Best free poker sites 2023 - play free online poker

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Looking for where to play free online poker? You’ve come to the right place. 

Although you definitely need to deposit and play for real money at some online poker sites in order to access their best games, software or online poker bonuses, that’s not the case across the board. Indeed there are several free poker online sites (including some of the best-known brands) that allow you to escape real money poker and play fun, relaxed games with your friends or like-minded strangers without spending a penny.

Best Sites to Play Free Poker Online

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The Top Free Online Poker Sites for 2023

  1. PokerStars – Best site for soft competition and game variety
  2. eighteen10 – Best site for beginner-friendly tournaments
  3. GGPoker – Great free poker online mobile app
  4.  Unibet Poker – Best for casual players looking for recreational games
  5.  partypoker – Great for SNG fans
  6.  pinkévpoker – Best for non-standard poker games
  7.  Bet365 Poker – Biggest selection of cash game tables

  8.   Swepstakes Poker (USA) - Best for US free online sweepstakes poker

1. PokerStars - Soft Competition & Game Variety

No other site comes even close when it comes to traffic and variety of games and tournaments - both for real money players as well as free ones. There's tons of action running around the clock and you can literally play any type of poker there is. Notable events like the World Championship of Women or the Bighorn attract thousands of players every year.

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One important feature that helps you to avoid sharks is the "Beginner" table. If you sit there, you cannot see the opponents' rollup (career winnings). Also, you can erase yourself from the display after a certain time, which is helpful if you want to focus on the game and not on your image at the table.
The downside of PokerStars is actually the same as the one of Vegas casinos: it's the tough competition. Micro stakes are playable but if you want to take advantage of the “Play Money” feel, head over to the $0.01/$0.02 No Limit Hold’em games. These are very loose and almost all the players (including some regulars) play these limits just for fun. And finally: Have fun! That's what playing poker should be about.

For those who are new to the world of online poker, download our PokerStars Link and get access to the biggest free online poker tournament scene out there. Alternatively, check out our dedicated .

2. eighteen10 - Best Beginner Tournament Experience

If you are interested in MTTs and live in Europe or Canada, eighteen10 could be a great choice for you. This new online poker site focuses heavily on recreational players and offers beginner-friendly features such as no player statistics, immediate hand history reception and a messaging system that does not allow hard plays to be bragged about.

The highlight of the site is the excellent beginner-friendliness of its tournament offer. While PokerStars still remains the first address for online satellites to major live tournaments, eighteen10 offers many interesting tournaments for amateur players. For example, there is a Sunday tournament called "Champione Sundays" with a buy-in of $15 and a prize pool of $50,000. Or the "Power Series", which offers guarantees of up to $25,000 for $5 buy-ins. By the way, the top 5-10% of all Power Series tournaments are opened to players, so you don't have to worry about running into strong opposition.

Within a short time since launch, eighteen10 has become one of the most popular poker clients in Scandinavia and parts of Eastern Europe. To encourage more players from other countries to join, they now also accept registrations from most Western European countries as well as Canada and plan to go live in more jurisdictions during 2023. Their entire offering is completely free poker online (except for philanthropic fees on the highest stakes). No, you cannot transfer money onto the site, but you can easily cash out your winnings.

3. GGPoker – Great Mobile App for Casual Players

Chinese operator BBIN, which owns the Good Game Network (GGPN) has been operating the iPoker network in several regulated US states since 2013. In 2014, the company launched GGPoker under the regime of the Norwegian gaming authority. Meanwhile, GGPoker has become the largest poker provider in Asia and the third largest in the world. And all Cash Games and Tournaments on the site are completely free of charge!

Actually, you cannot even deposit money on GGPoke.COM. If you want to play for real money, you should register on GGPoker (which is owned by the same company), but then you are no longer a recreational player. The emphasis here is on entertainment and social gaming. However, this does not mean that the free GGPoker version is limited. On the contrary: All cash games and tournaments are available and the app boasts one of the best free online poker apps for smartphones and tablets.

