When you buy through affiliate links in our content, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn Online poker in California is very easy to access as several major offshore poker sites accept players from the Golden State. The top CA poker sites offer cash games and tournaments for Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and more.
We will go over the top sites for real money online poker in California and show you how you can join the action right away.
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| Best Crypto Poker Site |
CoinPoker |
150% deposit bonus up to $2,000 |
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CoinPoker
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Ignition |
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- Show Full Guide
Comparing the Best Online Poker Sites in California
You’ll find plenty of top-rated online poker sites out there, but we’ve pinpointed seven brands that are far above the rest. These allow you to play legal online poker in California and cash out your winnings from the tables without any hassle.
| CA Poker Site | Best For | Welcome Bonus | Poker Network | Poker Games |
| CoinPoker | Safe Crypto Banking for CA Poker | 150% up to $2,000 | Independent | Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, 5-Card Omaha |
| Ignition Poker | Promotions for CA Online Poker | 100% up to $1,000 | PaiWangLuo Poker Network | Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo |
| ACR Poker | Millions in Guaranteed Tournaments | 100% up to $2,000 | Winning Poker Network | Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, Seven Card Stud, 5-Card Omaha |
| Black Chip Poker | Weekly Reload Bonuses for Poker | 100% up to $2,000 | Winning Poker Network | Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, Seven Card Stud, 5-Card Omaha |
| BetOnline | Premium Software with Extra Features | 100% up to $500 | Chico Poker Network | Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, Six Plus Hold’em, Open Face Chinese Poker |
| Bovada | Soft Poker Tournaments in California | 100% up to $500 | PaiWangLuo Poker Network | Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo |
| Ya Poker | 24-hour Bitcoin Payouts | 100% up to $2,000 | Winning Poker Network | Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, Seven Card Stud, 5-Card Omaha |
Five of the Best California Poker Sites Reviewed
You’ve seen our table of the best California poker sites, so let’s now take a deeper dive and see what makes these the top picks for playing in The Golden State.
1. Coin Poker – Crypto-Focused California Poker Site
- Founded: 2018
- Payout speed: 2-48 hours
- License: Curaçao
- Available in California: ✅
Our number one place to play poker online in California is CoinPoker. It is completely decentralized and the platform is among the best poker apps for mobile.
Transactions for online poker for real money in California can be made using USDT, BTC, ETH, MATIC, and SOL, and CoinPoker has its own token, CHP.
You’ll find Texas Hold’em and Omaha available, plus 5-Card Omaha – also called PLO5 – which isn’t always found at online poker sites. Moreover, this site is home to some of the world’s largest PLO cash games, featuring legendary poker player, Tony G.
All players can earn an impressive 33% rakeback if they play in CHP. Other promotions include a Bad Beat Jackpot, and several leaderboards with real cash prizes that can go up to 15,000 USDT. This makes it more rewarding than other poker rooms in California.
Features Overview
- Poker Cash Games: 10/10
- Poker Tournaments: 10/10
- Promotions & Rewards: 10/10
- User Experience: 10/10
- Payment Methods: 9/10
- Customer Support: 9/10
Pros 
- Deposit using several cryptocurrencies
- 33% rake back available for CHP players
- Biggest PLO cash games in California
- Several leaderboards with real money prizes
- Withdrawals generally processed quickly
Cons 
- Some fees for withdrawing
- Not the largest pool of players for CA poker online
2. BetOnline – Best CA Online Poker Site for Cash Games
- Founded: 1991
- Payout speed: 24-48 hours
- License: Panama
- Available in California: ✅
BetOnline is a great site offering online poker in California for real money due to its lucrative tournaments. Most notably, Open Face Chinese tournaments, where buy-ins start at $1.10 and rise to $215. You’ll also get random rewards weekly – the more you pay poker rake, the better the random prize.
Cash games at BetOnline Poker California start with blinds of $0.05/$0.10 and go up to $5/$10, and the available variations are Texas Holdem, Omaha, and Omaha Hi/Lo.
Exciting features at BetOnline include All-In Cash Out, where you can purchase the equity of your hand at any time before the river to minimize the variance of cash games. It also has the option to run it multiple times and you can use throwables to express yourself in a fun way at the table.
