Online Poker Apps for US Players
Online Poker Apps for US Players
Poker apps are mobile device applications that allow you to play online poker on your mobile phone or tablet.
While the average poker app is a slimmed down version of the online poker site, it still puts all kinds of real money cash games and tournaments in the palm of your hand.
In the states where online poker is legal and regulated, you can download a variety of real money poker apps to most mobile phones and tablets. Then, just sign up for an account. To start playing, make a deposit on the app using any one of a variety of easy-to-use deposit methods. You can also play poker on play-money or social poker apps even in states where online poker is not legal and regulated.
Read on to find out more about legal real money and play-money poker apps in the US, including step-by-step instructions for downloading poker apps, making deposits, and figuring out which is the best app for you.
Most popular poker apps for 2023
States with legal poker apps for real money
Real money online poker is legal and regulated in six states:
- Delaware
- Nevada
- New Jersey poker
- Pennsylvania poker
- West Virginia
- Michigan poker
New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware have all signed on to a multi-state poker alliance that allows players in each to compete against one another. However, the WSOP/888 network is the only one currently operational in these three states.
Sweepstakes poker apps
While legal poker is only available in a handful of states, more are coming on board, and sweepstakes poker allows you to play a unique version of online poker in the US.
Global Poker is one such social poker site that uses its unique sweepstakes model to offer legal US online poker all across the country (except Washington). Global Poker uses its own virtual currency called Gold Coins. This virtual currency has no real money value. However, when you buy Gold Coins, you are also given free Sweeps Coins. You don’t need a Global Poker bonus code either. Just use this link to visit
the site and create a new account.
You can’t buy Sweeps Coins, but you can use Sweeps Coins to play ring games and tournaments on Global Poker that offer more Sweeps Coins as prizes. You can redeem any Sweeps Coins you win for real cash prizes. In most cases, these sweepstakes sites give away free Sweeps Coins just for signing up.
Global Poker doesn’t have a traditional mobile poker app, but you can access Global Poker and play in ring games and tournaments using the browser on your mobile phone or tablet.
How to download US online poker apps
Downloading US online poker apps to Android and iPhone / iPad is quite easy. Just follow these six simple steps and as long as you?re inside a state where the app is legal and regulated, you?ll be playing online poker on that poker app in no time:
- Find the link to the poker app of your choice on this site and click it to guarantee you?ll get the new player bonus available.
- Download the app using direct links on the landing page or the online poker site?s homepage.
- Open the app and sign up for an account using the personal and account details required.
- Install any geolocation plugin required and allow the poker app to verify your location.
- Make a deposit using any of the available banking methods.
- Browse through the lobby to find the ring games or tournaments you want to play.
Just remember, you can do steps one to three from anywhere inside the US.
However, steps four to six require you to be physically inside a legal gambling state where the app is licensed to operate.
The best real money poker apps
Here?s a look at the top mobile poker apps available in the US, what they offer you as a poker player, what device you need to download each one, and where exactly you can play on the apps:
1. PokerStars app – Play 1 cash hand or bet $1 on casino, get $100 in free play or 100% up to $600 on deposit
PokerStars remains the largest online poker brand on the planet, and it now has a US poker app available for download in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. Sign up through our exclusive link, and you?ll be entitled to ?in free-play or a 100% up to $600 deposit match bonus no matter which state you want to play in.
PokerStarsThe PokerStars app is available for iPhone, iPad and Android devices using a minimum of Android 5 or iOS 10.
It offers access to all that is PokerStars, including no-limit hold ?em, Omaha and stud cash games, sit-n-go tournaments, Spin & Go tournaments and a variety of multi-table tournaments. Plus, the PokerStars mobile poker app gives you almost every feature the desktop software does, including the ability to multi-table.
*Available in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Michigan
2. WSOP Poker App – $100 in bonus play + 100% up to $1,000
WSOP.com is part of the largest network of online poker sites in the US and the only one that allows you to compete against players in up to three states. The WSOP poker app is now available for download and play in New Jersey and Nevada. Use our exclusive bonus code 25FREE?when you sign up for an account in either state, and you?ll be entitled to $100 in bonus play with a deposit and a first-time deposit bonus of 100% up to $1,000.