You will rarely find professionals at the tables, the vast majority of players seem to use the fish-promoting "RNG Card Animation". At peak times there are dozens of NLHE 6-max tables in the $0.01/$0.02 range. But if you surf through the lobby you will also find PLO, OFC, and even Razz games as well as SnGs and All-In or Fold tables.

4. Unibet Poker – Recreational Player RakerFree Poker Games

A veteran among European online poker sites, Unibet Poker is part of the iPoker Network. Although the network lost many big brands in recent years (due to re-regulation in most European countries), it still offers good cash game and tournament volume on moderately soft tables. Especially the tournament scene on the iPoker network is known for being quite relaxed. Many players are clearly overbalancing the value of their stack compared to the blinds and there is always some action going on post-flop.

As Unibet Poker is part of the Players’s No Reward System, none of the rakeback is distributed to the winning players. This attractive setup leads to a recreational player-friendly environment where fish are not afraid of facing the usual limpers, hopeful calls and occasional 3-bets.

Unibet Poker used to offer freerolls only on a regular basis, but lately they have increased the number of rakerfree MTTs in their schedule. Currently you can choose from numerous freerolls, rakerfree satellites and low buy-in tournaments where the entry fee is automatically adjusted based on the participating players. So if 100 players show up for a €1 buy-in tournament, you only pay €0.50.

5. partypoker – Special SNG Tournaments for Newcomers

When partypoker relaunched their software a few years ago, they promised to bring innovation to the industry. They kind of delivered with cool new features like time banks in cash games, a massive schedule for their online championship and an easy-cheasy way to qualify for live tournaments via their road to caribbean adventure. However, many of the promised innovations were never implemented and the overall strategy seems to be a copy-cat approach of Running Hot’s popular Short Deck variant (now called PLO6).

Anyway, partypoker did bring back a lot of former WPT players with various branded promotions and actually managed to revive the old spirit of the World Poker Tour. Still today, many amateurs and recreational players can be found in the modest NLHE and PLO cash game selection as well as in the many daily and weekly MTTs and satellites. Partypoints you collect while playing can also be used to enter freerolls or to satellite into live events and online tournaments.

What’s often overlooked though, is the special SNG format for beginners called “SNG Flip”. It’s essentially a lottery ticket and a standard Texas Hold’em SNG combined. When you buy an SNG Flip ticket, you first receive one flip hand against the operator (roughly pot odds of 60-40). If you win this all-in, you are entered into a standard 3-handed SNG with random stacks and random chip counts.

Depending on your skill level, these Flip Tournaments can be a great way to increase your chances to profit in the shorter term. Of course, there are many weak regulary playing standard SnGs as well. Just make sure to avoid the higher stakes where sharks are lurking.

6. pinkévpoker – Offbeat Variants Like Badugi and Lowball

It seems as if nobody told the guys from pinkévpoker that the poker boom is over. These Czech poker enthusiasts have built a complete integration of the iPoker network into an absolutely colorful software that reminds us of the Wild West. And they actually live up to their promise: “The best poker for its low stakes and unrestricted fun”. Because pinkék poker is really fun, especially for all players who primarily play for entertainment and only secondarily for winning or grafting.

Basically pinkék is another Dutch tunnel without vicious sharks, but with much nicer graphics than anywhere else. What we particularly like about pinkék are the game selections: While most online poker rooms restrict themselves to No Limit Hold’em and perhaps some Pot Limit Omaha, Pinkék Poker also offers all kinds of Stud variants, Draw games, Lowball and even Non-Standard games like Badugi, Chinese Poker and Red Dog.

You won’t find thousands of tables, but you will probably find enough loose competitors at the tables. At peak times there are even a few dozen NLHE and PLO tables running, and you can always find a couple of tables in other poker variations. Additionally, pinkék hosts a decent amount of daily and weekly MTTs, some of which also offer prizes outside of the real money tables.

7. Bet365 Poker – HUJ50 No-Limit Hold’em Games

Most people know bet365 as a sports betting provider, but they also run one of the smallest poker networks out there. As a matter of fact, bet365 Poker only shares traffic with a single Bulgarian face-card software house (Softras). However, this doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing as the (mostly European) players on this network are mostly recreational and the overall traffic is enough to ensure at least a few dozen NLHE tables in each variation and limit at all times.

