Best Poker Apps & Mobile Poker Sites in the USA for March 2025

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Poker apps and optimized mobile poker sites give you instant access to cash games and big-money tournaments at any time, from any location. We’ve analyzed and narrowed down the slickest real money poker apps where you can start playing right now, directly on your phone.

Below is our take on the best poker apps to win real money, providing top bonuses, soft competition, great traffic, and a solid range of stakes.

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100% UP TO $1,000 + 21 Satellite Tickets

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  • Tourney series - Sunday Majors & Progressive Bounties
  • Modern client with 3D visuals, straddle, odds & features
  • New Bad Beat Jackpot 2.0 can exceed $30,000 online
9.8/10 BetOnline
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  • $2 million in weekly poker tournament guarantees
  • Zone Poker and anonymous tables for casual play
  • Mobile poker client with up to four tables at one time
9.7/10 Bovada
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Four Deposit Bonuses Matched Between 180-360%

Four Deposit Bonuses Matched Between 180-360%

  • Casino quests and bonus wheel for extra rewards
  • BC Originals like Plinko, Craps, Keno, and Roulette
  • More than 8,000 online slots from top providers
9.8/10 BC.Game
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  • Quick seat feature to instantly find a poker cash table
  • Complete poker hand histories for 24 hours of play
  • Packed tournaments schedule, including $200K event
9.8/10 Ignition
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  • Americas Card Room Since 2001
  • US friendly network (WPN)
  • Multitable guarantees up to 7m$
9.8/10 Americas Card Room
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  • American players and US friendly network
  • Rakeback from 10% to 65%
  • Accepts players from all non-regulated states
9.8/10 Black Chip Poker
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Comparing the Best Mobile Poker Apps

The following table offers a quick glance at the top free online poker apps for US players. Keep in mind that these are provided by some of the best online poker real money sites and not only stand out for their poker mobile offering but also for their software, games, and more. Find the best real money poker app with ease and join right away.

Mobile Poker App Best For Welcome Bonus Poker Network Poker Games
CoinPoker Cryptocurrency deposits and withdrawals 150% up to $2,000 Independent Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, 5-Card Omaha
Ignition Poker Customizable software and Sunday MTTs 100% up to $1,000 PaiWangLuo Poker Network Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, Fast-Fold (Zone)
ACR Poker Great tourneys for every bankroll 100% up to $2,000 Winning Poker Network Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo, 7 Card Stud, Fast-Fold (Blitz)
Black Chip Poker Seasonal promos and special series 100% up to $2,000 Winning Poker Network Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, 7 Card Stud, 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo, Fast-Fold (Blitz)
BetOnline Poker Payments, service, and gaming options 100% up to $1,000 Chico Poker Network Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, 5-Card Omaha, Omaha 6, Pineapple, Fast-Fold (Boost)
Bovada Poker Best traffic for mobile online poker 100% up to $500 PaiWangLuo Poker Network Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, Fast-Fold (Zone)
Ya Poker Safe and fair real cash poker app 100% up to $2,000 Winning Poker Network Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo, 7 Card Stud, Fast-Fold (Blitz)

Best Pokers Apps for Real Money Reviewed

Which US mobile poker sites are best? We use our decades of experience to review several renowned brands and bring you the top picks for mobile online poker. Below are our highly-recommended mobile poker apps.

1. CoinPoker – Best Mobile Poker App in the USA

  • Poker on mobile: iOS App, Android App
  • Founded: 2018
  • Payout speed: Instant
  • License: Curaçao eGaming
  • Headquarters: Curaçao

CoinPoker Cash Game

Our Verdict: 9.9/10

CoinPoker is the best poker app for real money in 2025, coming with some unique advantages. It provides optimized apps for iPhone and Android devices, ensuring great compatibility with all modern smartphones and tablets.

The traffic is great on the platform, which means you’ve got instant access to poker mobile games at any time.