The WSOP.com mobile poker app is available for iPhone, iPad and Android devices using a minimum of Android 2.3 or iOS 6.1.
It offers access to almost all of what WSOP is as a desktop client, considering most of what WSOP is as a desktop client is no-limit hold ?em cash games and tournaments. Unfortunately, the WSOP app only supports single-table play, and there are no pot-limit Omaha games or tournaments on mobile.
*Available in New Jersey & Nevada
3. 888 Poker app – $20 free + up to $1,500 deposit bonus
888 Poker is also a part of the largest network of online poker sites in the US, allowing you to compete against players on the WSOP/888 network in up to three states. The 888 poker app is now available for download and play in New Jersey. Sign up and you’ll be entitled to a $20?no deposit bonus and more than $1,500?in free credits.
The 888 Poker app is available for most iPhone, iPad and Android devices.?It offers access to 888?s lineup of cash games and tournaments, including Texas Hold ?em, seven-card stud, Omaha hi-lo, SNAP poker and BLAST Poker.
*888 Poker app is available in New Jersey
4. Borgata Poker app – Up to $75 in tournament tickets + 100% match up to $1,000 on deposit
Borgata Poker is basically a rebranding of PartyPoker’s online poker software, and it shares a player pool with PartyPoker NJ and BetMGM Poker. The Borgata Poker app is now available for download and play in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. However, PA players are fenced in and cannot play across state lines. When sign up for Borgata Poker and you make your first deposit you receive up to $75 in tournament tickets,?plus a 100% match up to $1,000.?Make sure you use our exclusive bonus code: PLAYNJ.
The Borgata Poker app is available for iPhone, iPad and Android devices using a minimum of Android 4.1 or iOS 8.?It offers access to no-limit Texas Hold ?em, fixed-limit Texas Hold ?em, pot-limit Omaha, pot-limit Omaha hi-lo and fixed-limit seven-card stud cash games, tournaments and SNGs.
*Borgata Poker is available in New Jersey and Pennsylvania
5. BetMGM Poker app – Up to $75 in tournament tickets + 100% match up to $1,000 deposit bonus
BetMGM Poker is another rebranding of PartyPoker’s online poker software, and it also shares a player pool with PartyPoker NJ and Borgata Poker. The BetMGM Poker app is now available for download and play in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. However, Michigan and PA players are fenced in and cannot play against other states. When you are signing up for BetMGM and make your first deposit you can get up to $75 in tournament tickets, plus ?and a 100% deposit bonus worth up to $1,000 when using our exclusive bonus code: PLAYNJFREE.
The BetMGM Poker app is almost a complete version of the online poker client and is available for iPhone, iPad and Android devices using a minimum of iOS 8 or Android 4.1.?It offers access to cash games, sit-n-gos and multi-table tournaments featuring no-limit hold ?em, limit hold ?em, seven-card stud, pot-limit Omaha and Omaha hi-lo.
*BetMGM poker is available in New Jersey, Michigan and Pennyslvania
6. Global Poker – Free $20 Gold Coin package + $40 package with $20 on purchase
Global Poker uses a unique sweepstakes model to offer legal online poker all across the US. Despite not having a traditional mobile poker app, Global Poker is on this list because you can play in ring games and tournaments using the browser on most Android and iOS mobile devices.
Sign up through our exclusive link and get a $40 Gold Coin package, including 200,000 Gold Coins and bonus 40 Sweeps Coins for just $20, and a $20 Gold Coin package absolutely free.
Global poker features hold ?em and Omaha ring games and tournaments all accessible on mobile devices.
*Available in all states except Washington
What’s the best poker app for iPhone?
It doesn’t seem to matter which mobile device or operating system you use; the PokerStars mobile poker app is above all others. Although, if you’re downloading it to your iPhone, it?d better be running on iOS 10 or better if you want it to work.
The PokerStars app will turn your iPhone into an online poker room with just about every feature you’ll find on the PokerStars NJ, MI, or PA desktop client. In fact, this poker app even lets you multi-table on iPhone, which is more than most apps do.
All of your account management features are there, including access to the cashier, VIP store and settings. Plus, the PokerStars app also takes game selection to the next level, offering hold ?em and non-hold ?em variants, PokerStars? lottery-style Spin & Gos and everything else you’ve come to expect from PokerStars only a swipe or two away.
