Welcome to Holdem Poker Chat.
If you’re ready to start playing the world’s greatest card game, then please look around our extensive collection of poker site reviews, strategy on just about every poker variant as well as informative posts by the great players in our forums. Whether you’re an experienced player or new to the game we list and review the best online poker bonuses. We want you to get the most out of your experience.
Best USA Online Poker Sites for 2022
| Poker Room | Bonus | Code | US | Mac | Review |
Play Now
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Ignition Poker |
$2000
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N/A
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Ignition Poker |  |
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| 2 |  Americas Cardroom |
$1000
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N/A
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Americas CardRoom | |
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| 3 |  BetOnline Poker |
$2500
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N/A
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BetOnline Poker | |
Online Poker
All About Online Poker
One of the advantages that is appealing to many is the fact you are able to play poker when it suits your schedule. You do not have the need to arrange a time when others can get together for a home game as online poker allows you access a game 24 hours a day. You also are able to play a substantially larger number of hands and therefore improve upon the skills you already have obtained.
This can be done through multi-player tournaments that are offered with a wide buy-in range. Many of these tournaments will give you the opportunity to test your skills and win a nice amount of money when compared to the amount that was invested to enter the tournament. Many sites will offer qualifying events into World Series of Poker events. The most famous for this was Chris MoneyMaker, who won his seat in the World Series of Poker Main Event through an online satellite.
Another benefit to playing online is that you do not need to maintain a large bankroll as most online poker sites offer table limits that are affordable to all players. These will start from a low of $.01/$.02 cents at a ring table or tournaments with buy-ins as low as $0.25. Poker rooms also cater to those who prefer to play for higher stakes and will include table limits as high as $5000/$10,000 and offer tournaments with buy-ins of the same value. It does not matter how much you can afford, you will always be able to find a game that will fit your budget. We list sites that are open to players from around the world including the best USA poker sites and UK poker sites.
Poker Bonuses
Online poker sites offer a wide variety of promotions for players to participate in. The most common is the initial deposit bonus, which is based on the first deposit you make with the poker site. This can also include other things such as prizes or entries into exclusive tournaments. Generally this will be 100% or more, which means that if you deposited $100 that you will receive $100 as a bonus. Poker bonuses are usually released in increments based on the amount you contribute to the rake in a cash game or through tournament entry fees. This is fairly standard with most poker sites but there are some rooms that will provide you a percentage value of your deposit up front. The easiest way to fund your account is to buy bitcoins and using them to deposit on your favorite site.
This will allow you to start with a larger bankroll however will require that you play the amount of your deposit and bonus a number of times prior to being able to withdraw your winnings. This is referred to as a “playthrough”. It too is a standard not only within online poker. Another common bonus is the “Re-load Bonus”, which will allow you to add to your bankroll. In some cases you will be asked to provide a bonus code in the cashier window in order to claim your free money. You will also find promotions that are focused around prize giveaways such as trips, electronics and various other things such as merchandise with the poker rooms name on it.
The Legality of Online Poker in the United States
The reality of things is that the laws are somewhat vague. It is important to understand that there are several levels of law in the USA, state law and federal law. While federal law will govern the states, state law applies to laws within the state itself.
The truth of the matter is there is nothing in federal law that prohibits people playing poker online. Most states will outlaw any form of gambling that is not independently regulated that that particular states. Even with that said there is still no mention that playing poker is illegal with the exception of Washington. There are some states that will have stronger worded legislation in place but generally those are states that already have legalized forms of gambling they regulate. Generally most states will not prosecute those who do continue to play poker online however this should not be taken as a safe justification to break any state laws.
Those operators that continue to offer poker to US citizens face a very real risk of prosecution Any online poker site that is not licensed within the United States is illegal and this includes any form of gambling whether it be poker or other types of gambling. Federal law supports this when in relation to illegal gaming operations.
The UIGEA was entered into law in 2006. The bill does not outlaw online poker and in fact makes no mention of it. The purpose of the law pertained to the processing of online payments to those who are deemed illegal within the United States thus making it a criminal offense federally but leave the legality of online poker to individual states.
Essentially, playing online poker is legal in the U.S however the processing of money transactions to play poker is not. This caused many to leave the US market and refusing to take American players. There are many who view the law differently however and continue to let American players play poker and continue to process transactions in and out of the poker sites.
Online Poker Security
Online security is something many players are concerned about and often those new to playing online are hesitant to do so as they are unaware of the protocols implemented by the internet poker rooms to ensure the games are safe. The first is that there is sophisticated software in place to detect player collusion. This software has been perfected over the years and will accurately detect if players are colluding and trying to cheat. They also have encryption software in place to protect financial transactions. This applies both to depositing and withdrawing. Security protection software is continually updated and reviewed to ensure your protection and privacy is always maintained.