Blaise BourgeoisPoker and Gambling Expert
EXPERT INSIGHT

“CoinPoker is an industry leader when it comes to PLO cash games. With nearly $700,000 guaranteed on Sundays alone, CoinPoker has some of the juiciest tournaments around. Whether you're looking to play PLO high rollers or soft NLH low-to-mid stakes tournaments, CoinPoker is the poker app for you.”

This underlying technology ensures a solid selection of Hold’em, Omaha, and 5-Card Omaha tournaments and cash games are available 24/7 on the go. You have access to rakeback, $200,000 guaranteed MTTs, and some of the juiciest cash games online.

What’s more, you’ll be able to make instant deposits and withdrawals using USDT, CHP, BTC, or ETH. It is the best poker app for real money due to its fairness and security.

Features Overview

  • Poker Cash Games: 10/10
  • Poker Tournaments: 10/10
  • Mobile Poker App: 10/10
  • Promotions & Rewards: 10/10
  • User Experience: 10/10
  • Payment Methods: 9/10
  • Customer Support: 10/10

Pros pros

  • Generous deposit bonuses for new players
  • Mobile app for poker on iOS and Android devices
  • Offers Hold’em, Omaha, and 5-Card Omaha
  • User-friendly poker app with instant withdrawals

Cons cons

  • Only offers a few game variants
  • Players need to use crypto
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2. BetOnline – A Great All-Rounder Mobile Poker App

  • Poker on mobile: iOS App, Android App, Instant Play Site
  • Founded: 2001
  • Payout speed: 1-2 days
  • License: Panama Gaming Commission
  • Headquarters: St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda

BetOnline Mobile Poker App

Our Verdict: 9.8/10

BetOnline is one of the best real money poker apps for US players who want to play multiple tables at once, take part in big-money MTTs, and throw stuff at people.

The mobile software is updated frequently and comes with quite a few nice features, including throwables at the table, making it compete with the best poker app for iPhone. Moreover, compatibility with Android is great as well since you can choose between the downloadable apps and the instant play mobile poker version from the browser.

We love the onsite game guides, strategy tips, and poker odds calculator. These are useful tools for new poker players and available through the poker game app.

BetOnline Poker is on the flagship skin on the Chico Poker Network, which means that it has great traffic for mobile online poker. The app lets you take full advantage of that with a simplified lobby and support for multi-tabling.

It also has a rich variety of games that not only covers Texas Hold’em and Omaha very well, but also includes 5-Card Omaha and Open Face Chinese Poker known as Pineapple. You can even play fast-fold versions of Hold’em and Omaha, known as Boost. This makes it the best free poker app for US players in terms of game variety.

Features Overview

  • Poker Cash Games: 10/10
  • Poker Tournaments: 10/10
  • Mobile Poker App: 10/10
  • Promotions & Rewards: 9/10
  • User Experience: 10/10
  • Payment Methods: 10/10
  • Customer Support: 9/10

Pros pros

  • High traffic on the real cash poker app
  • Large MTTs scheduled and $3 million series
  • Offers great action on fast-fold Boost tables
  • Features include straddling, all-in odds, throwables

Cons cons

  • Limited poker promotions on the app
  • Bonus playthrough could be lower

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  • Tourney series - Sunday Majors & Progressive Bounties
  • Modern client with 3D visuals, straddle, odds & features
  • New Bad Beat Jackpot 2.0 can exceed $30,000 online
9.8/10 BetOnline
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3. Bovada – The Best Free Poker App for Instant Action

  • Poker on mobile: Instant Play Site
  • Founded: 2011
  • Payout speed: 1-2 days
  • License: Union of the Comoros
  • Headquarters: Union of the Comoros
Bovada Mobile Poker App

Our Verdict: 9.7/10

Bovada is now one of the biggest brands when it comes to mobile poker in the USA. It ranks among the top free poker apps to win real money on and has been operating for over a decade.

You can simply connect on the site from your phone to play at any time since compatibility is great across the board. Plus, you will earn loyalty points as you play mobile poker and then convert the points into cash payments.

The Bovada poker app stands out as one of the best for its speed and efficiency. The quick-seat tool is perfect for mobile users and the action is anonymous, so you don’t have to worry about sharks.

