Many players starting their online poker career are looking for . But there are plenty of great , which don't require real money but still let you play online poker for free. And the best part is there are many legal options available in the US and around the world where you can compete in a no deposit bonus alternative without having to make an initial deposit.
Here we will look at all the ways you can play free online poker with a chance to win and avoid the "play money" route that keeps you completely separated from the real site and player pool. There are some great options out there depending on where you live in the world and this page will help you navigate them. We'll also look at your options if you want to just play free poker online games without signing up or downloading anything, too.
Best No Deposit Bonus Alternatives in the USA
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What Is a No Deposit Bonus in Poker?
A no deposit bonus is a marketing tool used by online operators to attract new customers to their sites. Basically, the operator offers a sum of money (or sometimes another incentive like free tournament entries) to users who open a new account and verify their identity.
Great East Coast Casinos to VisitThe amounts involved can be very small (a few dollars) or quite substantial (hundreds of dollars). It all depends on the specific terms & conditions set forth by each individual room. You can see the active poker no deposit bonuses below:
No matter the size of the bonus, it allows players to enjoy real money online poker without having to dig into their own wallets. It is for this reason that no deposit bonuses are very attractive to low-stakes or even beginning players. Of course, there are always strings attached.
Most rooms will place certain restrictions on how a no deposit bonus can be used or what the player can expect to keep after completing the bonus. Let’s take a look at the most common requirements in the next section.
Quick Note on International Regulations: Some countries have imposed sanctions on the transfer of funds with online gaming sites that operate outside of their borders. As a result, US-based players may experience difficulties depositing or withdrawing funds from poker rooms.
It is possible – though not guaranteed – that those same restrictions could apply to no deposit bonuses as well. The best advice we can offer is to research the situation as it pertains to your country before getting your hopes up about that free $500 credited to your PokerStars account.
How Does a No Deposit Poker Bonus Work?
All online poker no deposit bonuses aren’t created equal. Terms and conditions vary widely from one poker room to another. Here are some of the more commonly encountered stipulations associated with these types of offers:
Fast Track to Real Money Status
For many players – especially those just getting their feet wet in the world of online poker – making the transition from play money to real money can be a difficult one. This is particularly true when using a no deposit bonus because even the smallest of sums can feel rather precious to someone accustomed to playing with free chips that mean nothing beyond the confines of the virtual table. A no deposit bonus gives players a fast track to the “real” side of the online gaming site. Instead of toying around with play chips, they’re immediately thrust into the world of bets, raises and cold hard (online) currency. If this seems daunting, it shouldn’t be. All you need to do is refresh (or reinforce) your understanding of basic poker strategy and you’ll be ready to go.
Flat Sum of Cash
The most common form of no deposit bonus is simply a flat sum of cash added to a new customer’s account. In most cases, the bonus is activated as soon as the user opens an account and completes the verification process. The new player may or may not be required to opt in to receive the bonus. Either way, the sum is usually deposited within 48-72 hours.
In some instances, a new player might be offered a no deposit bonus as part of a signup package that includes a deposit bonus on that first transaction. An example would be a signup deal offering a $10 no deposit bonus along with a 100% match worth up to $600 on that first deposit.
Non-Withdrawable Credits
Sometimes, a no deposit bonus takes the form of site credits. These credits cannot be withdrawn under any circumstances. The player can use the credits to enter tournaments or play cash game tables, but any winnings derived from those credits will be considered site credits as well.
When the player cleipsay, any remaining balance will be forfeited. Effectively, this is like playing with site-specific play chips. You can win and lose within that constructed reality, but you can’t walk away with the latter while clinging to the former. However, if you participate in a tournament using site credits and win more tickets than you spent, you’ll be able to use those additional tickets to enter more tournaments or play cash games without having to pay anything extra.
Restrictions Concerning Use
This is a relatively common restriction among no deposit bonuses marketed toward new players. Rooms often put limits on the types of games a new customer can play with that welcome bonus. It is not uncommon for a no deposit bonus to prohibit use at high stakes or high action tables. For example, a no deposit bonus worth $10 may only be usable at tables with $0.01/$0.02 blinds or lower.
Similarly, such bonuses may only be used within certain tournament tiers or during specified tournament series. When this restriction applies to entries, rooms may limit the number of tables on which a player can sit or the maximum buy-in for any single event.