The tournaments you can play right on your iPhone are as big as any in all three states, and the iOS app mimics the desktop experience better than any other.
Get started playing the best mobile poker games for your iPhone by finding the PokerStars NJ, MI, or PA link on this site and clicking it. That?ll guarantee you get the best new player bonus available.
Then, download the app to your iPhone using the direct links on the landing page or the homepage. Downloading may take a few minutes depending on your connection speed, but you can open the app by clicking on the new PokerStars spade icon on your iPhone once it’s done.
If you’re new to PokerStars, sign up for an account and make a deposit or take a look around. The ?lobby? tab at the bottom of your screen will help you find the games you’re looking for. Plus, you can switch anytime using the tabs at the top of your screen as well.
The rest of the best for iPhones
PokerStars is the best app for iPhone users, but poker apps like WSOP, 888, Borgata, and BetMGM are also dedicated iOS options designed for iPhones.
Most offer standard gameplay and account functionality via iPhone. That means you?re likely going to find a bit more on the desktop and be able to see it all a bit better on your iPad, but you?ll be able to play some online poker on your iPhone.
Just download the app from the site itself via links you?ll find here at Playin USA and try it out to see if mobile?poker is for you.
Full list of legal iOS poker apps
| Rank | Poker Room | No Deposit Bonus | iOS Specs | App Available In |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | PokerStars | None | iOS 10.0 or later | NJ, PA, DW |
| 2. | Party Poker | $25 Free | iOS 9.0 or later | NJ, DW |
| 3. | WSOP.com | None | iOS 6.1 or later | NJ, DW, NV |
| 4. | Borgata Poker | None | iOS 4.1 or later | NJ, PA |
| 5. | BetMGM Poker | None | iOS 8.0 or later | NJ, PA |
| 6. | 888 Poker | $20 Free | iOS 8.0 or later | NJ, DW |
| 7. | Global Poker | $20 Gold Coin Package | No download / browser play | All states except Washginton |
What?s the best poker app for Android?
The PokerStars app is also the best poker app for Android mobile phones and tablets. You can run it on the Android 5.0 or newer operating system.
The PokerStars app will instantly turn your Android device into an online poker room and, once again, PokerStars delivers most of the features to mobile that NJ, MI, and PA desktop users also enjoy.
You can manage your account, use the cashier and toggle all the settings to your liking. You can play hold ?em and other poker variants, Spin & Gos, and MTTs. In fact, you can even multi-table on your Android phone or tablet.
Find the PokerStars NJ, MI, or PA link on this site and click on it. Download the PokerStars app to your Android device using the direct links you find there.
Click on that PokerStars spade icon on your device and sign up for an account. Make a deposit and browse around the lobby until you find a game to play.
The rest of the best for Android
WSOP, 888, Borgata, and BetMGM have also built dedicated Android apps. Although PokerStars is the best of the bunch, these apps offer great gameplay and acco
unt functionality via Android devices.
Once again, you?ll find more on the desktop and be able to see it all a bit better on a tablet, but these poker apps deliver on the promise of being able to play Texas Hold’em on mobile.
Just download any one of these apps from the site itself through links you?ll find on Playin USA to see if they can offer the kind of mobile experience you?re after.
Full list of legal Android poker apps
| Rank | Poker Room | No Deposit Bonus | Android Specs | App Available In |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | PokerStars | None | Android 5 and up | NJ, PA, DW |
| 2. | Party Poker | $25 Free | Android 5 and up | NJ, DW |
| 3. | WSOP.com | None | Android 2.3 and up | NJ, DW, NV |
| 4. | Borgata Poker | None | Android 4.1 and up | NJ, PA |
| 5. | BetMGM Poker | None | Android 8 and up | NJ, PA |
| 6. | 888 Poker | $20 Free | Android 5 and up | NJ, DW |
| 7. | Global Poker | $20 Gold Coin Package | No download / browser play | Most states (No WA) |
Free poker apps
If you want to play online poker but don’t want to risk any money doing it, there’s an app for that. In fact, there are dozens of free poker apps you can download for Android and iOS devices.
