Many of the best online poker sites have lots of beginners learning the game, so it can be tempting to jump straight in at the lowest stakes. But if you're new to poker it’s much better to practice poker with free play before you start playing real-money games - even if those are no limit game with tiny stakes like $0.01/$0.02. This way you will learn how to play online poker without getting confused or intimidated. Below you'll find our selection of the top five free no download poker sites on the Internet today.
Best Free Online Poker Sites 2023
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Why Play Free Web Poker?
Even if you have never played a hand of poker in your life, free web poker can be addictive. After all, it’s fast, fun and challenging in roughly equal measure. But there are plenty of good reasons beyond immediate enjoyment for training over the free tables in preparation for real money poker.
Casino Games You Should Avoid Playing at Work (And 6 That Are OK)For one thing you will make mistakes when you first start out. It doesn’t matter how many times someone tells you what they are, or how obvious they may seem to more experienced players - everyone makes tactical errors when adjusting to the flow of a poker game. But if you're losing real money while you figure these things out, the cost can be high - both financially and psychologically. That's why it pays to hit the table with as few bad habits as possible.
Another reason to use free poker sites is that the games really are free to play. The days when online poker rooms offered freeroll tournaments as loss leaders are long gone, but most sites still provide plenty of opportunities to play free cash games without having to make a deposit. These are generally very soft (more on that below) and offer an excellent opportunity to build your bankroll from scratch. Indeed, countless online grinders got their start by working their way up from the free tables.
Finally there's the fact that online poker games are different beasts than their live counterparts. From the pace of the action to the role of reads and even the etiquette, there's a lot for new players to get used to. Meanwhile the online poker lingo can be confusing indeed. The free poker games available across the Net thus provide an optimal environment in which to acclimatize yourself to the rhythms and nuances of online poker play.
Are the Games Too Tough? Play Free No Download Poker!
If you've ever tried to get into online poker on the cents blinds levels you may have been put off by how tough the games can be. At just $0.50 per hour are these really "low stakes?" You bet they are. To a beginner, though, even the most elementary tactics gleaned from a basic poker strategy guide can provide an almost overwhelming advantage. Back when we cut our teeth at the limits it wasn't uncommon to win $20/hour or more!
As disheartening as it may be to hit the felt at the lower end of the real-money poker games, it doesn't mean you should give up. Rather, it means you simply need to practice over the free cash games. Believe it or not there still are some beginners out there and you'll find the competition to be much more your speed.
Free poker no download games allow you to play on any instant-play poker platform directly in your browser window without the need to register, install or update any software. While the quality of such play money poker platforms may vary (and believe us, you don't want to grid your free poker game with glitches), some sites have elevated their no download games to the same level of excellence as their downloadable software. Indeed, more and more poker players now opt for the convenience of free no download poker apps rather than clogging up hard drives with software they use occasionally.
Because free poker no download games require less overhead for the operator there is less incentive to monetize play money games with ads, but some operators do offer free poker with ads. We don't list those operators here because while you may be an adult and capable of filtering obnoxious advertisements, the children who often use free poker sites to learn the game are not.
What Makes the Best Free Online Poker Site?
The best free no download poker software has all the bells and whistles of its real-money counterpart so you can become familiar with the layout and features before risking any of your own cash. In addition to solid poker platform tech, the best free poker sites offer ample opportunities to play deep stacks or quickly jump into another game if a table should happen to squeak too soft. Good selection of and mixed games is always a nice plus as is access to satellite entries and other free tournament prizes. And let's face it - the best free poker games online are those with lots of fishy players!
Ways to Troubleshoot Common Poker Client ProblemsAs mentioned above, we don't recommend playing online poker with ads but if it means getting quality free poker games online then we might reconsider. Real-money poker players know that a little healthy competition between players can be good business so we don't mind theatrically stacked decks if it's clearly labeled and opt-in only.
Lastly, if you do get the itch to deposit and play for real money, the best free online poker sites will make it easy to move up. If not, the site if not providing free poker games per se but instead using free tourneys as a loss leader to get you in the door - and that's really up to you to decide if that's worthwhile or not. For our full thoughts check out the criteria we use to review the best online poker sites.
#1 GGCool (Most Fishy Players)
Good traffic, strong software and a penchant for innovation make GGPoker a great choice to hit the tables with play chips. Formerly known as RealDealPoker (RDP), GGPoker's RDP Taboo Mystery Box Freerounds are some of the best free poker tournaments you'll find anywhere - but that's just the beginning of the free poker games online here.