Features Overview
- Poker Cash Games: 10/10
- Poker Tournaments: 10/10
- Promotions & Rewards: 9/10
- User Experience: 10/10
- Payment Methods: 10/10
- Customer Support: 9/10
Pros
- Fantastic range of cash games
- Big poker tournaments in California
- Large pool of players on the network
- Several bonuses and promotions
- Deposit using a giant array of cryptocurrencies
Cons
- Huge fees for credit card deposits
- High welcome bonus minimum deposit
3. Bovada – Top California Online Poker Site for Tournaments
- Founded: 2011
- Payout speed: 24-48 hours
- License: Curaçao and Comoros
- Available in California: ✅
Next on the best sites offering real money online poker in California is Bovada, as we think it has the best poker tournaments. You’ll find $2 million in weekly guaranteed prize pools. In addition, if you like cash games, the lobby allows for quick seating.
With Zone Poker at Bovada, the moment you fold your cards in a cash game, you’ll be transported to a new table with a new hand, so you won’t have to wait long for another chance to play.
This site is ideal for both professional and recreational players with its anonymous play as it doesn’t feel rigged and users do not adjust their play if a pro is seated at the table. We recommend it as one of the best online poker rooms in California for casual play.
You won’t find that many poker bonuses, although there is a rewards program where you’ll earn points as you play, which can then be redeemed for rewards. Banking for online poker in California is done through cryptocurrencies, cards, and vouchers.
Features Overview
- Poker Cash Games: 10/10
- Poker Tournaments: 10/10
- Promotions & Rewards: 8/10
- User Experience: 10/10
- Payment Methods: 8/10
- Customer Support: 9/10
Pros
- Large selection of poker tournaments
- Zone Poker offers fast-paced cash game action
- Impressive rewards program for poker
- Fantastic mobile poker experience in CA
- Convenient for both professional and recreational players
Cons
- Poor selection of bonuses and promotions
- Small welcome bonus compared to other CA poker sites
4. Ignition – Best California Online Poker Site for Freerolls
- Founded: 2016
- Payout speed: 24-48 hours
- License: Curaçao
- Available in California: ✅
Ignition is definitely among the best sites for playing online poker with real money in California. There aren’t many California poker rooms offering a better line-up of bonuses with weekly boosts, $2,500 freeroll for crypto depositors, and a rewards scheme.
We found numerous large tournaments with guaranteed prize pools of up to six digits, such as the Triple Header Sunday, while playing California online poker.
Moreover, you have loads of MTTs every day, along with sit-and-go tournaments. Cash game players will be able to enjoy a range of stakes, features, and quick seating. We love the Rabbit Cam feature, where you can see the next card even if you didn’t play the hand.
Recreational players flock to Ignition Poker California for its anonymity and fairness. The features make it impossible for experienced players to take notes on their opponents and take advantage of newer users.
Features Overview
- Poker Cash Games: 10/10
- Poker Tournaments: 10/10
- Promotions & Rewards: 10/10
- User Experience: 9/10
- Payment Methods: 8/10
- Customer Support: 9/10
Pros
- Huge welcome bonus combines poker and casino
- Weekly tournaments with large guaranteed prize pools
- Cash games at a range of stakes with good traffic in CA
- Many freerolls with real prizes available every week
Cons
- Reasonably small range of banking options
- Deposit fees for using credit cards
CA Poker Bonuses
You’ll find many different bonuses at the top sites for online poker with real money in California. We’ve outlined a few of the more common poker bonuses below.
Remember: some poker bonuses might require promo codes, so don’t forget to double check this before trying to claim a bonus.
Welcome Bonus
The best sites for online poker in California have welcome bonuses. This represents the offer given to players as a reward for joining, usually when making their first deposit.
For example, you might deposit $50 and receive a 100% bonus. In order to release the bonus amount, you just have to play on the site. As you pay rake and tournament fees, you will unlock parts of the bonus, added to the account in cash.
Pro tip: CoinPoker has the best welcome bonus for California online poker.
Reload Deposit Bonus
When you deposit money while using this promotion, additional bonus money will also be awarded. The amount of bonus money is generally a percentage of the deposit.
For example, you might deposit $150 and get a 100% bonus, meaning you receive an additional $150 in bonus money. Deposit bonuses at online poker CA sites are almost always capped, but they are still generally the biggest bonuses around.
Pro tip: You can claim a 50% reload bonus every Wednesday at Black Chip Poker.
No Deposit Bonus
A no deposit bonus is a bonus given to you without you needing to make a deposit. This means that no deposit bonuses are risk free but they are generally much smaller than deposit bonuses.
