow our step-by-step guide:
-
Choose a licensed site -Read reviews, examine software and games, and pick the site that suits you best.
Major Reasons Why You Should Choose Royal Panda Casino -
Click on our links -All our recommended sites have been thoroughly reviewed by our expert editors. Therefore, you can claim any welcome bonus and any other available deal by clicking our links and creating an account.
-
Create an account -Enter your Players Club Card details (if requested), complete the registration forms, and verify your account.
-
Claim your bonus -Most sites will add your bonus to your account automatically when you make a deposit. However, some deals require you to enter a bonus code when depositing or via email or letter within seven days of joining.
-
Make a deposit -Use a accepted payment method to add funds to your account and clear any welcome offer as you play. Remember to budget sensibly and only play with money you can afford to lose.
-
Practice some free games -If possible, practice some free games or play some low stakes games to acclimatize yourself to the software and playing pace. Of course, if you’re confident in your abilities, jumping straight into some Hold’em or Omaha cash games is fine too.
-
Have fun and improve -Lastly, try to enjoy yourself and think about finding ways to improve your game at a later date. Reading books, watching videos, discussing concepts with friends, and using poker tracking software are all great ways to enhance your skills and maximize your profits in the long term.
Deposits and Withdrawals at Pennsylvania Sites
If you’ve ever watched a poker movie or TV show, you’ll probably have seen scenes of players pouring cash into a stack while buying chunks of the restaurant or buying into tournaments. Although this method is fine for the movies, it’s not really practical for normal people. Fortunately, licensed Pennsylvania poker rooms online provide a range of secure deposit and withdrawal options, including:
- Visa / MasterCard / Discover / AmEx - Most PA poker sites online accept major credit and debit cards for instant deposits and fast secured withdrawals (using ACH processing).
- eWallets - Use well-known eWallets such as PayPal, Neteller, and Skrill for quick and easy transactions at the poker tables and across the web.
- Prepaid Cards - Prepaid cards such as the Visa Virtual Card offers a convenient middle ground between card payments and eWallets. Simply load your card via your bank account and take control of paper statements.
- *Cryptocurrency - Get involved in the future of online poker payments by using **Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and other leading cryptos**. These currencies offer secure, fast, and anonymous transactions direct from your digital wallet to the poker room’s wallet.
- Wire Transfers / Checks - Wire transfers and bank drafts offer secure but slower withdrawal options and aren’t always available for deposits unless requested by the poker room.
- Players Club Card Cashing Out - If you’ve used your Players Club Card to receive bonus funds, you will normally have to use the same method to withdraw your profits.
Trusted Brands Offering Poker Games
Currently there are three companies licensed to offer online poker in Pennsylvania. Each company holds a casino license and a vendor license for interactive gaming and is permitted to offer poker, blackjack, slots, video poker, keno, roulette, baccarat, craps, and bingo online:
MT Language, Inc
- Brand Name: Rush Street Interactive (RSI) / Betrivers
- Physical Casinos: The Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia’s SugarHouse Casino.
- Site URL: www.playugarpend.com
- Poker Network: Standalone site connected to the PokerStars Network via online MTTs.
888 Holdings
- Brand Names: 888poker / WSOP
- Physical Casinos: Mount Airy Resort, Northern California
- Site URL: www.wsop.com (will launch on this URL when live)
- Poker Network: Standalone site connected to the PokerStars Network via online MTTs.
Ultimate Gaming
- Brand Name: Ultimate Gaming
- Physical Casinos: The Sands Group owns venues all over the world, but no properties in Pennsylvania at this time.
- Site URL: www.ultimategaming.com
- Poker Network: Standalone site connected to the PokerStars Network via online MTTs. Left the market in 2014.
Tips for Beginners and Strategies to Win
Are you new to online poker in Pennsylvania? If so, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the basics. While the fundamentals of online poker vary little from live games, there are some subtle differences to be aware of. Whether you’re learning Texas Hold’em or brushing up on your Omaha skills, note the following online tips:
Best Mohegan Sun Casino Games to Play Online in 2023- Find Suitable Stakes - Don’t jump straight into the deep end if you’re new to online poker. Take some time to assess the quality of competition and start in a game and at stakes that feel comfortable.
