Presenting The 5 Best
Legal Poker Sites for U.S. Players
A “No Stones Unturned” Audit of Poker Sites Tailor-Made for Players in the USA
Why these US poker sites are legal - The sites we list below provide a legal & safe solution for U.S. poker players in 2013. Internet poker, as of June 2013 is legal under federal law and most state laws. Most federal and state laws rule against the receipt of poker payments by banks and payment processors – NOT against individual poker players. Furthermore, in August 2012, a federal judge in New York ruled that poker is not gambling under federal law because it is primarily a game of skill, not a game of chance.
PLUS, each US poker site has passed our requirements by:
- They've been tested extensively, ranked and reviewed by U.S. players.
- Offering safe, fast deposits and cashouts, as well as accepting USA credit cards.
- Having a high number of cash game and tournament traffic for U.S. players 24/7/365.
“Sets the industry standard”
“Unlike any other site”
A commonly asked question we receive from USA players is how we rate the online poker sites to find the best US poker sites online. When you visit PokerSites.com, you can trust that we have completed a lengthy research and analysis of all poker sites listed on our website. What separates us from other online site review and rating websites is the unique and extensive process we go through to bring you detailed and accurate information (current for June 2013), as well as our personal relationships with USA online poker players and poker sites.
To bring you the most comprehensive and accurate reviews and ratings (ensuring they remain current during 2013) we:
- Build Good Relationships With Online Sites - We have established personal relationships with staff at online poker sites that accepts US residents to get access to industry news as it happens, and to have inside knowledge of what is going on at sites for U.S. players;
- We are Industry Veterans - Our team is comprised of seasoned online poker industry veterans and our experts have over 20 years of combined experience working in the gambling sector;
- We are Involved in the Community - We maintain an active presence in the online poker community, constantly monitoring feedback to ensure our reviews reflect what players are saying as a whole ;
- We are Poker Players - We are online poker players (both in America and in Europe) that love playing our favorite card game and that helps us to know exactly which the best 2013 poker sites for U.S. players are!
View our Experts Bio
- A Complete Review of Each Website - We browse each online poker room's website, reading and reviewing their terms and conditions, privacy policy, promotions, real money, and software download pages and how they may affect US poker players;
- Download & Account Creation - We walk through all the steps players from the United States go through, downloading each poker client and creating our own accounts to test each 2013 US online poker site;
- Checking For Secure & Audited Software - Our team checks that all the United States online poker sites we look at have secure random number generators and are tested by independent auditors, such as eCOGRA before we recommend them.
- The Setup Of A Web-Based Client - Those online poker sites accepting U.S. players that also have a web-based client are checked by our team actually creating an account, setting-up and launching the client and playing through a browser;
- Making A Deposit To A 2013 U.S. Poker Site - We deposit $100 at the best online poker sites for US players and carefully test the deposit process, bonus code activation and the withdrawal experience to provide you with accurate information;
- Playing at Tables - Our site review team plays hands on both real money and play money tables across all the game types available;
- And much more…
US Poker Sites 2013 - What is the most important thing to check before you open an account at one of the best online poker sites for US players? The various deposit and withdrawal options that each site has of course! In recent years, there have been a number of top new US poker sites accepting credit cards and other types of payment options too.
Our dedicated team of reviewers has worked tirelessly to bring you 2013's best US poker site reviews by examining:
- Customer Service – You want your online gambling experience to be the best. Our reviewers have found each top poker site for US players that offers quick and easy to reach customer support 24/7/365.
- Software – Each of the places to play Texas Hold'em in the United States that we list above, offer plenty of poker variations, make tournaments and games easy to find, and are very intuitive to use.
- Deposit Options – Getting your money into and out of our listed USA poker rooms 2013 is easy because we have made sure each site we recommend has a huge variety of deposit and cash out methods. We also ensure that the best poker sites for US players have speedy withdrawals with no or minimal fees.
- Traffic – Nobody wants to waste time waiting for a game to begin. Our reviewers have ensured there is plenty of action waiting for you at our top 5 best US poker sites in 2013.
- Welcome Bonuses – Getting a bankroll boost has never been easier. Just head over to one of our top rated USA friendly poker sites and get a great bonus today.
Welcome Bonuses And US Players
Players from the United States can still enjoy welcome bonuses when they make a real money deposit. All popular poker sites for US players offer these and getting your hands on the free cash is as simple as signing up to the site and making your first deposit.
The best poker sites for US players often offer a 100% deposit bonus. That means they'll double your initial deposit! But hold your horses, as you still have to earn that bonus cash before you can withdraw it from a USA online poker website. You do that by playing some real money Texas Hold'em, and the more you play, the faster you unlock your welcome bonus.
Don't miss out and use our guide to the top 5 best poker sites for US players 2013 to get straight into great action. Simply head over to one of our top rated sites that allows US players and get start playing now!
View Our Top 5 Rated US Poker SitesThe good news is that online poker is legal in the USA. While many US poker sites pulled out of the market after the passage of the UIGEA in 2006, there are still many legal poker rooms that accepts US residents available. Some of the best poker sites for US players have continued to offer their services as US friendly poker websites. The UIGEA did not make it illegal to play, but rather restricted how payments are processed by Internet gaming companies.
In 2013 Illinois, Louisiana and Washington are currently the only states in America with firm anti online poker laws. In the remaining states you are allowed to play at online poker sites accepting US players, although you should check your state laws as they can change. For more information on legal USA online poker sites please see our legal US poker guide.
