Updated October 2019
I used to love . For years it was my go-to free poker app, but that’s no longer the case any more. These days I can't stand the game and refuse to play it. If you’ve been thinking about downloading this social media poker app I’d strongly suggest giving one of these a try instead.
Best Online Slots Reviewed - Top Free Games Demos to PlayMore people have played Zynga Poker than probably any other poker game in history. More than 350 million people have downloaded the app at some point (your grandma might have had a go). At its peak in 2014 over 36% of Americans who owned smart phones played the game every month. Those are some eye watering numbers.
When I first started playing free poker online, back in 2009 or so, Zynga was king of the hill. The games were fun, the community was vibrant, and it scratched the itch when I could not get a seat at an online table. Over time however things changed and what follows is a list of reasons why I no longer play Zynga Poker.
1) The Games Aren’t Free Anymore
What Ever Happened TO Zynga POKER?
Free Casino Games Online You Can Play Right Now (2023)If you want to play good old Texas Hold’em on Facebook then Zynga Poker is the place to be. Not only is it the most famous and populous poker village in all of Facebook-dom, but it also offers a ton of different variants, including:
- Hold’em
- Omaha Hi-Lo
- Chicago (the lowers cards and wraps around from A-2-3-4-5-6-7)
- Five Card Draw
- Eight or Better
- Crazy Pineapple
The problem is that pretty much none of these games are actually free. Oh sure, you can play a certain number of hands per hour without spending any money but … well … good luck getting anywhere. Zynga Poker is a “freemium” game. It’s free to play but virtually everything in the game can be accelerated or improved by spending money.
Here are just some of the ways you can spend cash in Zynga Poker:
- To receive more starting chips you must purchase them.
- To advance quickly through the levels you need to buy “experience points.”
- To participate in the best tournaments (for the best rewards) you need to use “entry tickets,” which are purchased.
- To keep playing once you’ve run out of chips you must purchase “rebuys.” Otherwise you have to wait anywhere from 10 minutes to several hours before you can play again.
- You can speed up the accumulation of chips and experience points by buying “boosts.”
- You can even buy “friendship chips” to give to your Facebook friends!
In short: You can play Zynga Poker without spending any money … if you don’t mind being completely irrelevant in the game. It’s frustratingly limited and maddeningly slow.
Is it worth it to plunk down some real cash? Yeah, it’s better then. But isn’t the point of playing poker a bit vicariously online while you’re away from the tables to NOT have to pay to lose more money?
It's like they take every opportunity to separate you from your "Chips." Just look at their chip purchasing screen:
See how they show you how many Chips you GET as well as how much REAL MONEY that costs? Because nothing says "fun" like being reminded how much you just paid for some digital tokens!!! Way to kill the vibe Zynga. WAY. TO. KILL. THE. VIBE.
Poker Welcome Bonus Review - Is It Worth Claiming in 2023?This Isn't a Game. It's a Goddamn Farm.
Want to build a "chip factory?" That'll be $4.99.
Want to "double your experience points?" Sure thing - that'll be $9.99. Oh and by the way would you like to buy some feed for your cattle or seeds for your farm?
This isn't a poker game anymore. This is some kind of horrifying dystopian future hybrid of Farmville and . I half expect Zynga to do a deal with the local RoughyED gang and make me put my chips into a gladiatorial pit to see how long they survive against a pack of feral dogs. If my chips win they turn into more chips. If my chips die I have to wait 8 hours to resurrect them. And if I want to skip the waiting period? THAT will be $4.99 please.
I feel like I accidentally booted up Oligarchy: Capitalism's Greatest Hit.
Look I get it. The people who make this game want to make money. BUT THERE IS A BETTER WAY TO DO IT THAN INFILTRATE EVERY ASPECT OF YOUR GAME. Offer some cosmetic changes folks. Let people change the felt on the table. Allow us to wear silly hats or glasses when we play. Let us buy animated avatars that sit at the table with us.
Anything.
No Deposit Poker Bonuses - Play Online Poker Free Now!But everything? Everything is behind a pay wall now. It's just not fun anymore.
2) The Community Sucks
Not everyone working for Zynga of course but good lord the game is FLOODED with bots these days. To the point where it's virtually unplayable at times. Every few minutes a popup will appear saying that someone has been banned X number of bots have been blocked. It feels like damage control more than anything else.