While Bet365 didn’t really stand out with their poker offer for years, they improved their software significantly and even launched a mobile app. Another positive change was the introduction of the HUJ50 challenge where players compete to win £50,000 in a heads-up knockout tournament tree. This created a lot of buzz within the community and attracted hundreds of new players. Even though the winner takes it all concept is fairly high risk, many players seem to enjoy the fast structure and all-in action.

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Yes, the typical bet365 games are the standard NLHE tables in all possible forms and the weekly MTT schedule with guaranteed prize pools. But apart from that you will find surprisingly many players willing to play High-Low Split games, 2-7 Triple Draw, Badugi, Razz and other Exotic poker variants. We also found some of the juiciest 50 cent No-Limit Hold’em games in the world.

8. Swepstakes Poker (USA) – Free Online Poker Sweepstakes

Earlier we mentioned Chumba Casino, a social casino that uses a sweepstakes model to provide a free online poker experience in the United States. Well, there are actually several sites that operate under this business model, which allows them to offer free poker online to players in all 50 US states. The basic idea is simple: You purchase Gold Coins with real money and then you can use these coins to play free online poker games and tournaments.

The best part is that you can redeem your coin winnings for cash prizes. Plus, when you purchase Gold Coins you also receive free Sweeps Coins. Sweeps Coins can also be redeemed for cash prizes. In fact, some lucky players have already turned their Sweepstakes Coin winnings into significant payouts. The most famous site along these lines is probably , which has received millions of dollars in investment capital and boasts millions of registered users in the United States.

Another example is Global Poker, which is licensed in British Virgin Islands and uses its own algorithm to randomly award Sweeps Coins to players who purchase Gold Coins. It’s free to play if you only stick to the Sweeps Coins, but of course you cannot transfer funds or redeem winnings unless you purchase Gold Coins with an accepted payment method. It sounds a bit complicated, but thousands of American players use these sites every day to play free online poker for real money prizes.

More Free Poker Options Worth Considering

Of course, these aren’t the only options when it comes to free online poker. Here are some additional websites worth considering, whether you live in the US or abroad.

  •  PokerStars Play: This free poker app is offered by the world’s largest online poker site and it’s a great option for beginners because there are no tight, experienced players. Instead, everyone is pretty loose and eager to see lots of flops. You can learn the basics and even earn achievements along the way. It’s available for Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, Amazon and Facebook.
  •  WSOP Poker: This free poker app goes hand in hand with the annual World Series of PTextrme. It gives you the chance to compete in official WSOP tournaments online and qualify for the live series in Las Vegas. Tournaments cost between one and five scoop rewards, which are earned by logging in or completing missions. Scoop chips can’t be transferred to others players, thus it’s technically a play money site.
  •  ClubGG Poker: Formerly known as GoodGame Poker, this free online poker site has cartoony graphics and simplified rules for beginners. It’s easy to figure out and there are hundreds of active players at any given moment. They even have a hot seat feature that puts you at a real money PokerStars table with a €5 free bonus on top.
  •  Blockchain Poker: This free online poker site runs on the Ethereum blockchain, meaning everything is provably fair and players can wager digital currencies. It currently only offers free play money games, but paid games could be introduced once online poker legislation spreads to more states and countries.
  •  True Poker: This real money online poker site has a free play money version where you can hone your skills before depositing. It uses the same software and most of the same tournaments take place on the free and real money side.
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Why Play Free Poker Games Online?

Obviously there are a lot of home games you can set up with friends, family members or local peers. However, sometimes it’s nice to log on, sit down and start playing immediately. Whether you’re looking to kill some time, learn the game or prep for juicy home games, free online poker sites fit the bill rather nicely.

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How to Find the Best Free Online Poker Sites

Finding the best free poker games online isn’t difficult. You simply have to know what to look for in terms of software quality, game selection, traffic levels and general atmosphere. Here are a few things to consider before you dive into the action.

