About Us
Poker Sites is an independent guide to online poker sites and apps available to US players. We compare traffic, game variety, bonuses, deposit methods, and mobile experience across the market's better-known operators, and we rank them the same way a serious grinder would: on the numbers and terms that actually affect your bankroll, not marketing copy.
What we're trying to do
Poker is not a single product. A recreational player looking for a soft $10 tournament field wants something very different from a semi-serious grinder chasing rakeback across multiple tables of fast-fold cash games. Our reviews try to serve both, which is why we look past the headline welcome offer and into the details that decide whether a site is actually worth your time: how deep the player pool runs at your stake, what the rake structure costs you over a session, how loyalty and rakeback schemes pay out in practice, and how quickly you can get your money back out.
How we rank and review sites
Every site on Poker Sites is assessed against the same set of criteria, and no operator can pay for a higher position. The factors we weigh include:
- Traffic and liquidity — how many players are seated at typical hours, and whether that pool sustains cash games, MTTs, Sit & Gos, and Spin & Go formats at a range of stakes.
- Game selection — the balance of No Limit Hold'em, Pot Limit Omaha, mixed games, and fast-fold variants such as Zoom or Snap tables.
- Rake, rakeback, and rewards — the published rake structure, any rakeback deal, and how the loyalty programme translates into real value over time.
- Bonuses and promotions — the welcome offer's real terms, including the deposit match percentage, wagering or clearing requirements, time limits, and any caps.
- Banking — supported deposit and withdrawal methods, processing times, and any fees.
- Software and mobile experience — client stability, HUD/tracking software policy, and how well the iOS and Android apps hold up under real play.
- Licensing and safety — how the operator is regulated, how it segregates player funds, and what its KYC verification process looks like.
We researched each operator's public terms, licensing information, and cashier documentation rather than depositing or playing on any site ourselves, and we update ratings when material terms change. Where we mention a specific offer — such as Coinpoker's Battle of Malta series or Bovada's deposit match — the figures beside it reflect the material conditions we found at the time of review, and terms can change without notice, so always check the operator's own cashier and promotions pages before you rely on them.
How the money side works
US online poker is regulated state by state, and there's no federal framework covering every player. Depending on where a site operates and where you're located, you'll typically fund an account by card, ACH bank transfer, PayPal, PayNearMe, an operator's own prepaid option, or in some cases crypto such as Bitcoin. Withdrawal speed and limits vary considerably between operators and between methods, and most sites require identity verification (KYC) before releasing a first payout. We flag these details in our individual reviews rather than assuming one method works everywhere, because eligibility and processing times depend on your state and the site's licensing.
What "welcome bonus" actually means
A deposit match bonus is not free money you can withdraw on day one. Nearly every offer we cover carries a playthrough or clearing requirement — you typically need to generate a set amount of rake or play a certain number of raked hands before the bonus releases, and it usually has to happen within a fixed window. We state those conditions next to the offer itself wherever they're available, rather than burying them in small print, because they're the difference between a genuinely useful promotion and one that looks better on paper than it plays out in practice.
Where poker sites overlap with other products
Most of the operators we cover don't run poker in isolation. It's common to find a sportsbook, a casino section with slots and table games, or both sitting alongside the poker client under the same account and cashier. That can be convenient — one wallet, one verification process — but it's worth knowing going in if you only came for the poker tables, since promotions and loyalty points don't always transfer between products.
Age, eligibility, and playing responsibly
Online poker for real money is restricted to adults, and most regulated US states set the minimum age at 21, though a small number use 18 — always check the age requirement and licensing status that applies in your own state before signing up anywhere. We don't review or link to any operator we haven't been able to place within that framework, and nothing on this site should be read as a way to guarantee winnings or replace income; poker involves skill, but the risk of losing money never goes away, whatever your experience level.
If gambling stops being enjoyable or starts affecting your finances, relationships, or wellbeing, free confidential support is available around the clock through 1-800-GAMBLER. Our Responsible Gambling page has more on setting limits, self-exclusion, and where to find state-specific resources.
Our commercial relationships
Poker Sites may earn a commission when readers sign up with an operator through links on this site. That relationship never decides the order sites appear in — our rankings are built from the criteria above, and commission is not a factor in scoring. You can read the full terms governing this site in our Terms and Conditions.
Get in touch
If you've spotted outdated information, have a question about how we reached a particular rating, or want to suggest a site we haven't covered, our Contact Us page has the details to reach the team directly.