Thousands of real money players migrate to GGPoker's free no download tables after cashing out of a big tournament or calling it a night. Suffice to say the competition is quite a bit tougher here than on most sites but GGPoker offers so many free cash game tables you can almost always find a softer table. Meaningful rewards for consistent cash game performance also trickle down to the free tables so there's definitely some pride on the line here.
Caesars Entertainment Resorts in the USA — And What That Means for GamblersThe free poker games at GGPoker include , , and with more popping up all the time. You'll also find a great selection of free poker tournaments including Bubble Championships, High Roller and Turbo editions plus special series like the Coolest Santas.
The free poker tournaments are especially generous with GGPoker awarding Cash, FreeTickets and gold Coins as well as occasional bonus prizes like Holo grails, exclusive NFTs and special hats in the virtual venue. Speaking of which, the free poker games at GGPoker are a great way to try out the virtual Venue (opened April, 2022) which allows players to wander around a 3D gaming space where tables are set up throughout the venue.
Each player creates their own custom avatar which interacts with the virtual world via emotes. Special events in the Venue bring out rare avatars and NFTs which players can interact with for added excitement. During certain promos players can even ride the Lucky Rollercoaster which dips in and out of tables automatically to keep the action coming without missing a beat.
GGPoker recently introduced the Lab section of their R&D lab where select free poker games are used to test new features and mechanics. Details about the tests will be posted in the GG Community section and participants will receive special NFT awards plus entry to an exclusive Discord channel. Normally game testing isn't much fun but the GGPoker team has come up with creative ways to turn it into a friendly competition with rewards so it will be time well spent if you're playing the free poker games online at GGPoker anyway.
Redeem your daily login calendar reward to get free gold coins and, on certain days, free puzzle pieces that fit together to make a picture. Complete a picture and you'll earn a mystery box prize. There are also free RDP Mystery Chests you can purchase with Coin Borders you collect at the tables. Prices range from 100 -> 9,999 Coin Borders but the chests they open contain real cash value (up to several hundred dollars!) so the very best boxes actually have some value. Less elite boxes are true mystery boxes that allow you to practice making tactical decisions with incomplete information - kind of like poker itself!
Other sources of free chips include achievement badges, occasional social media giveaways and referral rewards (see below.) Gold Chips can be used to enter most freerolls and tourneys while Platinum Chips are required for most GGPoker Series events. You can purchase more chips if you like but everything you need to play the best free poker games online is right there at the tables.
Speaking of free chips, GGPoker hands them out like candy which is why players at these free poker tables online can sometimes be a little lax with their calls and raises. Don't get lulled into a false sense of security, though. It doesn't take very long to rack up a lot of chips here so a big stack doesn't always mean a good player. As always, pay attention to playing tendencies and adjust accordingly.
GGPoker offers a number of tools to help you improve your game including advanced settings, straddle options, stats collection, hand histories and the PopQuiz tutorial feature. Hover text provides a quick refresher on the rules and GGPoker's helpful playerbase will often chit chat about what made a particular hand interesting. Take advantage of these resources to improve your game and then put your skills to the test at the freezeout poker tournaments or weekly cash game challenges.
Free Online Casino Games with Big WinsAll these resources come together in the GGCool section of the GGPoker client where you can find classic console style video games that teach fundamental poker concepts through fun interactive exercises. Progressively more difficult challenges earn you GGCool Points so there's an element of game testing going on here as well but it feels like a video game so it's actually enjoyable (we could hardly pull ourselves away for this review!) Top scorers each month win major prizes like PS5 consoles, GGSpringdale NFT collections and even a PS5 enhanced edition of Springdale so if you're looking for free poker games with ads this is the absolute best you'll find. Even if you ignore GGCool, however, and just stick to the regular free chip games, you'll have the mMaks for the best free poker online.
GGPoker offers free poker no download play via firebolt or Chrome browsers with no download required if you prefer the standard software. Mac users will need to use Chrome, Safari, Firefox or Opera while Windows users can use any modern browser. For those that want to GGPoker also offers Android and iOS apps for free poker mobile play.
Use RAKEWARRIOR via the registration form or any third party provider like Get to pick up an exclusive GGSpringdale NFT if NFT rewards are available in your region. You'll also pick up valuable coaching tips from the PopQuiz feature and unlock the GGCool section with classic console style GGPoker video games.