In addition, Bovada has fast-fold cash games called Zone Poker, and you can enter daily turbo tournaments costing from $3.30 up to $109. The traffic is very impressive on the Texas Hold’em poker app as Bovada is on the biggest network in the USA, PaiWangLuo.

Features Overview

  • Poker Cash Games: 10/10
  • Poker Tournaments: 10/10
  • Mobile Poker App: 10/10
  • Promotions & Rewards: 9.5/10
  • User Experience: 10/10
  • Payment Methods: 9.5/10
  • Customer Support: 9/10

Pros pros

  • Low rollover on the welcome bonus
  • $1 million+ in weekly MTT guarantees
  • User-friendly poker mobile app lobby with quick seating
  • Perfect poker app for anonymous tables

Cons cons

  • Some withdrawal options have fees
  • Not designed for very experienced players

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  • $2 million in weekly poker tournament guarantees
  • Zone Poker and anonymous tables for casual play
  • Mobile poker client with up to four tables at one time
9.7/10 Bovada
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4. Ignition – Best Poker App for Beginners

  • Poker on mobile: Instant Play Site
  • Founded: 2016
  • Payout Speed: 1-2 days
  • License: Union of the Comoros
  • Headquarters: Union of the Comoros

Ignition Poker Mobile App

Our Verdict: 9.8/10

Ignition is a top all-rounder with great traffic on cash games and large tournaments. It is also the best real cash poker app for beginners, offering multiple freerolls, detailed game guides, and other useful features on the table, such as all-in odds display.

For those with more experience, there’s a decent amount of cash game traffic at the $2/$4 to $5/$10 levels. Similarly, tournaments with buy-ins of $100 and lower are popular on the app.

The main poker mobile tournament highlight is the $200,000 Sunday Major. It costs $162, which is more than the average ($109), but the winner gets at least $20,000, and qualifiers start at $1.

Like other popular mobile poker apps and sites, the quick-seat function at Ignition is very useful. You can also customize the table layout on your mobile device to have it meet your personal preferences and fit better on the screen. This applies to both iOS and Android operating systems.

Features Overview

  • Poker Cash Games: 10/10
  • Poker Tournaments: 10/10
  • Mobile Poker App: 10/10
  • Promotions & Rewards: 9/10
  • User Experience: 10/10
  • Payment Methods: 9/10
  • Customer Support: 9/10

Pros pros

  • Huge welcome bonus for crypto
  • Loyalty rewards for playing on the mobile app
  • $2 million in weekly guarantees for poker
  • Customizable interface for mobile poker

Cons cons

  • Weekly withdrawal limits
  • Customer support could be better

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  • 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
9.8/10 Ignition
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5. ACR Poker – Excellent Promos & Qualifiers on the Poker Mobile App

  • Poker on mobile: Android App
  • Founded: 2001
  • Payout speed: 2-3 days
  • License: Costa Rica
  • Headquarters: Costa Rica

ACR Poker Mobile App

Our Verdict: 9.8/10

Americas Cardroom, also known as ACR for short, is one of the biggest and most trusted mobile poker apps in the USA. It is known for having big tournaments, including qualifiers to live events that you can access on the mobile site.

Available on the Winning Poker Network, ACR Poker has good traffic for both tournaments and cash games, and provides a solid mix of game variations on the real cash poker app.

In order to play, you must download the client from the site. The downside is that ACR Poker doesn’t currently have a mobile poker app for iPhone. Instead, you will have to get the Android poker app or use the desktop client to connect.