Time Limitation on Use
Online poker rooms rarely give customers an unlimited amount of time in which to use a no deposit bonus. Most rooms attach a 30-, 60- or 90-day expiration date to these bonuses. If the entire sum isn’t used within that timeframe, the unused portion is forfeited. Additionally, some rooms break the no deposit bonus into increments and only allow a certain percentage of that increment to be used per day or per week. For example, a $10 no deposit bonus might be broken down into two $5 increments. With this type of restriction, a player would only be able to access $1 worth of that bonus on a daily basis. The good news is that the entire bonus can generally be accessed without any sort of daily/weekly limitation once the entire sum has been engaged.
Playthrough Requirements
Also referred to as rollover, this is perhaps the most famous requirement associated with online poker deposit and no deposit bonuses. In its simplest form, playthrough requires the player to wager (or in this case, play) a multiple of the bonus before he or she is allowed to keep whatever remains in the account. As an example, consider a $10 no deposit bonus with a 10X playthrough requirement:
- The player receives the $10 bonus.
- In order to keep the entire bonus, he or she would need to play ($10) x 10 ($1 for every $0.10) = $100 at the poker room.
- Any amount less than $100 would result in the forfeiture of some or all of the bonus.
Playthrough requirements almost always apply to deposit bonuses, but it is not unusual to find them tagged onto no deposit bonuses as well. Fortunately, the playthrough requirement for no deposit bonuses is usually set lower than what a typical deposit player might encounter.
Losses Count Toward Playthrough
This is both a blessing and a curse. In most cases, losses suffered while using a no deposit bonus count toward fulfilling the playthrough requirement. This means a player may have to reload at some point in the future, but at least some of the bonus amount is credited toward the total that must be played. On the bright side, if luck runs against you during the playthrough process, you can always use deposited funds to complete the requirement without having to dip into your own pocket.
Deposit Bonuses: Not sure if you should take the full 180 days to clear your online poker deposit bonus? Or maybe you should be making a bigger deposit to clear more at once? Read our guide on for tips on maximizing the value of this popular promotion.
Freeroll Tournaments
Perhaps the best no deposit alternative on this list, freeroll tournaments are free to enter and offer real money for first-place or top-three finishes. Unlike play money games that keep you completely separate from the main site, when you play freerolls you are competing alongside regular players on the poker room. That means you can win a tournament or a Sit & Go and then use those winnings however you'd like - whether that's entering another freeroll or jumping into a cash game or tournament with higher stakes.
As a bonus, most major online poker sites run a steady stream of these free poker tournaments for users of all levels and bankrolls. Some freerolls are open to anyone with an account while others are invitation only. Most rooms also use freerolls as a method of rewarding loyal customers or reloading players.
How to Find Freerolls on Poker Sites
You can typically find a listing of all the scheduled free poker tournament opportunities in the site’s lobby under the “Tournaments” or “Special” tabs. Look for buttons or checkboxes that say “Free,” “Freeroll” or “No Cost.” Some sites may designate special freeroll tabs in the lobby as well. Another good way to find freeroll opportunities is to regularly check the email promotions sent to you by the site. Some of these emails provide direct links to ongoing or upcoming freerolls.
How to Maximize Your Freeroll Opportunities
To get the most out of free poker tournaments, follow these guidelines:
- Read the Rules: Every tournament will have slightly different rules concerning registration, add-ons, rebuys, payouts, etc. Make sure you understand all the idiosyncrasies before taking your seat.
- Arrive Early: Give yourself time to get situated and familiarize yourself with the players and the dynamics at the table before the action gets serious. This ties in with the previous point because arriving early also gives you enough time to register prior to the start of the tournament.
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Stick to Solid Basic Strategy: The fundamentals of solid basic strategy remain constant regardless of the size of the blinds or the quality of your opponents:
- Conserve chips when faced with unknown opponents.
- Play position whenever possible.
- Limit pre-flop actions to suitable starting bands and situations.
- Make well-considered decisions based on an analysis of your hand, the board and the players involved.
- Take Advantage of Rebuys and Add-ons: If the free poker tournament you’re playing offers rebuys or add-ons, try to take advantage of them while you’re still chipping up. Once the dull portion of the exponential curve sets in, rebuys and adds will eat into your chip equity.