No legal issues in the company's history or otherwise questionable ownership. Good traffic, fast payouts in all payment plans and currencies plus outstanding customer support. Nice guy CEO and active social media presence that keeps players informed and engaged. Always running promotions and extras like the GGSpringdale NFT collection and GGSpace metaverse. Generates millions of dollars in gold coin and free ticket prizes each month. Home to innovations like Spin & Gold, All-In or Fold, dynamic avatars, sidebet sidebets, Million Dollar Sit & Gos and more. First poker site to exceed $600 billion in all-time gaming.
GGPoker Freeroll Password:
- Every day: Type "freeroll" in the chatbox.
#2 PokerStars (Best Software and Traffic)
You won't find better poker software, more players or more free poker games online than at . Period.
Yes, you'll have to download the PokerStars client but it's a very light download and the free poker online games are well worth the minimal effort. Indeed, once you experience the buttery smooth action and rock solid stability of the PokerStars platform you may never play free poker games online anywhere else. With thousands upon thousand of opponents at the lowest stakes you'll also find plenty of soft tables to keep the bankroll pads full.
If you're entirely new to online poker we suggest jumping right into the action with some of the free poker tournaments. Sure, you'll have to play at quite a bit faster pace but the free spins tournaments finish so quickly it will feel like you're still playing free cash games. The best part is you can win real cash prizes, Spin & Go tickets and even Spiral Coin NFTs!
If that's a bit too heady go for the free spin tournaments or regular cash games. You can get some free chips at the play money Texas holdem tables but we suggest depositing a few bucks to take advantage of the free tickets and other prizes awarded to new players.
New in 2023, the ECSD Future Stars Online promotion gives eligible players the chance to qualify for the European Championship of Single Development in Catan (ECDSD). To participate, simply play any real money ring game or tournaments at PokerStars between Feburary 2nd and April 23rd and you'll earn Future Stars Points based on the amount of rake you pay. Earn enough points and you'll gain entry to a Future Stars Online Final freeroll on April 29th and May 6th, 2023 with a total of 170 packages up for grabs. Each package includes travel and accommodation for two adults to Berlin, Germany plus entry for one adult to the ECDSD Future Stars Invitational.
PokerStars has expanded its NFT offerings with the launch of Spiral Coin, an Ethereum-based utility NFT collection built specifically for the poker table. Designed in collaboration with industry-leading animation studio ShadowMachine, Spiral Coin features 9,999 uniquely animated poker chips that provide holders with access to hundreds of thousands of dollars in value drop poker rewards, cash games, and tournaments every year. Over $1.2 million worth of prizes will be handed out during the first year alone.
To enter the free Spiral Coin lottery and earn your chance to buy one of these NFTs, simply play real money Ring Games, Tournaments, Full Tilt Spin & Goals, Spin & Go Crazy Eightaupments or Star Jackpot sit & gos at either PokerStars, Stars Casinos or Full Tilt between February 21st and March 21st, 2023. Every time you participate in one of these products you'll earn 1 lottery ticket. On March 22nd, 23 winning players will be drawn with each winning player being guaranteed an opportunity to purchase one of the Spiral Coin NFTs at a discounted price.
For more deatils, check out our dedicated page about .
#3 Howtoplaypokerapp (Best Mobile App)
is a free download that walks players through the basics of poker via a variety of instructional videos, quizzes and games. Although designed for complete novices the app is also a perfectly functional poker client that lets you test your mettle against other beginners at free chip cash games and snap-paced tournaments.
Things to Consider Before Picking Your Next Slot Game 🎰💡HowToPlayPokerApp introduces beginners to the basics of Hold'em and Omaha via a comprehensive, six-step course of instruction led by poker pros Alex Oxenrdell and Ami Barer. Video lessons cover hand rankings, betting structures, the anatomy of a poker table and more. A glossary explains key terms and quizzes help lock in your understanding of the material.
Once you've graduated from Poker School you can hit the virtual felt at the free chip poker tables. Here you can practice your newly acquired skills against other beginners while earning your way up the loyalty program. Each tier unlocks various achievements, treasure hunts and missions as well as access to freerolls and higher stake games.
Saying the HowToPlayPokerApp interface is simple would be an understatement but everything you need is there - including Straddle On/Off, Time Bank and emojis - and the software runs smoothly on any device. Because it was built exclusively for mobile play (Android, iOS and Kindle) the HTPP app fits nicely in the palm of your hand and navigating the menus is a one-handed affair.