Some of our recommended sites providing online poker in California for real money can award no deposit bonuses as free tournament tickets, loyalty rewards, and even cash drops.
Pro tip: BetOnline Poker has daily leaderboards with real prizes for California poker players on the No Limit Texas Hold’em Boost tables.
Free Tournament Tickets
As the name suggests, these are free entries to tournaments. They are often given as part of a welcome bonus, plus they can also come as part of a loyalty scheme for the best online poker in California.
Tournament tickets can be worth varying amounts, with some poker sites offering free tickets for huge tournaments, giving you the chance to win thousands of dollars.
Pro tip: You can benefit from eight days of free tournament tickets after joining BetOnline Poker, one of the best poker sites in California.
Freerolls
Freerolls are free tournaments. Most sites offering online poker for real money in California offer them. You don’t have to pay a buy-in, but you may have to meet other requirements, like a specific loyalty level.
In general, freerolls don’t have huge prize pools, as the sites don’t want to give away money, but there are some exceptions with four-figure prize pools.
Pro tip: Ignition Poker is our recommended CA online poker site for weekly freerolls.
Loyalty Programs and VIP Clubs
Loyalty schemes are incredibly widespread at sites offering the best online poker in California. They reward players for their time at the site, usually by handing out points as rake is collected.
Once a certain number of points are earned, they can be exchanged for prizes. Many loyalty schemes also have tiers – the more points collected, the higher the tier and the better the rewards.
VIP reward programs are essentially loyalty schemes for the biggest spenders.
Pro tip: You will earn loyalty points known as Miles every time you play poker online for real money in California at Ignition Poker.
Top Bonuses for Online Poker in California for Real Money
Types of Poker Games Available at California Poker Sites
You’ll find many variations of poker at the top sites for online poker in California. Take a look at the more commonly found ones below.
Payment Methods at CA Online Poker Sites
Before you can play poker at the top California poker online sites, you’ll need to deposit some money. Here are the options available:
Cryptocurrencies
Cryptocurrencies are becoming more mainstream and are commonly being accepted at online gambling sites. Purchase some crypto at an exchange, then transfer it from your wallet to the CA poker site’s wallet to make a deposit. While it is a fast process, there are some negligible fees.
Most importantly, crypto can be used to deposit at sites in states where gambling isn’t regulated, making it a popular choice for players at California poker sites. It is also a great way of withdrawing your winnings since processing is quick and the fees are very low.
Traditional Banking Methods
Bank transfer involves sending money from your bank directly to the casino’s bank, just as you would when paying an invoice. This payment option is commonly used for California online poker, but it doesn’t always have fast processing.
Paying via a debit or credit card is simple – just tap in the details and the money is generally transferred instantly without the card company charging fees. Furthermore, it’s really secure and offered at most California gambling sites.
The drawback is that many card issuers won’t allow payments from sites offering poker online in California, meaning that you will have to withdraw your winnings through another banking option, like crypto or check by courier.
eWallets
Examples of eWallets are PayPal, Skrill, and Neteller. You simply deposit money into the eWallet, then spend the money online.
The downside is that eWallets often charge high fees, plus many won’t allow gambling transactions if you’re based in a state without regulations in place. As a result, you won’t be able to rely on eWallets for banking on the best online poker sites in California.
Best CA Online Poker Sites with Convenient Banking
- Get 33% online poker rakeback every Monday
- Fully anonymous, instant withdrawal crypto poker
- No deposit and withdrawal fees with cryptocurrencies
- Americas Card Room Since 2001
- US friendly network (WPN)
- Multitable guarantees up to 7m$
- Quick seat feature to instantly find a poker cash table
- Complete poker hand histories for 24 hours of play
- Packed tournaments schedule, including $200K event
How to Start Playing Poker Online in California
Signing up at the best poker online CA sites is simple, and we’ve created a step-by-step guide below to walk you through the process, using one of the best sites offering real money online poker in California.
Create an Online Poker Account in CA
Firstly, visit your desired poker site, like CoinPoker and click the registration button. Fill out the sign-up for and your new account will be ready right away.
Make a Real Money Deposit
Before you can play, you must deposit money. Head to the cashier and choose your depositing option, then follow the on-screen instructions. This is where you’ll usually claim your bonus as well, so make sure to have it selected.
Play Poker Online
You can now start playing poker. Just head to the poker lobby and choose the tournament or cash game you want to play.
Is Poker Legal in California?
