Online poker: legality, the best sites, and criteria for selecting by novices

Do you want to start playing poker online for money but don’t know where to begin? Do you have questions about the legality of playing poker in your country?

Here, we will discuss some criteria to help you choose a good poker site, as well as the best online rooms for beginners so that you can be sure you’re playing safely and legally. Finally, we’ll give you an overview of poker tournaments available.

Where is online poker legal?

Online poker is currently legal and regulated in the following USA states:

1. Nevada: One of the first states to legalize and regulate online poker. It allows both residents and visitors to play.
2. New Jersey: Offers a robust online poker industry with several major platforms available for residents and visitors.
3. Delaware: Operates a state-run online poker network, shared with Nevada and New Jersey.
4. Pennsylvania: Entered the market in 2019, becoming one of the largest online poker states.
5. Michigan: Launched legal online poker in early 2021, with operators providing services to Michigan residents.
6. West Virginia: Online poker was legalized, but platforms were slower to launch compared to other states.

These states have regulated and licensed platforms, often requiring players to be physically present within the state’s borders to participate. Many other states are considering online poker legislation, but it’s currently restricted in most of the US.

Yes, online poker is legal and regulated in several countries worldwide, including:

1. Canada: Each province regulates its own online gambling, with many offering legal poker platforms. For instance, Quebec and British Columbia have their own government-run poker sites.
2. United Kingdom: The UK Gambling Commission regulates online poker and other forms of online gambling, providing a well-regulated and thriving poker scene.
3. Many European countries have legal and regulated online poker markets, including:
   • Germany: After new regulations were introduced in 2021, online poker is now legal with licenses available to operators.
   • France: Online poker is legal and regulated by ARJEL (Autorité de Régulation des Jeux En Ligne).
   • Italy: Offers licensed poker sites with strict regulations.
   • Spain: Also has a regulated online poker market, with several international operators holding licenses.
   • Sweden: Legalized and regulated online poker under the Swedish Gambling Authority.

Other regions across the world, such as Australia and several Latin American countries, also allow online poker with varying levels of regulation. This makes online poker accessible in many countries globally.

In some countries, such as China and India, online casino and poker are not currently legal, excepting some states. However, this could change in the future as more and more people become interested in playing online poker.

Criteria of a good poker site

When choosing an online poker room, there are a few factors you should keep in mind:

1. Check to see if the site is available in your country. While online poker is legal in many countries, some do not allow it. If the site is not available in your country, you will not be able to play for real money.
2. Player traffic is one of the most important factors when choosing an online poker room. You want to find a site that has enough players so that you can always find a game, but not too many players so that the games are too tough.
3. Take a look at the different types of games offered. Most rooms offer Texas Hold’em, but if you’re looking for something specific like Omaha or Stud, you’ll want to make sure the room you choose offers those games.
4. Consider the stakes that are available. If you’re a beginner, you’ll probably want to start out with lower stakes so that you don’t lose all your money right away.
5. Consider the rake. This is the fee that the poker room charges for each hand. The lower the rake, the better!
6. Check out the bonuses and promotions that are available. Some rooms offer deposit bonuses or Rakeback, which can help you earn back some of the money you lose while playing.
7. Pay attention to the customer support options that are available. If you have any problems with depositing or withdrawing money, you’ll want to make sure that the room you choose has good customer support so that you can get your problem resolved quickly.

Now that you know what to look for, you can start selecting the best room for your needs.

Top of the best online poker rooms

Here are our favourite sites for poker beginners:

1. PokerStars is the largest online poker room in the world, and they offer a great selection of games and stakes for players of all levels. They also have a very user-friendly interface, which makes it easy to find the game you want to play and a great customer support team that can help you with any problems you might have.
2. Full Tilt Poker is another great option for beginners. The room managed to attract a lot of recreational players after they were acquired by PokerStars, and they offer a wide variety of games and stakes. The software is also very user-friendly, and the customer support team is always ready to help.
3. PartyPoker is one of the oldest poker rooms in the world, and they offer a wide range of games and limits. They have a Rakeback system that can be very rewarding for regular players.
4. 888poker has bonus opportunities that consist of a welcome bonus, a first deposit bonus, and various reload bonuses.
5. Titan Poker is a smaller poker room but they offer a lot of value to their players. They have a VIP program that is very rewarding, and they also offer a wide range of tournaments.
6. PokerOK is a newer poker room, but they are already making a name for themselves with their great selection of games. The room software includes PC and mobile app versions with a functionality that is very user-friendly.
7. RedKings Poker offers a wide variety of tournaments and cash games. They also have a loyalty program where players can earn points and exchange them for prizes.
8. Tigergaming Poker company has an advantage over other rooms because it offers a wide range of methods to deposit and withdraw money. They also have very user-friendly room software.
9. Unibet Poker is a good choice for players who are looking for a room with a lot of action. The room offers a wide variety of tournaments and cash games. Also, they have a casino section with a variety of games like Lucky Jet, Aviator, etc. Increased in popularity, the Crazy Time game with a monitoring software called Tracksino Crazy Time to record statistical and info data regarding live casino events.
10. CoinPoker is different from other rooms because it uses cryptocurrency. This makes it a good choice for players who want to play anonymously.
11. RedStar Poker has a good reputation and is a popular choice for Russian players, but the room doesn’t accept US players because of the legal situation in the United States.

These are just a few of the many online poker rooms available to choose from. Be sure to do your research before choosing a site, and always remember to play within your limits.

What is the best poker tournament?

One of the most popular ways to play online poker is through tournaments. Tournaments are typically single-elimination affairs where players compete against each other until only one player is left standing.

The prize pool for these tournaments is usually determined by the number of players that enter, so the more people that play, the bigger the prizes will be!

So make sure to do your research before signing up for a tournament:

1. The entry fee.
2. The prize pool.
3. The number of players.
4. The level of competition.

Freerolls, Sit-n-Goes, Satellites, and Multi-Table tournaments (MTTs) are some of the types of poker tournaments. Essentially, all well-known poker tournaments are multi-table and include the following:

• World Series of Poker.
• World Poker Tour.
• European Poker Tour.
• Italian Poker Tour.
• Asia Pacific Poker Tour.
• Latin American Poker Tour.
• Caribbean Poker Tour.
• UKIPT.
• Aussie Millions.
• Irish Open.
• French Poker Series.
• Battle of Malta.

These are just some of the most popular tournaments in the poker world. If you want to win big, you need to be prepared to compete against the best players in the world.