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Best Online Poker Sites for the UK
Poker has always been one of the most beloved gambling games, appreciated by players from all over the world. But is it better to play for real money at the best poker sites or should you stick to playing for free? We have all the answers for you no matter if you’re looking for the best poker sites UK players accepted, USA players accepted or anywhere else.
You’ve probably seen countless movies and poker tournaments on TV and are curious about video poker as well but don’t want to go to your local casino (or don’t even have one close), well now you can enjoy an authentic poker experience at one of these trusted online poker sites and feel just as entertained and fabulous. So let’s get right to finding you the very best poker site!
How to Choose the Best Online Poker Sites
There are several factors that you need to take into account when trying to find the most reputable online poker site to play at. Diversity is key in all aspects. We’re talking about having many different games to choose from (not just different types of poker from classic to video poker, but also slots and other table games, even live casino games), poker tournaments, full accessibility across all devices, including poker apps, and, of course, many great promotions. But let’s dive deeper.
Safety, Security & Support
First off, the most important thing is to choose a poker site where you are completely safe. A safe casino means that it’s legal and that it protects your data from third parties. The legality of a poker site is closely related to your country’s gambling laws and your jurisdiction.
So UK players, for example, are allowed to try online gambling by law so to be safe they will need to play at poker sites UK Gambling Commission licensed. If the poker site is licensed by the UKGC then you should have no issues there.
Make sure you check out what jurisdiction you fall into and then look for the licenses. Other than the UK GC license, there’s also Gibraltar, Sweden, Curacao, Malta and others.
Furthermore, to protect your personal and financial data, an online casino site will have state of the art SSL encryption in place. Its presence will be notified usually in the footer of the website or as a padlock next to the website address.
Last but not least, you might have questions at some point or run into a problem, and for that, you need a super reliable customer support team. Great customer support will have long hours (preferably 24/7) and will be easy to contact via several mediums like live chat, email phone etc.
Game Selection
The game selection on poker sites is crucial because this is the reason you came here. You need to have as many options as possible and that means all the online casino games you can think of, including slots, poker, live dealer poker, video poker and more.
A great video poker selection is important as this game is the perfect mix between a slot game and a poker game which makes it the perfect transition from one to the next. As a result, you get to experience the best of both worlds and move on to expand your gambling knowledge and fun considerably. Also, video poker is a casino game based solely on luck so it’s great when you want a break from practising your skills at regular poker.
Apart from the basic variations of video poker, the most popular poker variations are Texas Hold’em, Omaha and Stud and these should be present at any poker site, but also other variations of this classic game as well.
These are the most popular types of poker you can play for real money at top online poker sites:
- Texas Hold’em
- Omaha
- Omaha Hi Lo
- Five Card Draw
- Seven Card Stud
- Razz
- Horse
- Casino Hold’em
- Red Dog
- Three Card Poker
- 2-7 Triple Draw
- Chinese Poker
Mobile-friendly and user experience
In this day and age, you should be able to access the casino site no matter what device you use. This means being mobile-friendly is highly important. Most poker sites are available via a browser on laptops and desktop systems and even on mobile devices like tablets and smartphones. A great thing to know is that some of the top online casinos even have dedicated apps which allow you to play your favourite poker games.
The design of the website and the fact that it should offer a great user experience are other things to consider. It shouldn’t just look nice, but be able to take you to where you want to go fast and easy. The more uncomplicated and easy to use it is, even from the first time you enter it, the better your experience will be. This is also tied to the accessibility on all devices part because a great website means you won’t need to download additional software (unless you’re into casino apps) and everything will run smoothly no matter what device you choose.
Payment Methods
Your authentic poker experience would suffer a lot if you just won a poker tournament and find out that you will need to get a payment method you don’t have to be able to cash out because you didn’t check the availability of payment methods. So a wide variety of payment methods is a great plus.
Credit and debit cards and wire transfers are available at all online casinos, but e-wallets and pay by phone options aren’t the norms yet so make sure you check to see if they have what you prefer.
Also, some payment methods are only available in certain countries like at best UK poker sites we have Apple Pay, Payforit, Boku and Zimpler, but other countries aren’t using these great pay by phone options yet.
Playing at Online Poker Sites for Real Money vs Playing for Free
Playing for free is highly important for any online casino game, not just online poker. When you first try a game for free before playing it for real, you get to test to see if you like it, learn the rules better and make sure that you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into.
In demo mode, there is 0 risk so you can play for as long as you want and grow your skills and improve your strategies. Video poker is definitely the most fun type of poker you can play for free, while the real money versions are fun for all of them. The only thing that you can’t get here, in the free version, is real wins.