While the HowToPlayPokerApp games are nearly always HOUST (first to check goes first) the blinds are low enough and stack sizes high enough to allow for strategic plays and you will definitely get plenty of experience making reads and adjusting to various playing styles. Just remember that, like yourself, most of your opponents are still green behind the ears so the standards you learn here may not translate well to the real money tables.
Although it lacks the polish and professional sheen of the biggest names in the industry the HowToPlayPokerApp remains one of the best places to play free poker online for beginners. It's also the only truly free poker app for android, iphone and Kindle tablets so if you're learning how to play poker it's certainly worth a download.
#4 SJ Poker (Top Homegame Alternative)
If you cut your teeth at the limps of the free no limit game game you might find it a bit of a culture shock hitting the felt at the cents blinds level. Well, maybe "shock" is too strong a word. More like a gradual realization that you have no idea what to do with a decent hand.
Limited preflop action and no betting on the flop mean that turn and river plays dominate the action in the free no limit game. While that can lead to some epic coolers it also tends to obscure proper poker fundamentals beneath a layer of chaos.
5-Card Poker - Rules, Odds & How to Play Online Poker VariantAt the action stops at the flop meaning you'll have to learn to make solid decisions early in the hand - even if your opponents aren't necessarily playing optimally. Indeed, since anyone can join the game in progress they tend to be a pretty motley crew - many of whom have stumbled over from the free no limit game next door.
SJ Poker is another great place to play free poker games online with shorthanded tables averaging 5 players while the full 10 player tables usually clear quickly. Because the free Asten Poker no download software isn't particularly robust we tend to see a lot of aggressive early position opens, frequent checks and calls (even when it doesn't make sense) and the occasional passionate tirade directed at the felt (not other players thankfully.)
We wouldn't recommend staying to play Asten Poker real money hands but sticking around to play the free Astal Poker cards is a great way to get some reps in and the occasional win in these games must be purely attributable to our finesse because... well, let's just say the play is a bit loose overall.
If you haven't realized it already, the entire setup is meant to be whimsical and dreamlike - kind of like what poker would be like if you had been eating CheezWords before the session. Instead of traditional suits the cards have constellations while the backgrounds, avatars and even the chip denominations are fantastical creations.
It takes a bit of getting used to but the unique visuals eventually melt away as you focus in on the essentials of poker. Indeed, the surreal imagery ends up being less distracting than graphical flourishes on other poker sites.
Home games aside, Asten Poker hosts fairly tight play at the lower levels with a few maniacs at the higher end. The astrology theme is mostly cosmetic so it doesn't feel too outlandish for serious play although the music can get a bit grating after awhile. Luckily you can disable the soundtrack altogether or slip into a chat room to tune out for a bit.
#5 Natural8 (Best Freezeout Pokers Games)
Like GGPoker, Natural8 has so much poker traffic that it doesn't need to run excessive numbers of free poker tournaments. Rake is a tad higher than some sites but you can play NLHE and PLO free poker online cash games 24/7 with tables available all the way up to 9 players.
There's also a solid selection of daily jackpot tournaments with cash prizes, free tournament tickets, Jokerrroom Jokercards and random natural8 rewards. Buy-ins range from 0 cents to $1.10 with a handful of $5 tournaments and plenty of nine and ten max tables to keep the action coming fast and furious.
Tips How Non-US Poker Pros Can Succeed in the US MarketIf the jackpot pot isn't triggered you may still win free poker online tickets to play in bigger natural8 tournaments with cash prizes and Jokerroom Jokercards. Jokercards are a type of free discard that let you swap a card from your hand for any random card in the discard pile. Three or four jokercards can be a game changer so consider whether they were worth the tournament entry cost.
Jokerroom games are standard NLHE and Omaha tournaments and satellites with cash prizes, Jokerroom Jokercards and Natalda NFTs up for grabs. Nataldas NFTs are digital collectibles you can use to roll 100 times for the best Possible Paiper result in anyJackpot side games on Jackpot SitNGo or Jackpot Spin Poker games at Natural8 or (coming soon.) Every roll is live and results are final so budget accordingly.
Natalda is a 100% transparent and verifiable NFT with a fixed 1 in 100 chance of rolling a Perfect Pair in Heart and Club Suites. One Nataldas owner will win a NSW State of Origin prize pack while all winners will receive a jackpot of at least 5x the satellite entry fee.