These free-to-play poker apps can be fun as long as you?re willing to accept you won’t be winning any real money anytime soon. However, the apps can be great learning tools for the game, and many have been built by the same people behind the top US poker apps .
Don’t forget, all of the poker sites listed above offer real and free play. The sites below are more for social gaming.
Here’s a look at a few:
- Jackpot Poker:?Jackpot Poker is a free-to-play poker app designed by PokerStars. It was born out of PokerStars? Facebook app and mainly features three-player Jackpot Poker games akin to PokerStars’ popular Spin & Go lottery-style games.?It?s hold ?em only, and the app does spend some time trying to get you to buy more chips, but for the most part Jackpot Poker is good fun and tons of action.
- Zynga Poker:?Zynga is the original Facebook poker platform with an update so it now features a fast-fold poker variant like everyone else.?However, Zynga is still single-table cash game and sit and go poker on one of the most popular poker apps around.
- World Series of Poker:?In addition to its WSOP apps featuring real money poker, there?s a World Series of Poker free-to-play app.?It was designed by video game company EA, and it is one of the few free poker apps where you can play pot-limit Omaha and no-limit hold ?em. This is quite amusing since you can’t play real money PLO on the WSOP mobile poker app.
Online poker apps to play with friends
Poker is fun, but poker with friends is even more so.?You can always try to get on the same table as your friends on social poker apps or real money poker apps, but it?ll prove difficult sometimes. You?re also going to have some difficulty if you are all in the same location using the same internet connection.
Instead, you can once again turn to the PokerStars app, where the PokerStars Home Games product is now available.?Download the app to your mobile device, and you can play home games whenever and wherever you like. The product is free and makes it easy to set up exclusive poker games and tournaments for you and your friends only.
You?ll find the ?Home Games? tab in the main lobby, under the ?More? tab. You can start a new home game and invite anyone you like by clicking ?create a poker club.? Or, if you’ve been invited to join a game or tournament by a friend, just click ?join a poker club? and find the club.
Banking on poker apps
Most poker apps have full functionality when it comes to banking. Getting money on and off the apps is easy because most poker apps make a variety of deposit methods available, and you can withdraw funds using those same options.
This includes debit, credit and cash options, as well as popular third-party payment processors like PayPal, Neteller and Skrill. You?ll also find that most poker apps allow you to use online banking methods like ACH instant e-checks.
In the meantime, credit card options include prepaid cards, and cash options include PayNearMe at 7-Eleven and CVS locations or cash at an affiliated land-based casino cage. Banking is safe, secure, and simple with most popular real money poker apps.
Poker Apps FAQ
It really depends on the poker app itself. While the WSOP app doesn?t offer multi-table functionality, for example, the PokerStars and 888 Poker apps do.
It?s not a device thing; it?s an app thing, and you?ll have to check with the specific app you play on to see if it offers multi-tabling.
The online poker rooms are the same whether you access them via computer using the desktop client or mobile device using the mobile poker app.
That means the tournaments are the same ones whether you play them via desktop client or poker app. The only difference is how you are accessing the tournament. In other words, the same pool of players has access to the same tournament schedule whether the players access it via desktop client or app.
If you?ve read the information above, you will know that no matter which mobile device or operating system you use, the PokerStars mobile poker app is the best in the business.
All that functionality and playability make for a ton of options, making the PokerStars app the best for beginners and experts alike.
Players are still using desktop clients over mobile poker apps in big numbers.
However, mobile poker is growing every day thanks to the continually improving functionality of most poker apps. The closer online poker operators get to mimicking the desktop client experience via mobile poker app, the more mobile poker will grow in the future.
Despite what an angry poster who got his aces cracked says on a forum, online poker isn?t rigged. Since the same ring games and tournaments are available via app as desktop poker clients, the games on poker apps aren?t rigged, either.
In fact, various state government bodies ensure this by regulating online poker in their jurisdictions.
Most real money poker apps are as realistic as it gets. You can win real money, compete for real World Series of Poker bracelets, and play against some of the best poker players in the world on various US mobile poker apps.
It doesn?t get any more real than that.
However, social and play-money poker apps are more about fun than anything else. That means the poker experience and gameplay tend to be less realistic than you find on the legal and regulated real money poker apps.