About Us

Poker is an independent comparison site built for US poker players who want a clear-eyed view of where to play. We research online poker sites and apps operating in the US market and rank them on the things that actually decide a good poker experience — traffic and liquidity, game variety, rake and rewards, mobile play, and how easily a player can get their money in and out.

We don't operate a poker room ourselves. We compare the operators that do, so a new player can pick a site with confidence and a grinder can compare rake structures and player pools without wading through marketing copy.

Why We Built This Page

The US poker landscape is fragmented — regulation runs state by state, and there's no single federal online poker framework. That means the "best" site often depends on where you live, what stakes you play, and whether you value soft cash games, big MTT fields, or fast Spin & Go action. Our job is to lay out the real differences between operators like Coinpoker, Bovada, Stake, Ignition, Americas Card Room and the other sites we cover, so you can match a room to how you actually play.

How We Score Poker Sites

Every site on our rankings is assessed against the same set of criteria. Commission from an operator never buys a better position — our ratings are editorial and separate from any commercial arrangement.

• Traffic and liquidity — how many players are typically seated at the stakes and formats you'd actually play, since a poker site is only as good as its player pool
• Game variety — the mix of No Limit Hold'em, Pot Limit Omaha, mixed games, Sit & Gos, fast-fold formats, and lottery-style Spin & Go games
• Rake and rewards — how rake is structured at different stakes and what comes back to the player through rakeback or a loyalty programme
• Bonuses and promotions — we read the full terms behind any welcome offer, not just the headline number: playthrough requirements, time limits and which games count toward clearing
• Payments — the deposit and withdrawal methods on offer, typical cash-out timeframes, and any fees
• Software and mobile experience — how the client performs on desktop and via iOS/Android apps, and whether it supports the tools serious players rely on
• Trust and licensing — what regulatory or licensing information an operator publishes, and how transparent it is about fund security

We weigh these factors together to produce an editorial rating out of 10 for each site. That score reflects our own research, not customer reviews or operator-supplied testimonials, and it can change as sites update their offerings or as we re-verify terms.

What "Real Money Poker" Actually Involves

Every site we rank involves depositing real funds and risking them on the outcome of the game. Skill plays a real role in poker over the long run, but no strategy removes the possibility of losing money, and we never suggest otherwise. Bonuses and promotions carry material conditions — deposit minimums, playthrough or wagering requirements, time limits, and eligible games — and we make a point of covering those alongside the headline offer rather than burying them.

Licensing, Eligibility and Where This Applies

Online poker in the US is regulated at the state level rather than nationally, so availability, licensing bodies and legal minimum ages vary depending on where you live. Most regulated states set the minimum gambling age at 21, though a small number allow 18. Readers must meet the applicable age and residency requirements for their state before signing up anywhere, and it's worth confirming an operator's current licensing status directly with the site before depositing, since this can change.

Payments and Cashing Out

US poker players typically fund accounts using debit or credit cards, ACH bank transfers, PayNearMe cash payments, operator-branded prepaid cards, or e-wallets where supported, and several operators also accept cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin. Withdrawal speed, minimums and any fees differ by method and by site — we cover these details in our individual reviews rather than assuming they're the same everywhere. Identity verification (KYC) is standard practice before a first withdrawal at any legitimate operator, and that's a normal part of the process, not a red flag.

Our Commercial Relationships

Poker earns revenue through affiliate partnerships. If you follow a link from this site and sign up with an operator, we may receive a commission. This never determines how a site is ranked or reviewed — operators cannot pay for a better score, and we disclose a genuine limitation for every site we cover, including the ones at the top of our list. Where we haven't reviewed a term or feature ourselves, we say so rather than guessing.

Playing Within Your Means

Poker should be treated as entertainment, not a source of income or a way to solve financial pressure. We never present it as a reliable way to make money, and we don't encourage chasing losses or betting beyond what someone can comfortably afford to lose. If gambling stops feeling like entertainment, free and confidential help is available through the National Council on Problem Gambling helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER. Our Responsible Gambling page has more resources, including links relevant to specific states. All content on this site is intended for readers who are 21 or older (18+ in the limited number of states that permit it), and none of it is intended for anyone under that age.

Questions About Our Reviews

If something on this site looks out of date, or you want to flag an operator detail we've missed, the Contact Us page is the quickest way to reach us. Our full terms of use, including how we handle this site's content, are set out on our Terms and Conditions page.