You can legally play poker in various CA poker rooms and casinos.
But is online poker legal in California? The answer is a bit complicated as the state doesn’t have any legislation that allows it to license and regulate real money online poker sites. As a result, there is no regulated operator that offers online poker in California.
With that being said, there are multiple online poker rooms based offshore that are available in the Golden State. You can legally play for real money on legit CA poker sites like CoinPoker and Ignition, and withdraw the winnings without any hassle.
CA Poker Laws
The Penal Code Sec. 337j(e)(1) states that online poker is not allowed in California. Operators cannot run poker sites based within state borders.
But it’s important to realize that nobody has ever been prosecuted for playing online poker in California on sites based outside of the country. This means it’s safe to play poker in California at the offshore poker sites we recommend.
Are Winnings Taxed in CA?
There is no specific gambling tax in California. Instead, any winnings earned playing poker at a casino or card room are treated as income, just like money from a job. Therefore, they’re taxed as per the income tax brackets in California.
You’ll also need to pay federal tax on money won at land-based poker rooms, as you would on earnings.
As online poker is not regulated in the Golden State, most won’t attempt to pay tax on online winnings. The best online poker sites in California will not declare your winnings and will not withhold the tax amount on withdrawals. This also applies for winnings from California sports betting sites.
How CA Online Poker Compares to Neighboring States
California is bordered by three states: Nevada, New Mexico, and Oregon. In both New Mexico and Oregon, poker is legal in licensed venues, but is not legal online, just like in California.
Nevada offers a huge range of land-based poker options at some of the biggest casinos in the world. Online poker in Nevada is also legal, but there is only one licensed site in the state.
Looking further afield, there are only seven other states with legal online poker: Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, and Rhode Island. But players in all states can play poker at offshore poker sites.
California Online Poker vs Live Poker
Luckily, California poker players have plenty of options for online and live action. Playing poker online has many differences from land-based poker, and requires different skills.
Online sites generally offer a larger array of poker types and tables. What’s more, sites with online poker in California have more tournaments than land-based venues with much larger prize pools.
You can also play anonymously online poker in CA and get large bonuses for signing up. Online poker also generally has much lower rake than in local California poker rooms.
Land-based poker is generally slower, but many prefer it as it offers a more social experience. What’s more, it’s easier to judge if another player is bluffing when playing at land-based poker tables.
Pros and Cons of Online Poker
What are the pros and cons of playing online poker in California? Find out below:
Pros
- Much larger variety of games online
- Many more tournaments in California
- Ability to play anonymously at any time
- Large bonuses offered to online players
- Fast gameplay with more hands per hour
- Lower rake at the best CA poker sites
- Incredibly convenient and easy to access
Cons
- Not a very social experience
- Can’t read other players at the table
- Not regulated in California
Live Poker in California – Casinos with Poker Rooms
California has a huge range of casinos with poker rooms, as well as many dedicated poker rooms. Some of the best venues are listed below.
The Commerce Casino & Hotel
- Address: 6131 Telegraph Road, Commerce, CA 90040
- Opening Hours: 24/7
Regarded by many as the best place for poker in California, the Commerce Casino has a huge poker room with over 200 poker tables – there’s no venue in the world with more.
It is a regular destination for the World Poker Tour. Blinds can get as high as $400/$800 in the high-stakes room.
Several poker variations are offered, including Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and Open-Face Chinese.
The Gardens Casino
- Address: 11871 Carson St., Hawaiian Gardens, CA 90716
- Opening Hours: 24/7
With 110 tables, this is another casino offering a huge range of playing options for poker in California.
It’s the venue for several major tournaments, including the WPT Gardens Poker Championship, plus offers loads of daily and weekly tournaments.
Along with traditional poker, it has a good range of casino poker options, including Pai Gow Poker and 3 Card Poker.
Parkwest Bicycle Casino
- Address: 888 Bicycle Casino Drive, Bell Gardens, CA 90201
- Opening Hours: 24/7
Another giant casino, the Bicycle offers 185 poker tables, with a range of popular poker games in California.
It hosts World Series of Poker Circuit events, as well as the Ladies International Poker Series.
Interestingly, it has a live camera, allowing people online to watch the action in the poker room.
Hustler Casino
- Address: 1000 W. Redondo Beach Blvd., Gardena, CA 90247
- Opening Hours: 24/7
Gardena has a reputation for great poker in CA, thanks to the Gardena card clubs, but Hustler Casino opened well after these, on the site of the El Dorado Club.