  • Free Real Money Poker Feel – Some free poker sites online try to water down the experience so they can offer it for nothing. We prioritize sites that replicate the real money poker experience for free so you can get acclimated to online poker per se.
  • Soft Competition – This may not be a factor if you’re playing free online poker games to learn the fundamentals, but it is if you’re using free poker games to prepare for real cash games. The sites we’ve recommended above all have at least one game with soft competition.
  • Mobile Compatibility – It’s 2023 and everyone is on the go. Having the ability to whip out your phone and hop onto the free poker online app makes a difference in convenience.
  • Bonuses and Perks – You might not be able to clear a deposit bonus by playing free poker online, but there are usually still freerolls, free spins and other perks worth considering.

How to Play Free Online Poker

Ready to jump in and play free poker games online? Getting started is easy. Here’s a step-by-step guide to using the greatest one of them all.

1. Go to PokerStars Site

Head over to by clicking the 'Play Now' button above.

2. Create Your Account

Enter an email address, username and password. Then provide your name and date of birth (you must be at least 18 years old or whatever the legal age is in your jurisdiction).

3. Download the Software

You can also play instant play poker directly in your browser, but we recommend downloading the software for the full experience. Select your region and click the ‘Download’ button to install the software onto your computer or laptop.

4. Open Up an Account

This doesn’t take long at all. Just fill in an email address, user name and password plus some personal information and your account will be ready to go.

5. Locate the Free Poker Games

On the client home you find all current offers and tours, direct to the right to the free play money games under “Play Money”. Simply click on it and select one of many possibilities.

6. Pick a Table & Start Playing!

All that’s left to do is browse the many free poker online cash game and tournament options and pick a table. Enjoy testing out different strategies, observing how the competitors behave and learning the ropes of online poker with play money. Remember that there are plenty of resources online to help you improve your skills, including strategy articles, books, videos and more.

Types of Free Online Poker

There are tons of different ways to enjoy free online poker. Cash games, tournaments and sit and go’s are pretty standard, but certain sites throw in added incentives to sweeten the pot. Below are a few of the most common formats you’ll find when you play free online poker.

Freerolls

These are free online poker tournaments that reward winnings in either real money or an on-site currency. Freerolls are the ultimate way to extend zero cost to players and basically every online card room offering real-money poker hosts them. Most freerolls come with very low buy-ins, say $0.01, and qualify as almost-freerolls, but we see plenty of no-cost MTTs worth playing.

Beginner / New Player Freerolls

Many sites host free online poker tournaments specifically geared towards new players. These tend to have smaller fields and easier competition, making them ideal for building a bankroll from scratch.

Full Ring vs. 6-Max

Online poker rings up at 9 or 10 players while 6-max means …well, you get it. For the most part, players adjust their strategy regardless of the game’s composition, but 6-max does favor aggressive players due to the reduced frequency of spots. That’s one reason why you’ll often find the top techs in online poker grinding these tables.

Heads-Up

Two players going head to head. Simple. Any downsides to heads-up poker? Not really – it’s just that the game changes drastically and requires a unique skillset. If you’re a cash game player, heading over to the free online poker site’s SNG lobby to play heads-up may open up a whole new revenue stream for you.

Sit and Go’s

Sit and go’s, or SNG’s, are tournaments that begin once all players have registered. They come in all shapes and sizes but are usually headed by a 1st place prize. Single table SNG’s typically max out at 9 or 10 players while multi-table versions form branches off an initial tree with one player surviving each leg. Overall, sit and go’s are the purest form of competitive poker and a fantastic way to build a bankroll or extend a dull moment into an exciting one.

Twister (Jackpot) Sit and Go’s

A fun variation on the traditional sit and go, Twisters add a jackpot-style prize structure to SNG’s. Basically, you’ll play a three-person sit-and-go as normal but instead of a conventional prize pool, the final payouts are multipliers that boost your original stake by a multiple ranging from 2x to 1000x. The higher the payout multiple, the longer the game.

