March 2024

Best Play Money/Free Poker Sites in 2024.

Playing free online poker games with fake money can be fun and rewarding. Not only do free poker sites let you play poker online for play money, but you could even get additional real money rewards.

Some sites offer the opportunity to use play money or the points accumulated from playing with play money to enter real money tournaments. Others offer free rolls and prizes based on how often you play with play money.

We've found the best free online poker sites, plus we explain:

  • The advantages of play money poker
  • What is a freeroll
  • How to enjoy free poker tournaments for real money

US Poker Players: For the best poker sites for US players please see the 2018 US Poker Sites guide.

How We Find the Best Play Money Sites

Our team of experts have years of poker experience. They play poker online for money and for fun, using their knowledge to seek out the best free online poker sites. They do this by acting the same way you will, creating accounts and testing the free poker sites for real.

This means that they usually follow standard steps:

  • Creating an account: This is usually quick and easy, simply creating login credentials and giving basic personal details at a top free poker site.
  • Finding a great game: The team checks which games are available and popular at each free online poker site.
  • Entering a freeroll: To truly experience the full scope of a site, it's best to try out their freerolls and tournaments, just like you will.
  • Switching to real money poker: Once the team has a sense of the free play poker for fun, they will make a deposit to test if it's easy to switch to real money poker.
  • Resolving an issue with customer support: Whether it's to verify an account or ask a question about freeroll prizes, our reviewers will contact customer support to test how long it takes to get a response and how friendly the team is.

What is Play Money Poker?

Play money poker is known by many names. Some sites refer to it as free play poker while others talk about free online poker games with fake money. You might also call them free poker sites for fun.

The point is that you'll be visiting free poker sites that let you play free online poker games for fake money. You won't need to make any deposits or worry about any risks as you won't be playing for real money.

Usually, you'll use a certain amount of play money to take part in various poker games for fun. You might accrue points through play, or win a certain amount of play money, and then you can be invited to special tournaments and events where you'll play free poker and win real money.

What are the advantages of playing free poker online?

  • Test out a casino without any risk
  • Earn special rewards at free poker sites
  • Learn a new poker variation without any risk
  • Try different poker strategies for free
  • Get all the thrills and excitement playing poker for fun

What Makes a Free Poker Site the Best

Plenty of free poker sites have decent offerings, but of course you want to play the best free online poker. You might even be looking for the best free poker sites to win real money.

That's why all our reviews are based on a variety of criteria, with each casino ranked across those elements to determine which are the best play money poker sites. The assessments include:

  • Licensing and security: Even though you're playing for fake money, sites should still be reputable, with full certification for fairness. Additionally, they need to still protect your personal data with modern encryption technology.
  • Software: Whether using apps, software, or instant play in your browser, the free poker sites should be stable and work well on any modern device.
  • Games: The reason you're visiting free poker sites for fun, there needs to be a wide range of poker variations available.
  • Customer support: The customer service team should be available across different communication channels to answer questions or resolve issues.
  • Banking methods: Whether you decide to play online poker for money, or you simply need to withdraw your winnings from a free-entry tournament, online poker sites need to offer fast payouts with a range of banking methods.

Types of Free Games Available to Play

When you visit the best free poker sites online, you'll be able to play a range of different poker variations. These are just some of the free poker games available.

  • Texas Hold'em: The most popular form of poker, this is the variation played at the World Series of Poker. With a combination of community cards and your hole cards, you have excellent chances to form a stellar hand, or bluff your way to success.
  • Omaha: Similar to Texas Hold'em, except you get four hold cards instead of just two. Still, you'll combine your cards with the community cards to create a winning hand.
  • Stud: This is the poker that was played in saloons for decades. When you see poker played in old Western movies, this was the variation of the game.
  • HORSE: The letters stand for Hold'em, Omaha, Razz, Stud, and Eight-or-better, with these games played in rotation, letting you experience all the different variations.

What are Freerolls?

Freerolls at free poker sites are poker tournaments that don't require any entry fee. They often offer cash prizes, though, which means that you can play free poker tournaments for real money.

You may need to use your play money to enter, or get invited after clocking a certain number of free online poker games. Either way, you can visit the best free poker sites to win real money in freerolls.

How to Play Free Poker Online for Real Money

If you're looking to play free poker online for real money, one of your best options will be freerolls. These are tournaments that don't require any entry fees, but let you win cash prizes.

There are also options at some free poker sites to play in real money tournaments without a buy in. This is most common for players who are in the top tiers of play money poker players, added to the mix for some extra fun and challenge. You might be invited to these tournaments if you're a loyal player at top free poker sites.

Finally, you could take advantage of no deposit bonuses, letting you playing poker online for money. The amounts are usually quite small, but you'll still get some real money to play with, without any deposits or risks.

Enjoy Free Poker on Mobile

You can visit the best free online poker sites when you like and where you choose with your smartphone or tablet. You can choose to download free online poker apps, or visit free poker sites with no download instantly in your browser.

No matter how you choose to play, you can access the best free poker sites on any modern mobile device. This includes iOS, Android, Windows, Kindle Fire or BlackBerry smartphones and tablets.

Conclusion

It's clear that free poker sites offer excellent experiences and tons of great rewards. Whether you simply want to play free poker online for fun, or you're looking to win real money playing free poker, you can do it all.

Visit one of our recommended sites today to enjoy the best free online poker games with fake money.

Play Money FAQ

What is play money poker?

Play money poker (sometimes also called free play) are online poker games where you don't risk any real money.

How much money do I get to use?

Every site is a little different and starting amounts can vary by game type and from table to table. For tournaments, there will of course be a set starting amount that will be the same as the rest of the players.

What poker variations are available?

Texas Hold 'Em is going to be found on 99.9% of these sites. However, games like Omaha, Stud, and mixed games are starting to gain momentum with the play money crowd as well.

How does it compare with real money play?

Using play money can be just as fun as real money play. It's a great opportunity to focus on the fun of trying to figure out what other players are holding, what card will come out next, and if you should hold them or fold them.

One other thing about play money poker is much more aggressive play. This is only natural since really there is no downside to going all-in.

Are there any benefits?

For players that may be new to poker in general or one of the less common game types (lowball, razz, etc.), choosing play money games may be a good place to start. Even for intermediate to advanced players, play money is a great option for testing different poker strategies.

Additionally, many of the sites we recommend even offer real money rewards (such as freerolls or various prizes) for winning in play money games.

What are the best free poker sites?

We are always updating our list, found on this page, of the best play money poker sites. We regularly assess the best free poker sites, adding new ones and even removing some that don't meet our standards.

Can I play free poker for real money?

Yes you can! Whether you join freerolls or enter free poker tournaments for cash, you can win real money playing free poker.