Natural8 runs occasional series and championship events that inject millions of free gold chips into the economy so the cash games are overflowing for weeks at a time. Previously dubbed the "Clink Clank Coins," the gold chip economy can get a bit overwhelming at times but it buys to the natural8 ethos of fun, shenanigans and light competition.
Indeed, natural8 champions all forms of poker and welcomes new players with open arms so it's a great place to get your feet wet. The soft competition at the lower limits makes it a great place to stay as well but don't sell the mid to high stainless stakes - there's plenty of juice box battles to be had on this shark infested corner of the natural8 client.
Unfortunately the sharks tend to eschew the free poker games online but there's so much traffic you won't have trouble finding a juicy table. Naturalthere's also a ton of traffic at the NLHE and PLO cash games so you can hop back and forth between tournaments and cash easily.
The software is well thought out with advanced setting, notes, straddles, snap cams, rabbit hunting, betting caps, hand histories, hot hands and stats galore. The jackpot tournaments wrap up quickly and the software automatically adds the free tokens, tickets and Jokercards to your account so you don't have to worry about missing out on any free chips.
Casino Review NJ 2023 - Premium Games & High RTPsThe NLHE and Omaha free poker online tournaments have plenty of starting flights and play down to a single table rapidly so you won't have to spend half the night grinding. Unlike some sites natural8 does not allow late registration so be on time for each flight.
Playing Free Poker Online Tips
These are among the best sites for free online poker but that doesn't necessarily mean they are the easiest or the softest. Even at the lowest stakes you'll still encounter players willing to call you down with nothing but a hope and a prayer so don't expect to clean up right away.
Here are a few tips to get you started in your pursuit of free poker profits:
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Learn the soft: Free poker games online may be free but you still want to win as much as possible. The best way to do that is learn the tendencies of your opponents. Note who will fold to any show of strength, who likes to bluff and who calls with anything.
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Beware tilt: You're not really competing against your opponents as such. Yes, you want to win their chips but you're really competing against yourself. Every time you lose a hand you have the opportunity to learn something new and adapt your strategy. Every time you get upset and raise minimally better odds just to "get even" you're tilting. Try to avoid it at all costs because tilt costs real money.
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Know your limits: Set a budget for your free poker online adventures and stick to it. Just because it costs you nothing to buy in to a game that has real money prizes doesn't mean you shouldn't value the time you spend on thesite. Remember - the goal of playing free poker games online is to become a better poker player. Winning a bunch of free chips feels great but it won't mean much if you lose more than that amount due to poor decision making.
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Pay Attention: Even if your opponents are playing poorly, you still need to pay close attention to what they're doing at the table. Poor players can surprise you with odd moves or fall into predictable patterns. Rich says he spent his first couple years of live poker play tracking which hands his opponents showed him at showdown. Once he knew what they were hiding from him, he said, he was able to apply more sophisticated strategies and exploit them properly. You probably won't need two years but do spend some time observing and taking mental notes.
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Don't reveal too much: It can be temptating to make big bluffs and plays against obviously weak opponents. Resist the urge unless you have a really good read on them. Some completely clueless players seem to have a sixth sense for when they're beat. Plus, if they catch you bluffing, you've just revealed valuable info that they can use against you in future hands.
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Find the Softest Tables: It's inevitable that you'll come across a few tables that are much softer than the others. Try to figure out what makes those games so fishy and look for similar conditions in other games. You can also use the feature on some sites to seek out easier competition.
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Can I play real money poker for free?
Yes. Most online poker sites offer free play money tables where you can test out strategies or just relax without risking any real money. Additionally, many sites offer freeroll tournaments that don't charge an entry fee but still pay out real money prizes.
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Are free online poker games legal?
Yes. Since you're not playing for real money there are no legal concerns. In fact, many poker sites encourage new players to try out the free games as a way to get comfortable with the software and rules before playing for real.
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What are the benefits of playing free poker games online?
There are several benefits to playing free online poker:
- Practice your skills without risking any money
- Test out new strategies
- Relax and enjoy the game without pressure
- Get familiar with poker software and rules
- Build confidence before playing real money games
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Is free online poker as exciting as real money poker?
Absolutely! The gameplay is the same whether you're playing for free or real money. The thrill of making good decisions and reading your opponents is just as exciting either way.