Knockout (KO) Tournaments

Born inside the walls of , KO tourneys let you earn bounty payments for knocking out opposing players. Every player that registers for the tournament puts up a bounty which players can collect by sending them to the rail. A portion of each buy-in is distributed as bounties while the rest fills the main prize pool. Lots of fun and a great way to build a bankroll.

Satellites

Win your way to bigger poker tournaments for a fraction of the cost. Instead of buying directly into a large field event – e.g. The WSOP Main – you climb through smaller tournaments until you’ve secured your seat. Many poker pros rely on satellites to keep their tourney schedules affordable.

History of Free Online Poker

If you want to go all the way back, you can argue that IDN Play was the first site to offer free online poker. In the early 2000’s, the Indonesian company offered free poker SOFTWARE to anyone that wanted it which sparked widespread interest in the game throughout the country.

IDN played a pivotal role in popularizing poker in Indonesia but if you want a site that offered free online poker games to western players, you’d have to wait a few years. That honor goes to which launched play money games in 2006. PokerStital’s free play money mode allowed anyone with an account to sit down and play no download poker – for free.

Today, every major card room that offers real cash poker also provides free online poker. In fact, the lines between free and real money poker are becoming increasingly blurred because the skills required to succeed in either situation are so similar. Finally, the advent of social poker apps like Zynga Poker has shown that people enjoy playing free online poker games for entertainment even if they’re not chasing cold hard cash.

Free Online Poker in the US

US players have fewer choices when it comes to free online poker sites but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any good options. One of the best places to play is , which is actually a social casino that uses sweepstakes laws to offer cash prizes even though it’s officially a free play money site.

Chumba Casino uses a unique business model where players purchase Gold Coins with real money. Everyone wants Gold Coins because you can win prizes with Gold Coins and trade them in for cash prizes. In turn, when you purchase Gold Coins, you also receive free Sweeps Coins as a bonus and those can be redeemed for real money too.

So yes, Chumba Casino is a free online poker site but you can cash out your winnings. Other good options include WSOP Poker (an extension of the well-known World Series of Poker) and global poker by Marcussen which just launched in Michigan and is expected to go live in more states soon.

Legalities of Free Online Poker Rooms

Legislation governing online poker varies from country to country and even state to state. For the most part, playing free online poker games is totally legal no matter where you reside. That goes doubly for social poker apps like Zynga Poker because they don’t even fall under traditional definitions of “online gambling.”

Real cash poker sites are a little bit trickier because you have to be physically located in a licensed state to create an account and play for real money. Even then, you’re only allowed to play if you’re of legal age according to state law.

Licensed online poker sites go to great lengths to verify player identities and geographic locations so everybody plays within the boundaries of the law. In short, if you want to play free poker online for fun, it’s likely permitted in your jurisdiction. If you want to play real money poker and potentially win cash prizes, you’ll need to set up your account in a licensed state or country.

  • Can I play free online poker for fun?

    Yes, absolutely. Every major card room that offers real money poker also has free play money modes with play cash and play chips. You can practice your game, try out new strategies and even compete for tournament tickets without spending a dime.

  • Are there any free online poker apps?

    Yes. Most major poker sites offer no download poker clients you can use to play on your mobile devices. Alternatively, there are many social poker apps that are free to download and free to play.

  • Is there free online poker on mobile?

    Yes. Most major poker sites offer mobile poker apps that are free to download and use. You can usually access free play money games without even creating an account.

  • Where can I play free online poker?

    There are tons of free poker online sites where you can compete for play chips or play money. The world’s largest site in this regard is PokerStars, which hosts thousands of ring games and tournaments with made up money.

  • Is PVP XL free?

    PVPXL.com is the free play money version of VIP Poker Network. You can create an account, access the lobby and play thousands of NLHE hands for free using play chips. If you run out of play money chips, you can just request more.

  • Can you play online poker for free?

    Yes. Every major card room has a free play money mode where you can access a full poker lobby without risking anything. Check out our toppicks above to get started.

  • How do you play free online poker?

    Playing free online poker for fun is exactly like playing for real money except you’re using play chips instead of actual cash. If you know how to play poker, you know how to play free poker online.

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