Free Poker vs Real Money Poker
Free poker is a good starting point for beginners. There's no risk of losing, just like playing real money slots for free in demo mode.
Yet, playing real money poker is a better way to learn. That's because it comes down to the quality of the decisions you and your opponents make. When there’s real money on the line, players are more cautious.
Freerolls are a fun way to join tournaments. They usually offer cash prizes or entry into bigger real-money tournaments. And you don't need to have money in your account to play. But sometimes, you'll need to earn loyalty points from real money play before joining.
Popular Poker Game Types
There's no such thing as a standard game of poker. Let's take the best blackjack casino sites as an example. They offer so many variants that it can be hard to keep up. The same goes for poker.
These are the most popular versions you'll find at the top poker casinos in the UK:
Texas Hold'em
Texas Hold'em is the classic poker you see in big tournaments. In this game, everyone gets two cards for themselves. Then, there are five shared cards dealt out. After each new card is dealt, there's a round of betting. The player with the best hand at the end walks away with the pot.
Omaha
In Omaha, each player is dealt four cards and five community cards. To make the best possible five-card hand, you have to use two of your own and three community cards.
Seven-Card Stud Poker
When playing Seven-Card Stud Poker, you start with two cards face down and one card face up. Then, you'll get two more face-up cards and one final face-down card. After that, all players reveal their hands.
Five-Card Draw
During Five-Card Draw, each player gets dealt five cards face down. Then, they can swap up to three cards during the "draw" phase and get new ones from the deck. The aim is to make the best hand possible from the cards they have.
Caribbean Stud Poker
In Caribbean Stud, you get dealt a five-card hand which you play against the dealer, not other players. The dealer also gets a five-card hand, with one card turned face up. You decide whether to play or fold based on your cards, and you can raise the bet by 2x the ante. After bets are placed, the dealer reveals their hand to see who wins.
Three-Card Poker
In this poker game, each player and the dealer get three cards. Players can either play or fold. If they choose to play, they need to bet double the ante amount. The dealer only plays with a hand of queen high or better.
Pai Gow Poker
In Pai Gow Poker, you get seven cards and have to make two hands: one with five cards and one with two cards. Both of your hands need to beat the dealer's hands, and your five-card hand has to be better than your two-card hand to win.
Video Poker
You don't need to sit at a table with other players to win money playing poker online. Some big casino sites offer virtual or live poker where you play against a real-life dealer. Party Casino and Mr Vegas are a couple of sites that offer these games.
Playing Poker on Mobile
For the most part, poker on mobile is served by high-quality apps. All the big poker rooms have apps for iOS and Android users, which you can download and install for free. While these generally offer a good playing experience, it’s worth ensuring you’re connected to WiFi where possible, for a secure, stable connection.
You should also be prepared for a more limited experience in some respects on mobile, especially if you like to play multiple tables. However, with high-quality apps now the standard when you play at our recommended poker sites, or on a mobile browser, it’s never been easier to play poker on mobile.
Online Poker Payment and Withdrawal Types
Deposits and withdrawals are at the forefront of convenience – a major factor when choosing the right poker site. We recommend playing with poker sites that support payment methods you’re comfortable using, with fast withdrawals and no fees where possible.
The most common payment and withdrawal types include:
- Debit card
- Apple Pay
- PayPal
- Neteller
- Skrill
- Boku
- Pay by phone
- Trustly
- Bank transfer
The fastest withdrawals are usually to eWallet services, available at online casinos that accept PayPal, Neteller, and Skrill, for example. For small deposits, pay by phone and Apple Pay options are usually the most convenient, though these are limited to maximum £10 deposits, with £30 daily maximum deposit limits. Larger amounts are usually best handled by Trustly or bank transfer directly, though in the case of bank transfer, you can sometimes expect to wait a little longer to get your hands on your money.
Using a debit card to withdraw funds at the best Maestro, Visa, and Visa Electron casinos can take a few days but they are usually very reliable and secure.
Poker Rake
The rake in poker is the percentage of each game taken by the house. In a live poker game, this is represented by the house physically taking chips from the game. Rake tends to be a percentage of total bets, ranging from 2.5% to 10% depending on the game format and where you’re playing, though this can reach as high as 20%.
When the rake is higher, players get less value from their hands – as a result, this often calls for a tighter, more conservative playing strategy. Lower rake games, by contrast, allow players to open up a little more, and play more aggressively on the basis that the returns are more favourable.
UK Poker Sites: Our Final Thoughts
There’s a lot of choice out there for online poker play. UK players are lucky to have the likes of PokerStars and GGPoker as leading options, offering high tournament guarantees, high player traffic and strong liquidity around the clock. The playing experience offered by the likes of 888poker and PartyPoker make them strong contenders too, while beginners will find everything they need at Unibet Poker.
Our recommended sites represent the best choices for players, in our expert opinion, and we'll add any fantastic new casino sites as soon as they hit the scene. For more information, see our detailed reviews on each poker site before signing up and depositing to your new account.