Features Overview

  • Poker Cash Games: 9/10
  • Poker Tournaments: 10/10
  • Mobile Poker App: 10/10
  • Promotions & Rewards: 9/10
  • User Experience: 10/10
  • Payment Methods: 9/10
  • Customer Support: 10/10

Pros pros

  • Multiple freerolls available weekly
  • Crypto and fiat payments accepted
  • Lots of low-stakes mobile cash games
  • One of the best online poker apps for Android

Cons cons

  • Doesn’t have an iPhone mobile poker app
  • Not the biggest welcome bonus

New Player Bonus Up To $2,000

New Player Bonus Up To $2,000

  • Americas Card Room Since 2001
  • US friendly network (WPN)
  • Multitable guarantees up to 7m$
9.8/10 Americas Card Room
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Bonuses on the Best Mobile Poker Apps

The US online poker market is very fragmented, which means there are many operators to choose from. Many try to stand out by offering bonuses and promotions as incentives for players to join and be active. As a result, the top brands can be very rewarding.

When playing on the best mobile poker apps for real money, you can benefit from various poker bonuses and rewards. These will help you boost your bankroll, take part in big tournaments, and give you more freedom to take risks. Check out some of the offers you can find on the top picks right here:

Welcome Bonus

Sign up bonuses are exclusively available to new players and almost 100% of US poker apps offer welcome bonuses. Essentially, they welcome you to the mobile poker site with free credits, based on the size of the first deposit. The best poker app can match the amount 100% and even add something extra.

Most mobile poker bonuses on deposits are released in increments as you play and pay rake and tournament fees. You won’t receive the full amount upfront, but you will unlock parts of the welcome bonus as cash that you can then use freely.

No Deposit Bonuses

As their name suggests, you don’t have to add funds to the poker app account to claim no deposit bonuses. These are not as common as welcome offers, with only around a quarter of US mobile sites offering no deposit bonuses.

We found that poker no deposit bonuses on the best apps range from loyalty rewards to rakeback and MTT tickets. To unlock the offers, you simply have to be active and play poker on the app. In most cases, you receive no deposit bonuses through the loyalty program.

Free Tournament Tickets

Tournaments offer the most bang for your buck when you play mobile poker for real money. Everyone pays an entry fee, and that money goes into the pot. The winner scoops the lion’s share of the pot, so the return on investment is huge.

This gets even better if you get free entry to a tournament. That’s why these promotions are among the best and, in turn, why we recommend poker mobile sites such as Ignition.

Freerolls

Freerolls are tournaments that don’t have a buy-in and are free to join. Despite this, some freerolls can have real money prize pools or act as qualifiers for bigger tournaments. This means that you can win tickets for other events.

The prize pools are smaller because of this, but the nice thing about the best poker sites with freerolls is that they run events on a daily basis. While only 50% of poker sites run freerolls, we found that all of the top poker apps have at least a few such events every week. Bovada and some of the other mobile poker apps come highly recommended.

VIP Rewards

VIP rewards help you make the most of the best poker app for real money. These programs typically operate on a bets-for-points basis. This means you earn a certain number of points when you pay rake and tournament fees.

For example, BetOnline has a seven-tier VIP program that gives you rewards that increase in value as you progress from Bronze to Black. Bovada has a more straightforward program that gives you comp points that you can exchange for bonus funds.

Rakeback

The most valuable promotion on basically any Texas Hold’em poker app is rakeback. This is a popular form of rewarding players on legit poker apps in the USA, but the actual percentage can vary greatly and can even depend on your loyalty level.

Poker rooms take a small fee from every cash game pot you play or tournament buy-in you pay. This fee is known as rake. The best poker apps give back a percentage of the rake you pay, known as poker rakeback deals.

CoinPoker, for example, gives players up to 33% rakeback, which makes it a perfect poker app for frequent players that value every reward.

Best Poker Apps for Bonuses

You can start with these top offers and play real money poker on the app right now:

Best Online Poker App Games

All of the top-rated poker apps for mobiles offer a variety of games. These operators cater to both iOS and Android since these are the most common smartphone operating systems in the US.

You can play poker games and variants like Texas Hold’em at different stakes and in various formats from your phone. Here are the most popular mobile poker games to play online.

Texas Hold’em Poker on Mobile

This is the ultimate poker variant and one that all the best online poker apps offer. The best and most trusted poker apps provide a clear view

Hold’em is a community card game, which means you combine your cards (aka hole cards) with cards in the middle of the table. These cards can be used by everyone at the table, hence the name community cards.

