About Us

Best Poker Sites exists to help US players cut through a crowded market of poker apps and figure out where it's actually worth signing up. This page explains what we do, how we put our rankings together, and what you should know before trusting any comparison site — including this one.

What we do here

We research and compare real money poker sites and mobile apps available to US players: cash games, tournaments, Sit & Gos, Spin & Go formats, and the software each site runs on. We look at traffic and player pools, rake and rakeback, deposit and withdrawal options, welcome bonuses and their terms, and how each app actually feels to use on a phone. The goal is a straight answer to "where should I play," not a wall of marketing copy repeated from ten other sites.

We do not run our own poker room, and we're not affiliated with any single operator. Our job is to compare the ones already on the market, including Coinpoker, Bovada, Stake, Ignition, Americas Card Room, Black Chip Poker, Ya Poker, BC Poker, Betonline and Jack Poker, and rank them against each other on criteria that matter to actual players.

How we rank poker sites and apps

Our editorial ratings come from a consistent set of factors we apply to every site we cover, rather than a single "best" checkbox. That includes:

• Traffic and liquidity — how many players are typically seated across cash games and tournaments, and whether that traffic holds up outside peak hours.
• Game variety — the spread across No Limit Hold'em, Pot Limit Omaha, fast-fold formats, Spin & Gos and mixed games, not just one flagship product.
• Softness of the games — an approximate read on the recreational-to-regular player ratio, since that affects win rate as much as rake does.
• Rake, rakeback and loyalty value — the stated rake structure and any rakeback or rewards scheme, weighed against what it actually returns to an active player.
• Bonus terms — the headline offer alongside its playthrough or clearing requirements, time limits and any eligibility restrictions, because the number on the banner rarely tells the whole story.
• Payments — supported deposit and withdrawal methods for US players, typical cash-out times, and any fees.
• Software and mobile app quality — table speed, stability, and whether the iOS or Android app matches the desktop client for features like multi-tabling or HUD support.
• Licensing and site behavior — how transparent an operator is about where and how it's licensed, and how it has handled player funds and support historically.

Commercial relationships never decide position on our list. Some of the operators we cover pay us a commission if a reader signs up through our links, and we disclose that plainly below — but a site with a smaller or no affiliate arrangement is scored exactly the same way as one that pays us. Ratings reflect what we found when we researched and compared each product, not who advertises with us.

How our affiliate links work

Best Poker Sites may earn a commission when readers click through to a poker site and sign up, at no extra cost to the player. This is how independent comparison sites like ours stay free to use. It does not influence which sites we cover, how we score them, or the order they appear in — a poker room's ranking is based on the factors listed above, not on its commission rate.

What we won't do

We won't tell you that poker is a reliable way to make money, that skill removes the risk of losing, or that any bonus is "free money" with no strings attached — every welcome offer we mention comes with wagering, time or eligibility conditions, and we try to flag those alongside the headline figure rather than bury them in fine print. We also won't use countdown timers or "sign up now" pressure tactics. If a site isn't right for you today, it'll still be there tomorrow.

Who this site is for — and who it isn't

Online poker for real money is legal only where it's specifically regulated, and US poker is regulated state by state rather than nationally — availability, licensing and payment options vary depending on where you live. It's on you to check that a site is permitted to operate where you're located and that you meet the minimum age requirement, which is 21 in most regulated states (some allow 18). We don't verify eligibility on a reader's behalf, and nothing on this site should be read as legal advice about what's permitted in your specific state.

This site is built for adults who already understand the game and want to compare operators, not for anyone below the legal gambling age in their state, and not for anyone who should be taking a break from gambling. If poker stops being entertainment and starts feeling like something you can't control, the Responsible Gambling page has information on limits, self-exclusion and where to find support, including the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER.

Keeping this page accurate

Poker sites change their bonuses, traffic and terms regularly, so we revisit our comparisons periodically rather than publishing them once and leaving them static. If you spot something on the site that looks out of date or incorrect, or you just want to ask us about a review, our Contact Us page has the details. Our full terms of use, including how we handle content and liability, are on the Terms and Conditions page.