- Compete in Multitable Events: Although busting a single PTN (table) feels the same whether you’ve entered a single table event or a multi-table affair, there’s a significant difference in payout between a single table freeroll and a comparable multi-table freeroll. With a larger field creating a bigger prize pool, you stand to win more with minimal risk.
Begins in Private Clubs and Homes
Long before the advent of commercial card rooms or glitzy Las Vegas casinos, people played poker in private clubs and homes. There was no house take and nobody charging rake. Winning was winning, regardless of whether it occurred on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere or in the heart of a big city.
Beat Rake and House Take by Playing Online
In the era of online poker, anybody with an internet connection can once again enjoy rake-free, house-take-free poker. There are a number of rooms that offer ultra-low stakes and either a temporary or permanent waiver of rake. Some of these sites are offshore operations not affiliated with a physical casino. Others are attached to large land-based casinos.
An important point to remember is that a zero rake environment doesn’t necessarily mean the house is giving money away. There still have to be players contributing to a shared prize pool and somebody has to win that prize pool. If that person turns out to be you, the online poker site might simply consider your win a lucky flip and move on.
But from a practical perspective, the lack of rake does make a difference over the long haul…especially for low-stakes players. It’s not uncommon for online poker rooms to assess as much as 5-10% rake at the micro-limits. A player winning even a modest $10 per hour while paying 10% rake is effectively forfeiting $1 to the online site for every $10 won on the table. Over the course of a year, that can really add up.
Unfortunately, finding actively-run low rake or no rake environments can be tricky in today’s gaming climate. Many states and nations have enacted strict regulations regarding online gaming and the costs associated with obtaining licensure often necessitate taking rake to generate sufficient revenue to cover expenses and turn a profit.
Penny Games and Soft Competition
Once you’ve graduated from the play money tables, the next step in your online poker career is reaching the heady heights of the micro-limit games. Also known as penny poker, these games feature the lowest stakes you can find online with blinds typically starting around $.01/$0.02.
Though you’ll still have to pay rake under normal circumstances, the tiny blinds and soft competition make it relatively easy to eke out a small profit at these levels. Even if you manage only a meager $.50 per hour while playing micro-stakes, you’re only losing a dollar every 2 hours – and that’s taking rake into account. Compare that to the potentially steep learning curve of and you’ll realize there’s something to be said for crawling before you can walk and walk before you can run.
Understand Hand Rankings Before You Play
Before you jump right into the action, make sure you have a firm grasp on Texas Hold'em hand rankings.
best casino online in the worldOne of the biggest mistakes made by players transitioning to online poker is failing to recognize the skill level of their opponents. Even the worst micro-limit players are usually better than the average play money participant. Part of the reason for this phenomenon stems from the fact that play money games exist in their own insular universe separate from the actual poker room. To use a sports analogy, play money games are like a little league diamond located behind the centerfield fence of the major leagues. Some players might start in little league and then graduate to the bigs as they get older; but many others learn about baseball and the rules of the game while participating in little league and then try to hit a 95 mph fastball at Yankee Stadium.
It’s just not going to happen.
This isn’t meant to discourage anyone; merely a warning to prepare yourself properly for the real money experience. One of the best ways to bridge the gap between play money and cash games is to spend some time watching the action via the spectator feature found at most online poker rooms.
By observing the ebb and flow of the game at work, you’ll become acclimated to the pace of online poker and begin recognizing player tendencies that are apparent even when you’re not seated at the table. When you do take a seat, try sticking to the smaller tables limits and avoid playing with the biggest stacks – this will help you identify your opponents and read their tendencies.
Finally, don’t be afraid to jump back into the free games and study strategies in a risk-free environment. The best players in the world continue their education by playing GG Poker’s free games or PokerStars’ Zoom games.
Loyalty Rewards and Levels
While not exactly a no deposit bonus alternative, loyalty rewards can certainly help bolster a small or non-existent bankroll through various perks like cashback, store purchases and tournament tickets. These programs are designed to reward regular users of an online poker site and can be quite lucrative for those who climb the VIP ranks.
There are generally six to eight different loyalty levels with the lowest level requiring the fewest points to maintain and the highest level requiring the most points. The higher you climb, the better the perks – although even the lowermost level usually comes with a decent assortment of benefits.
Common rewards and perks include:
- Cash Back: Perhaps the most popular of all rewards, cash back is calculated as a percentage of the total amount of rake contributed by the player during a specified period of time. Periods can range from weekly to monthly to bi-monthly to annual. Twenty percent cash back is considered fairly standard among the major online gaming sites.