The scope for betting and raising, combined with the way hands develop over multiple streets, makes Hold’em an extremely dynamic variant and the go-to game on the best poker apps for real money.

The best and most trusted poker apps provide a clear view of all the hands and can even include helpful elements, like a display of your hand’s strength. Even Texas Hold’em multi-tabling is handled well on mobile by the top operators. You have a display at the top for switching between active tables or for adding new ones.

Poker New York - A game of Hold’em at Ignition

Omaha Poker on Mobile

You’ll find Omaha on all the best mobile poker sites and apps. Like Hold’em, it’s a community card variant. However, instead of two hole cards, everyone has four.

This creates a more volatile dynamic where it is easier to form strong hands as the action plays out across multiple streets.

Structurally, the action flows in the same way as Hold’em and there aren’t many differences on mobile sites. Granted, your hole cards will be smaller since you have four in the hand, but this shouldn’t be a huge issue.

Betting in Omaha poker on mobile is done through the overlay controls, which can depend on the site. However, you don’t lose any functionality when switching from desktop to mobile and you even have preset controls for when your turn comes.

Texas Poker - A game of Omaha at Ignition

5-Card Omaha on Mobile

As the name suggests, 5-Card Omaha takes things one step further and gives players five cards, each. You still have to use exactly two of them to create your hand, but this does make it even easier to form very strong hands with the community cards.

5-Card Omaha is available only on some of the best poker apps, such as CoinPoker and BetOnline. It requires a slightly different strategy than regular Omaha, but it can be very exciting to play.

As for the mobile view, it is the version that seems the most crowded out of the ones we covered so far. You have to pay attention to your cards, especially if you are playing Hi/Lo variants, and the mobile interface falls a bit behind the bigger desktop sites.

However, using different colors for the cards and safe poker apps that display the statistics and hand strength can help out a lot for mobile play.

Omaha 5 Mobile Poker

7-Card Stud Poker on Mobile

You can easily learn how to play 7 Card Stud and then try it out on some of the best mobile poker apps.

Everyone at the table receives three starting cards (two are face-down and one is face-up) after putting in their ante at a 7-Card Stud table. A betting round ensues, and the players who remain active in the hand (i.e. don’t fold) get a fourth card face-up.

This dynamic continues until one player remains or each active player has seven cards. Of the seven cards a player holds, three are face-down (the first, second, and seventh).

The good news is that since there are no community cards, everything fits better on the mobile screen. The player cards are bigger than in Hold’em or Omaha and so 7-Card Stud Poker on mobile is almost as easy to play as it is on larger computer screens.

7 card stud

Supported Payment Methods at Real Money Poker Apps

Having the ability to make deposits and withdrawals is crucial when signing up to the best poker app for real money. You can find multiple options in the cashier, depending on the real cash poker app you choose. Learn more about the top payment methods below.

Cryptocurrencies

Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin have a number of advantages over USD and other fiat currencies. They allow for fast transactions, are anonymous, and have very low fees.

Moreover, crypto withdrawals from the top poker mobile sites take less than 30 minutes. That’s significantly faster than the average fiat currency withdrawal that often takes several days.

Only operators based offshore accept cryptocurrencies, as this is not a banking method supported on US-licensed poker apps. The good news is that all of the featured mobile sites accept at least a few cryptos. CoinPoker is the best real money mobile poker app for crypto and it supports several major coins.

Debit and Credit Cards

Everyone has used Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or AMEX, which is why debit and credit cards are still the most popular payment methods for mobile online poker.

Almost all safe poker apps in the USA accept deposits by credit and debit cards, which is great news seeing that these are the most common for online payments in the country.

The downside is that you won’t be able to withdraw your winnings back to the card and must choose another banking option when it comes time to cash out from the poker game apps.

Mobile Payment Services

Services like Apple Pay and Google Pay have become very popular for online and mobile transactions. They allow you to link a card to the wallet on your phone and then make quick payments with just a few taps on the screen.