Ocean Casino Bonus Code (& Payout Info) - Get Ocean CasinoAlso the players can suck it. Constantly leaving the table on you? Yes. Constantly sitting out to avoid losing stars? Check. Talking in some foreign language you can't understand and emoting you can't understand? You got it.
I know some of you will say "well just find another table!" and I used to agree with you. Problem is there are literally hundreds of people in queue to take some one's seat the second they leave. By the time you find a decent table nine times out of ten someone ELSE will be sitting in your seat.
Brand New UK Online Casinos (2023) - Top New Casino SitesSigh. I miss the old Zynga.
3) The Software Sucks
It's clunky. It's unwieldy. It's slow. They "updated" the interface recently and it looks slicker, but it doesn't work any better.
One of the bigger problems with the software lately has been the inability to multi table. Used to be you could open up four tables of more or less whatever variety you wanted and get to work. Lately however that's almost impossible. Sometimes you can get three down, but good luck getting a fourth up. Often when you try to open a fourth table you get an error message and have to close one of your current tables.
And the glitches! Good lord the glitches. Recently a friend of mine won a big tournament on Zynga. Like a really big tournament. He was ecstatic. He took screenshot after screenshot of his winnings, did all the victory laps on Facebook and everywhere else.
Except the next day it was all taken away. He had been hit by a bug and Zynga took everything back. After he had already spent it. On five hour sessions of Zynga Cash Games.
He was rightfully pissed and never plays the game anymore.
4) The Unlimited Rebuys Tournaments Aren't Fun
Unlimited rebuy tournaments are obnoxious on real money sites. They encourage bad, non strategic, splasy poker play. They are exactly zero fun to play. In fact they aren't even really poker at that point. They are a game of chance. How many times do you get rebornned, what is the other guy's roll like etc.
They have no place in a poker game. Especially when the entire economy of said game seems to revolve around people tryinging to buy their way to the top.
us online slots real money5) The Emoticons Are Annoying
Yeah yeah I know. First world problem and all that.
The emoticons are out of control. People use them constantly. You can't even tell what anyone is really feeling anymore because all they do is hit the little flashing button above the chat box every other post.
Here's a hint: If I wanted to play a text based role playing game I would. It would probably be something elegant and sophisticated like:
You are standing at a poker table.
A man with sunglasses sits across from you.
He deals you two cards.
The board is:
*** * * * * **
_What will you do?"
Best San Francisco Casinos in California - Racebooks and MoreI think you get the idea.
Zynga Still Has a Massive Player Base
That said the player base is still massive. I mean absolutely huge. Which makes it perfect for . If you want to promote your Facebook page or connect with people on the social network Zynga makes a lot of sense.
There are still quite a few fish in the game as well although it’s a challenge to catch them before they vanish off to either never return or rebuy until they’ve bled dry.
Check out our extensive if you’re looking for a better alternative.
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What ever happened TO Zynga Poker?
Zynga Poker peaked in 2014 with 36% of American smartphone users playing the game monthly. Today it's not nearly as popular thanks to an emphasis on in-game purchases and an influx of bots.
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Is Zynga Poker still popular?
Zynga Poker is still very popular with about 15 million active users each month. It's available on multiple platforms including Facebook, Google Plus, YouTube and -- of course -- mobile devices via the App Store and Google Play.
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Is Zynga Poker rigged?
No. Zynga Poker is not rigged. Zynga Poker is thoroughly audited by outside companies to ensure the games are fair. One of the companies Zynga uses is called eCogra and you can click the seal below and see the reviews for yourself.
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Is Zynga Poker free?
Parts of Zynga Poker are free but a lot of the features designed to make the game enjoyable are locked behind pay walls. Things like refilling your chip count, advancing levels quickly and faster results when you lose a tournament are all purchasable with real money. Without making purchases in Zynga Poker you'll find yourself waiting excessive amounts of time for basic functions. It's extremely frustrating.
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Is Zynga Poker owned by Facebook?
No. Zynga Poker is available on Facebook but it's not owned or operated by the social networking site. Zynga Poker also runs on its own website and through apps on Google Play, Amazon and the Apple App Store.