It was founded by Larry Flynt and it has 70 poker tables, offering several game types at a variety of stakes. Many tournaments are held there every week.
Hollywood Park Casino
- Address: 3883 W. Century Blvd., Inglewood, CA 90303
- Opening Hours: 24/7
Another huge casino, it offers 105 poker tables with the usual variations available, along with a strong selection of mixed games featuring Badugi and Badeucy.
It has previously hosted the US National Championship of Poker. As with most other California casinos, this casino also has a range of casino poker games, including Pai Gow Poker.
Famous California Poker Players
California has produced some of the best poker players of all time – winners of many major titles and huge amounts of money.
- Brian Rast: With tournament winnings of over $25 million, Rast, who was raised in Powey, has won more than any other Californian poker player. His biggest prize came in 2015, when he won over $7.5 million at the $500,000 No Limit Hold’em event at the Super High Roller Bowl. He currently has six WSOP bracelets.
- Jamie Gold: Jamie Gold was born in Missouri but lives in California. He won the WSOP Main Event in 2006, scooping a prize of $12 million and his only WSOP bracelet. Thanks to this gigantic prize, he was once the highest-earning player of all time. Since the 2006 WSOP, he has failed to replicate his success.
- David Rheem: Born in Georgia but residing in Los Angeles, David Rheem has won over $14.5 million at tournaments. His biggest ever win came in 2008, when he won nearly $1.8 million by coming 7th at the WSOP $10,000 World Championship No Limit Hold’em event. He has no WSOP bracelets, but has won three WPT titles and the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure $10,300 Main Event.
Responsible Poker Gambling in California
Responsible gambling is highly important and you should never gamble with money you can’t afford to lose. Unless you are a professional player, poker should be primarily seen as an enjoyable pastime, not a way to make money.
You’ll find several responsible gambling tools at sites offering the best online poker for real money in California. These include tools to limit the amount you can deposit and allow you to completely exclude yourself from a site for a set time.
If you feel that gambling is becoming a habit and causing you problems, be sure to use these tools and contact a responsible gambling organization.
- California Council on Problem Gambling – (714) 765-5804
- Gambler’s Anonymous – (909) 931-9056
Tips on Playing Real Money Online Poker in California
Looking for some tips to give you a better chance of winning when playing at the best online poker sites for real money in California? Then continue reading.
Online Poker in California – Our Verdict
The best online poker CA has to offer is found at CoinPoker. This is a site offering almost everything, including fantastic bonuses and a giant range of tournaments and cash games. It’s also exceptionally simple to play here using both a desktop and mobile device, plus it can be trusted entirely.
We also think it’s the best California poker online site because it accepts cryptocurrency, which is ideal for gambling in a state where online poker is not yet regulated, and offers instant withdrawals for your winnings.
How We Test and Review Poker Websites
150+ Gambling Platforms Reviewed
1,100+ Games Software Tested
200+ Monthly Hours of Research
375+ Promotions Verified
Playing online poker is becoming more popular by the day and you need to choose a reputable site that best matches your needs.
We here at Techopedia have an in-house review process that’s analyzed by our poker experts that covers each and every aspect of the most popular online poker sites in the world.
In particular we look at:
- Rakeback and other bonuses
- Game selection
- Player pool size
- Reputation and safety
- Payment methods
To find out more, take a look at our detailed guide on how we test gambling platforms and poker sites featured on Techopedia.
FAQs
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Affiliate Disclosure: Techopedia may receive advertising commissions for visits to a suggested operator through our affiliate links, at no added cost to you. However, all our recommendations are unbiased and follow a thorough review process. Gambling can be addictive, please play responsibly and you must be of legal gambling age.
References
- https://www.shouselaw.com/ca/defense/penal-code/330/#:~:text=Illegal%20gaming%20is%20a%20misdemeanor,players%2C%20dealers%2C%20and%20hosts. (Shouse Law)
- https://oag.ca.gov/gambling/game (OAG CA GOV)
- https://www.findlaw.com/state/california-law/california-gambling-laws.html (Find Law)
- https://codes.findlaw.com/ca/penal-code/pen-sect-337j/#:~:text=%28e%29%20%281%29%20As%20used%20in%20this%20section%2C%20%E2%80%9C,and%20made%20unlawful%20by%20statute%20or%20local%20ordinance. (Penal Code Sec. 337j(e)(1))