While Apple Pay has the biggest market share, availability on the top US mobile poker platforms remains pretty limited, making it better to use a card to deposit directly.

Bank Transfers

Bank transfers give you the ability to send money to your poker account and vice versa. This payment option is not only extremely secure and familiar, but suitable for large transactions on legit poker apps.

The average processing time for withdrawals is five to seven days because there are many security checks, making it ideal for large transactions. With most banks now offering apps, transfers have become more convenient when combined with poker on mobile.

eWallets

Digital wallets, also known as eWallets allow you to send funds electronically and can go well with mobile poker for real money. Some of the biggest eWallets are Skrill, PayPal, and Neteller.

Due to regulations regarding online banking in the US, only poker apps for real money that are licensed in specific states can accept direct deposits through eWallets. Those based offshore cannot process transactions. In most cases, you can still use your preferred wallets to buy crypto on an exchange and then deposit on the best poker apps.

Best Apps for Secure Mobile Online Poker

Take advantage of the convenient banking methods available on these top online poker apps to easily deposit and withdraw funds:

Best Crypto Poker Site
CoinCasino
9.9
  • Good VIP program
  • Fully anonymous, instant withdrawal crypto poker
  • No deposit and withdrawal fees with cryptocurrencies
Americas Card Room
  • Americas Card Room Since 2001
  • US friendly network (WPN)
  • Multitable guarantees up to 7m$
Ignition
9.8
Review
  • 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 Install a Mobile Poker App

Here's how to install the best US poker apps or, if you prefer, play via the top mobile sites.

  1. Select the Best Online Poker App

    Select a mobile poker site you like the look of. Our tip is to start with a top-rated mobile poker site like CoinPoker.
    Select the Best Online Poker App
  2. Complete the Registration Process

    Enter your details to complete the registration form and create your CoinPoker account.
    Complete the Registration Process
  3. Download and Install the Poker App

    Tap “Download” on the homepage and select your device: iOS or Android. Follow the instructions to install CoinPoker on your device.
    Download and Install the Poker App
  4. Deposit on the Real Money Mobile Poker App

    Open the cashier and select the preferred banking method. For crypto payments on CoinPoker, copy the deposit address and send funds from your wallet.
    Deposit on the Real Money Mobile Poker App
  5. Start Poker Playing on Mobile

    The downloadable US poker app will give you instant access to the platform at any time. You can join cash games and take part in tournaments from the lobby.
    Start Poker Playing on Mobile

Finding the Best Mobile Poker Apps in the US

The best free online poker app available depends on your location. At present, online poker in the US isn’t federally regulated. This means some states have their own poker laws, and others don’t.

The following US states have online poker laws:

Anyone aged 21 or older in these states will have access to a selection of locally licensed poker apps.

Other than some exceptions due to intrastate compacts, locally licensed apps are ring-fenced. This means you can only play mobile poker for real money against people in your state.

If you’re looking for the better alternatives with more traffic and more games, or if you’re simply not in a state with online poker regulations, it is best to look towards offshore poker sites, like the ones covered in this guide.

These are licensed by international organizations, such as Curaçao eGaming, and are available to players around the world. As a result, you can play against people from all over the USA and also from Europe, Asia, and beyond.

This ability to access larger player pools is why CoinPoker, BetOnline, and Bovada are among the best free poker apps to win real money.

Best Poker App for Android

The best online poker app for Android devices, based on our reviews, is BetOnline.

You can access the APK file by scanning a handy QR code. This allows you to create a shortcut into the BetOnline interface directly from your device’s home screen.

Once you’re in the mix, you’ll have access to all of BetOnline’s full offering, including its poker network. Since it is also known as having one of the best Android casino apps, BetOnline comes with a great interface, a secure cashier, and fast loading.

One of the most impressive features of BetOnline is the fact you can earn personalized rewards and take part in $1 million+ tournaments.