While you can get a lot of experience playing for free, you can get even more of it when playing for real money. The thing to remember is that you don’t have to play for high stakes or with a table full of pros to get experience and win. But with stakes that are real (even if it’s just a couple of pennies or a pound), poker is a completely different game and you get to level up your skills and test them against other players, learn how other players will react and change your strategies accordingly.
Most real money poker sites offer hundreds of low-limit real money options from one-two cents cash games to £1 single-table tournaments. Sure you can play them for more, but to practice responsible gambling start off super small and work your way up if you want to and your budget allows it.
There are also beginner-only tables so that you can play with people your own level and not get discouraged and learn a lot at the same time.
Also, if you find the right bonuses you can combine the playing for real and playing for free options because a no deposit bonus means no deposits, but you get to keep what you win.
Best Poker Sites No Deposit Bonuses & More
While they don’t show up as often as slots bonuses at online casinos, you will find plenty of promotions that work on poker games, either online poker games or even live dealer poker games.
More often than none, you will find welcome bonuses that work on poker and maybe even some special reload bonuses. While no deposit offers for poker aren’t as common, it doesn’t mean that they don’t exist.
Of course, finding a no deposit poker bonus is the coveted option given that it has good wagering requirements, as low as possible, and terms and conditions that work in your favour.
Remember that you need to read the full terms and conditions every single time before claiming any offer and see if the wagering requirements, games allowed, max cashout and all the other rules can work for you.
Practice Responsible Gambling at the Best Online Poker Sites
While players enjoy different poker sites, different types of casino games, different individual games, bonuses, payment methods etc, the one thing that all players should have in common is the fact that they all practice responsible gambling.
When playing safely, sticking to a budget and betting for entertainment, things are great and online gambling is just fun. However, things can quickly change. If games stop being fun, you’re beginning to lose money you don’t afford to and you’re pulling away from your close ones then you definitely have a problem.
You need to practice responsible gambling and always keep in check with yourself and if you see the slightest change in the way you play or the way you feel you should stop. There are many measures in place at online casinos to keep you safe. You can self-exclude, set boundaries and seek help from professionals. Don’t let things get too far, stay safe and remember that even water in large quantities is harmful so make sure you have a good measure with everything.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions about Online Poker Sites
Which is the best online poker site?
Each player has a different favourite online casino site because they are interested in different things. While you might love the fact that you can use a certain payment method, others would prefer another. Some want more tournaments, while others want more no deposit poker bonuses. That’s why it’s hard to pick just one. The only way to find out which poker site is perfect for you is to take a look at the top poker sites in the UK and other GEOs on this page and pick the one that seems to work for you.
What’s the difference between video poker and classic poker?
While they have a lot of things in common, video poker is a different game because it doesn’t rely on skill at all, it focuses on luck, much like slot games. In fact, video poker is pretty similar to slots as it works with a random number generator.
You get pretty much the same winning hands as in regular poker, and you can decide to discard or keep cards to create your hand. If you’re lucky and get one of the combinations (Jacks or better, two pairs, three of a kind, straight, flush, full house, four of a kind, straight flush or royal flush) you will get the set payout for it. There’s no bluffing, no raising, no calling, no folding. It’s a lot more straight to the point.
What is the best Android poker app?
Many of the online casinos that we’ve featured on this page don’t just work across all devices perfectly but also have an app, either iOS or Android or both. There are several excellent choices, including the amazing Android poker apps of 888 or Unibet.
How can I win at online poker?
Unlike slot games which are completely casino games of chance, online poker actually involves a bit of strategy, not just luck. While you can’t control what cards you get because that is random, what you can do is learn to read other players, to figure out possible outcomes and just improve your skills. There are some strategies you can try, but it all comes down to being present and attentive and, of course, knowing the rules inside-out.
Can I become a professional poker player?
If you think you have what it takes and want to move on from being a casual poker player to being a full-on professional that makes a living playing online poker then you really have to be great at it and fully commit to the game.
It’s super important that you try this career path only if you really are very good, have a tested track record and funds that cover all your necessities for a long time. Even if you’re amazing at it, you might not always win so responsibility is key in all aspects of life.
How can I win a poker tournament online?
First off, find the poker tournaments that work for you. If you’re used to playing with small bets don’t jump to the big spenders’ table because your bankroll can’t afford it. There is no 100% success strategy so just pick the right table and go for it. Use whatever strategy has worked for you in the past and play safe.