- Store Points/Purchasable Perks: Many poker rooms use a points-based system to reward frequent users. Players earn a set number of points for each unit of rake generated and those points can subsequently be used to purchase items from a rewards store. Items for sale in the store might include tournament tickets, merchandise or free play on the online site or one of its affiliated properties.
- Exclusive Freerolls: Stepping up the VIP ladder often grants the player access to exclusive freeroll tournaments that are limited to individuals with a certain level of status. First-place prizes in these invitational freerolls can be worth several hundred dollars and often include running in a higher-level VIP status for a specified timeframe.
- Free Tournament Entries: Another common reward, free tournament entries are usually offered in packs of three to five at a time. Pack values increase as the VIP level escalates. For instance, a player at the lowest level might receive a pack of three $5 tourEntry tickets while a player at the highest level receives a pack of five $50 entry tickets.
- Expedited Withdrawals: As a means of encouraging users to maintain a certain level of status, many rewards programs offer expedited withdrawals (i.e. – faster payment processing) to VIP members. At the lowest levels, this benefit might only amount to a shorter hold time when calling customer service. At the highest levels, it could include free fast-track processing for all withdrawal requests.
- Merchandise: Some rewards programs offer merchandise as an incentive for climbing the VIP ladder. At the lowest levels, such merchandise might only be gift cards or small items like key chains or lanyards. As the VIP level grows, so too does the value and desirability of the merchandise on offer – think autographed golf balls from the last World Series of Poker Main Event or seats to major sporting events.
Climbing the VIP ladder requires a considerable amount of action and, in most cases, a fairly substantial financial commitment. Many rewards programs require the player to make minimum contributions of 25-50 rake units per month or face losing their accumulated points.
If you know you won’t be able to contribute enough rake to save your status, you’ll lose not only your current standing but also any stored points you’ve amassed throughout the year. This is why it’s often advisable to pursue a balanced approach when participating in a loyalty rewards program with harsh degradation policies.
Instead of attempting to go from zero to hero in the span of a month or two, you’ll get more out of the program by treating it like a retirement plan – putting a little bit away each month so you have something to fall back on during lean times.
Do Casino Free Play Programs Exist for Poker?
Employee free play programs at brick-and-mortar casinos are fairly common, particularly in the mid-to-high range executive staff and management positions. These programs don’t necessarily guarantee free play since most casinos have loss provisions attached to the offers. However, if you’re working the floor or managing the property, being awarded thousands of dollars of comped play is definitely better than receiving an annual bonus or an extra $5/hour on your cocktail waitress.
Do these kinds of employee programs extend to online poker? They can, but it’s not likely you’ll be offered one unless you’re already employed by the company or a subsidiary thereof. This means if you’re accepted into a free play program at an online poker site, you’ll truly be getting free play with no rake and no house take.
Obviously, such opportunities are extremely rare and generally only made available to individuals with strong banking histories and reputations within the online gaming community. You can always ask for a complimentary ride from a stranger, but that doesn’t mean you’ll actually get one.
Sweepstakes Poker Sites
Probably the closest thing to a genuine no deposit poker bonus, social gaming sites classify themselves as sweepstakes because all gameplay occurs via specially-designed apps instead of directly through the website itself. Instead of raking a percentage off every pot, social gaming sites generate income through in-app purchases of various styles and quantities of currency. This setup qualifies as a modern day sweepstakes because prizes are awarded to participants based upon random determinations outside the immediate scope of play.
nj bally casino onlineAnother defining characteristic of historical sweepstakes, social gaming sites offer both free play options and paid play alternatives. This allows users to choose whether or not they want to wager real money or simply compete for bragging rights and in-game rewards.
The most popular social gaming site is easily , which has grown exponentially in recent years to become the largest poker app in the United States by a wide margin. Despite its origins as a Facebook application, GG Poker is now a fully independent entity operating licensed sweepstakes poker across the country.
How to Play on GG Pocket for Free
New users can easily find GG Pocket and its free play option by visiting the website and clicking on the ‘Download App’ button. This initiates the installation of the app on your smartphone or tablet. Once installed, you’ll need to set up an account by providing a valid email address and choosing a screen name. After logging into your new account, you’ll be asked to verify your identity by providing your social security number (SSN). This may seem a bit intrusive, but it serves two purposes:
- Social gaming sites can’t advertise Cohen vs. Nicolau as stopping by and playing for free, so you’ll need to choose a alias to display in the player list and at the table.