Best iPhone Poker App

Based on the fact that it’s available to international players with a large player pool and comes with premium software, CoinPoker is the best poker app for iPhone. For starters, you get access to a full selection of games and promotions, and it is also one of the best iPhone casino apps for its game variety.

CoinPoker’s iOS poker app can run multiple tables at once. This means you’ve got more ways to earn rakeback, find weak players, and have fun wherever you want. For these reasons, it’s one of the best poker apps for iPhone and iPad users in the USA.

Poker Apps for Different Players

We know that not every poker app player is the same and so, the requirements can vary quite a bit. To further help you find the best platforms, we will go over recommendations of trusted poker apps for different player types.

Best App for Poker Beginners

If you are new to poker on mobile, you are probably interested in a user-friendly interface with easy navigation, a simple sign-up process, and good traffic and low stakes. Other pros for beginners include a shark-free network and features that prevent experienced players from taking advantage of newcomers.

Ignition Poker fits this description very well and comes highly recommended for beginners. Here, you can sign up with ease and play mobile poker right away. The lobby only has a few sections and doesn’t appear as intimidating as other USA poker apps.

You can select your game type, stakes, and instantly search for a table. Once seated, you will find that players don’t reveal their names, which is a great feature for avoiding sharks.

Best App for Poker Experts

For experts, some of the requirements can be the exact opposite than for beginners when it comes to mobile poker apps. You want to be able to see players, take notes, and keep track of their patterns across multiple sessions. Plus, the traffic must allow for good action and mid stakes.

While there are several poker apps in the US that can be good for experts, such as CoinPoker and ACR Poker, we recommend BetOnline for this category. It has a great layout where you can easily play at multiple tables at the same time on mobile.

We also found it great for tournaments at higher stakes, so experts can take advantage of the big guaranteed prize pools. The exclusive series adds even more events to the already good weekly tournament schedule.

Best App for Poker High Rollers

If you are a high roller, you are probably looking for large banking limits, simple withdrawals, and of course, action at high stakes tables. For this, CoinPoker offers the best poker apps where you can make big transactions with crypto and even join tables with real pro players.

After all, CoinPoker hosted the biggest pot in online poker history, worth $1,820,663, when Tony G and Leon Tsoukernik played PLO $1,000/$2,000.

You will find regular players at $400/$800 blinds and the high rakeback will definitely be useful as well.

Are Poker App Downloads Legal in the US?

The short answer is “Yes, poker app downloads are legal in the US.” However, we need to dive deeper into the poker laws to get the full picture.

For a quick history lesson, the laws regarding online poker generally followed the regulations for online sports betting, even if they were different options by nature. That said, the Federal Wire Act of 1961 basically made it illegal to make any bets online.

The laws were further enforced with the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA) that targeted payments processed for betting.

However, the US Department of Justice reversed its position on the Wire Act in 2011 basically making it legal for individual states to pass their own legislation for gambling, including mobile poker apps for real money. It didn’t take long for states like New Jersey and Delaware to launch their own apps within state borders.

The change also helped offshore operators, resulting in a large market with loads of trusted poker apps by download available throughout the nation.

Are Real Money Poker Apps Safe?

The mobile poker apps recommended in this guide are all safe and legitimate. They operate in the US with licenses issued in offshore jurisdictions, such as Curacao and Costa Rica.

These operators have been in the industry for decades and have fair games with fast withdrawals. You can get started with a downloadable US poker app from the list and join the tables right away.

Free Poker Apps

You can download free poker apps to win real money, but you can also use them to play demo games. Simply switch to play money to join tables with real players and bet free credits without any risk of losing money.

The practice credits are still somewhat limited as you can only refresh the balance a few times a day, depending on the free poker app. This prevents players from simply going all in every hand.

Playing without any financial risk allows you to enjoy poker for what it is. It’s also a great way to master the basics and, in turn, practice important skills, such as bluffing and value betting.

In fact, this is the main reason we recommend using the best free online poker apps before you switch to real money games.

Poker Training and Strategy Apps

If you want to sharpen your skills at the tables, or just become more familiar with the game, using poker training sites and apps can be the best fit. The goal here is to play for real so that you can learn different strategies and systems. However, you don’t want to lose real money in the process.