Because of the UIGEA, some deposit methods like Neteller have been stopped. Despite this, if you want to play at the best poker site for US players, 2013 has provided you with many opportunities such as pre-paid credit card deposits. All of the United States poker rooms we recommend offer you a wide variety of banking methods, allowing you to quickly and easily fund your account and cashout your winnings.
Absolutely! A great percentage of live card room tournaments are populated by those that qualify from online satellites. US poker players can freely play in a wide roster of events and qualify directly for the big live tournaments such as the World Series of Poker, held in a Las Vegas casino.
All of the US friendly poker sites that we have listed on this page provide cutting edge security for your data and financial transactions. Every site in our list of 2013's best US poker sites treats your transactions with the utmost care.
No. All of the US online poker sites on our list offer you the chance to use play money to sharpen your card game skills without risking a cent. However, nothing beats the thrill of playing at real money USA poker websites and using your skill to take down big pots. You can find a list of top real money poker rooms which accept US residents here on PokerSites.com.
View Our Top 5 Rated US Poker Sites| Visit site |
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Bovada
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BetOnline
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Test DriveSportsbook
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LockPoker
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Carbon
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| PokerSites Rank | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| PokerSites Rating | |||||
| Bonus Info |
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Make your first deposit and Bovada will match it up 100% up to $1000, so deposit $100 and you'll they'll give you $100 extra. Your bonus is released as you play and earn poker points over the next 60 days. Your bonus clears $1 for every 5 points earned; to release $10 you need to earn 50 points, $150 requires 750 and the full $1000 requires 5000 points.
100% to $1000
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Your first deposit at Lock Poker will be matched 150% up to $750. Once you start playing you earn VIP points, for evey 84 VIP points you earn $5 of your bonus will be released. You have 90 days in which to clear your bonus otherwise any remaining bonus is lost.
150% to $750
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Complete your first deposit and Sportsbook will match it up to 200% of it's value. The bonus will be releases in $5 increments as you play poker and earn vip points. For every 150 VIP points earnt $1 of bonus is released.
200% to $1000
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Everytime you make a deposit of at least $50 you can receive a 25% (15% for credit card deposits) free play bonus up to $900. The free plays can be used on a range of sports bets but not on poker or casino. To be able to withdraw you must have played you deposit+bonus+fees through 6 times.
25% to $900
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Make a deposit of $10 or more and you will be eligable to receive your Carbon bonus. Your bonus will released as you play and you will automatically receive $5 in FREE cash every time you accumulate 750 VIP points (150 VIP Pts for every $1)
100% to $600
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| Player Rating | |||||
| Player Review |
"Overall i had a great time at bovada, I've found its the easiest place to deposit for U.S players, great withdrawing options, and fairly soft play ..."- Jarod |
"This has been a good room to play at, the action can vary but I have had many sessions here that get crazy fast, and I mean in a good way."- Rob AAtaker |
"..great for beating up on the fish when they come around...lots of carry over sports bettors here and you can clean up"- Harvy Poker ., Dallas (Texas) |
"Great site...wish it had more players at night, but other than that I won't complain. Won a lot at tournaments here."- Big Chris |
"Initial bonus is nice...got used to the tables with it and it was pretty easy to get released. Not the greatest room in the world but I have taken down a lot of huge pots here."- Hanny Mk |
| software Info | |||||
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| GAME INFO | |||||
| Quality of Opponents | Weak | Medium | Medium | Weak | Weak |
| Number of Players at Peak Hours | 2,117 | 770 | 1,756 | 1,335 | 1,756 |
| Texas Hold’em | |||||
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| Omaha | |||||
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| High Stakes | |||||
| Low Stakes | |||||
| Minimum Deposit | $10 | $10 | $10 | $10 | $10 |
| Play for Fun (play money) | |||||
| DEPOSIT & WITHDRAWL INFO | |||||
| Major US Credit Cards | |||||
| Wire Transfers | |||||
| Paypal | Why no Paypal? | Why no Paypal? | Why no Paypal? | Why no Paypal? | Why no Paypal? |
| security & Licences | |||||
| Uses Secure Encryption (SSL) | |||||
| Privacy Protection | |||||
| Audited Random Generator Software | |||||
| Regulated Body | The Kahnawake Gaming Commission was established in 1996 and is the official licensing and regulating authority for gaming activity within and from the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake. The Kahnawake Gaming Commission is a gaming regulatory body that licenses and regulates a large number of online casinos, online poker rooms and online sportsbook sites, as well as three land-based poker rooms that are situated within the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake.
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The gaming industry in Panama is controlled by the Panama Gaming Control Board (Junta de Control de Juegos), established in 1947. Panama adopted regulations governing the licensing of electronic games of chance and wagering activities in late 2002. All Internet Gaming Companies within or hosted in Panama have to be registered under the online gaming act of 12 November 2002. The regulation allows for online international wagering.
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The Division of Gaming is the regulatory body under the Financial Services Regulatory Commission (FSRC) responsible for the oversight of all aspects of the Offshore Gaming industry in the jurisdiction of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua and Barbuda was one of the first jurisdictions to license interactive gaming and wagering companies in 1994
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Curaçao, is one of the oldest and most politically stable providers of regulated eGaming licensing services. They have served some of the most highly regarded eGaming providers of services and operators since 1996.
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The Kahnawake Gaming Commission was established in 1996 and is the official licensing and regulating authority for gaming activity within and from the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake. The Kahnawake Gaming Commission is a gaming regulatory body that licenses and regulates a large number of online casinos, online poker rooms and online sportsbook sites, as well as three land-based poker rooms that are situated within the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake.
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| detailed review | Bovada Review | Lock Poker Review | Sportsbook Review | BetOnline Review | Carbon Review |
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