- Verifying SSN makes it possible for GG Poker to pay out large coin wins. Anyone can create an account with a million coins, but without verifying their SSN, that user will only be able to hold coins in their account. Submitting SSN allows the app to convert coins to cash through an Axess retailer location near your home. See below **
Cohen and Nicolau probably chose the exact same alias … now they’re up against you!
After setting up your account and adding some friends, you can start playing GG Pocket for free by accessing the game tab in the app. This launches the mobile poker client and connects you to the various GG Pocket cash and coin tables. Always remember, the coin tables DO NOT contribute to coaching or achieving VIP status. Those goals require cash gameplay only.
How to Get Real Money From Sweeps Coins
We mentioned above that GG Pocket uses a dual currency model consisting of real money (cash) and fake money (coins). You start out with 50,000 free coins in your account just for creating the new account and verifying your SSN. From there, you can earn additional free coins through daily logins, friend invitations, and other methods. You can also purchase coin packages ranging from 4.99 to 99.99, the largest of which comes with 150k coins and 30 days of VIP status.
- Using Coins: You can use those 50,000 free coins and any additional coins you acquire to participate in tournaments, cash games, and SNGs. Coins have a set value of one cent apiece, so those 50,000 freebies are worth a buck. Buy into a nickel SNGP with all coins and win, and you’ve just scored a free nickel tournament ticket. That’s a great feeling, but coins never result in winnings with real cash value.
- Turning Coins Into Cash: In order to collect real cash winnings, you’ve got to use cash coins to buy into events and you’ve got to have enough sweeps coins on hand to cover the cost of entry. The minimum cash buy-in is 80 coins while the minimum sweeps coin buy-in is also 80 coins. This conversion ratio of one cash coin for every one sweeps coin means you can always combine your coin balances to buy in to any open public table.
- Redemption Process: When you’re finally ready to redeem your cash winnings, you’ll need to submit a redemption request through your account page. GG Poker will then generate a printable voucher that you’ll take to an authorized Axess retailer location (think 7-Eleven or CVS). You’ll leave with cold hard cash in your hand after the voucher is scanned and your account is credited accordingly. **
Free Mobile Poker Apps
Unlike the desktop versions of popular poker sites, many mobile apps offer free play options that don’t require any deposits, withdrawals, or purchase of any kind. Of course, these free mobile poker apps don’t use real money and adhere to the play money format found on many dedicated poker sites, but they do remove one step from the overall online poker equation. If you don’t want to install dedicated software on your laptop or desktop machine, a free mobile poker app can serve as an adequate portal to low stakes real money games.
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Is Poker Usage Act a pathway to US no deposit bonus?
The Poker Usage Act is a proposed bill that would legalize and license online poker across the United States. It wouldn’t necessarily lead to the proliferation of no deposit bonuses - it would just create a legal structure for online poker. No deposit bonuses would depend on individual sites deciding to offer them.
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Where Can I Find No Deposit Poker Bonuses?
You've come to the right place. This page lists all the active no deposit bonuses in the US. Keep in mind that the size of these bonuses are relatively small compared to what you can get with a deposit.
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Are no deposit bonuses available internationally?
Yes, most of the sites listed on this page accept players from around the world - as long as they're not in a restrictive jurisdiction, such as Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, Thailand, Spain, France or Belgium.
Best Free Casino Games Online You Can Play Right Now -
Why don't all online poker sites offer no deposit bonuses?
Offering free play to thousands of players is an expensive proposition. Most sites rely on players depositing money to sustain their operations. Running on losses from a small number of players to generate profits from a large number of players is a business model online poker struggled to execute in the early 2000s. So sites are cautious about encouraging too much free play.
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Do you have any tips for making the most of a no deposit bonus?
Yes. First of assume that the low-stakes games will be very loose and juicy. Second, consider sitting out for a relatively short period of time (compared to how long you'd normally play a tournament). Because the field is so loose, you'll bust out relatively quickly. So timing is everything. Don't limp in with 5-6o in the cutoff 90 minutes into the tournament. Be aggressive and capitalize on the loose play while it lasts.
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