A great way to train is to play for free. BetOnline and Bovada come highly recommended for their play money tables. These have action around the clock and some of the players can take it quite seriously, especially when you reach a bigger bankroll of play credits.

After a while, you can switch to real money and further improve your strategy at low stakes on a real cash poker app. It is best to keep the same mobile site that you already practiced on since you already know the interface and features.

Online Poker Apps to Play with Friends

Most of the time when you access a poker app for real money games, you will be playing against strangers.

But if you would prefer to play against friends or family, then you should look towards a platform that offers home games.

As the name suggests, home games are tables reserved for people you are more familiar with in a private setting. You choose the variant, format, stakes, and who gets entry to these games.

Benefits and Special Features of Playing on a Real Money Poker App

Why should you download the best online poker app for real money games? If you’re someone who enjoys the tactical challenge of poker and wants easy access to games, promotions, and payouts, mobile platforms have you covered.

Mobile poker apps also offer the following benefits:

1. Soft Competition on the Best Online Poker App

With anonymous tables, quick seating, and large bonuses, the best mobile online poker apps have very soft competition. This means that you can just enjoy the game and not have to worry about sharks.

Plus, with a bit of practice and the right strategies, you can win more while having fun. We also found that poker on the top casino apps is softer since there are many players that cross over from the other sections.

2. Bonuses Are Easier to Claim

The reason people often struggle to get maximum value from the bonuses on offer at the best poker mobile sites is time.

Rakeback is based on the amount you play and bonuses have playthrough requirements. Therefore, if it’s easier to access games because you’ve always got a mobile device to hand, it’s theoretically easier to unlock bonuses.

3. Slicker Software and Swift Payments

Statista mobile payments data shows that digital wallets (aka mobile payment wallets) are among the fastest-growing payment methods in the world. One of the reasons for this is the fact payments are easily integrated into mobile apps.

This makes it possible to deposit and withdraw money from mobile poker sites/apps with a couple of taps. Crypto payments take this one step further and are now available on the top apps.

4. Interactive and Immersive Poker Mobile App

Poker is interactive in any format, but there’s something about using a mobile device that adds an extra layer of immersion because you’re tapping and swiping.

For us, that creates a greater sense of connection to the action than clicking a mouse button.

What’s more, because you’re looking at a smaller screen, you need to focus more intently. This in turn makes the game enjoyable because you’re more engaged.

Offline vs Online Poker Apps

Offline poker apps allow you to play poker against a computer and not against real players. These can also come with themes and storylines to keep you engaged.

However, in our experience with offline poker apps, the opponents are not that good and even the fairness of the hands seemed questionable.

Trusted online poker apps remain the better alternative, even if you are playing for fun. For example, you can download the best free poker app for US players and play with practice credits against real people. This will make the entire experience feel more authentic and less like a video game.

Best Mobile Poker App – Our Verdict

It doesn’t matter where you are or where you travel to in the US, you’re never more than a tap away from action-packed games. The best online poker apps have something for everyone.

From newbies who need to learn and casuals wanting quirky features, to grinders seeking rakeback, our recommended US poker apps have you covered.

CoinPoker comes in as the best online poker app for its provably fair games, soft competition, leaderboard rewards, and fast crypto banking. It is the complete package that is available through native apps for iPhone and Android in all states.

Not only is compatibility top-notch, but the traffic is also solid throughout the week, ensuring plenty of activity at all stakes. Plus, CoinPoker has some of the biggest rewards, including a huge welcome bonus and 33% rakeback.

Methodology

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.

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Vlad Grindu
Gambling Expert
Vlad Grindu
Gambling Expert

Vlad has more than a decade of experience in the gambling industry, specializing in analyzing and reviewing online betting platforms. He is an expert in casino games and sports betting, providing detailed guides for major publications in the iGaming industry, including Casino.org and Covers. Vlad has a Master’s Degree in Economics and enjoys the occasional esports game.