- Track Your Results - Keep a written or mental note of your results at the table. This will help you identify winning and losing streaks, hot and cold players, and whether you’re getting return on your investment.
- Learn the Rules of Online Poker - You should already know the hand rankings and basic rules, but it’s also important to be familiar with the specific limits, bets and positions in play at the table and any specific rules implemented by the online site.
- Don’t Be Distracted - When playing live, other players can see your movements and try to gain information from your body language and general demeanor. Online you can’t escape the facts that your opponent can see you’re sitting at a table at 5:00am or that you’re playing in your underwear. Try to minimize distractions and avoid giving away information about yourself.
- Consider Running Two Tables - If you’re used to playing in a live setting where you can spread your attention across multiple tables, you’ll feel at home online. Experienced players often run two tables (sitting in two different games) to earn double the profits. Just be aware that multitasking requires skill and concentration, so don’t overextend yourself.
- Check Your Workouts - Online poker sites will provide you with instant results after a hand, but you might miss details if the action is happening quickly. At the end of each session, check your hand strength vs. the winning hand to spot any glaring errors or bad beats, and see if your preflop raises and bets are actually working.
- Do Your Strategy Research - Texas Hold’em and its variants offer countless strategic nuances. From opening range requirements to flop analysis, there’s so much to think about. Watch poker training videos and read articles online to expand your knowledge and put some structure around your instincts.
- Master the Basics - Whatever you do, don’t try to implement too many strategies at once. Perfect your preflop ranges, learn to play your top ten hands postflop, and master the basics before moving on to more advanced concepts.
- Note to Self - Most online poker sites feature note taking functions on your opponents. Although this information shouldn’t change your game, it’s good to know if someone is a nit or a maniac, plus it helps remember players that may have been playing differently than usual. Note taking should only be done on others, never needed when you play perfectly anyway.
Biggest Pennsylvania Poker Winners
Poker tournaments are the dream of winning a seven-figure fortune on a single week-long game. And in Pennsylvania, there are regular opportunities to chase that dream at the following regulated sites:
- Mount Airy Casino Resort - 888 Holdings has an exclusive agreement with this Poconos resort to offer online poker, casino games, and sports betting in the state.
- Rivers Casino Pittsburgh and Philadelphia - Home to the Rivers Club, an online poker and casino room powered by Rush Street Interactive (RSI). Could soon be home to an 888 site too.
- Penn National - This West Virginia casino Group now has plans to offer online games in PA thanks to a new site powered by 888 Holdings.
The biggest PA poker tournaments take place online at PokerStars. As mentioned, the site attracted thousands of players during its soft launch in 2019 and expectations are high for the first full festival in 2022.
Reasons to Play at “In-Browser” Online CasinosProfessional PA Poker Players
Online poker has helped launch the careers of many professional players in Pennsylvania and beyond. By allowing you to play a multitude of games at stakes to suit your budget, online poker sites create the ideal environment to develop your skills. Here are some famous Pennsylvanians who got their start at the virtual tables:
- Annette_15 - Anonymous female player who won the 2004 WSOP Main Event on PokerStars aged 18 and banked $3 million as a high school senior. Now a mechanical engineering graduate, Obrestad has nearly $4 million in live earnings.
- Martin Finger - Made $260,000 in 2005 by outlasting 5,600 players in the PokerStars III Main Event. Still a student, Finger went on to win millions more and peak at second in the all-time money list. He is now a PokerStars Team Pro.
- Chris Moneymaker - Used a $40 PokerStars ticket won in a graphic design contest to win a seat in the 2003 WSOP Main Event. Moneymaker ended up winning the event and $2.5 million, helping spark the Moneymaker boom and inspiring a movie titled All-in_EV. Today he has earned over $4.6 million on the live circuit.
