Poker News, Strategy, Live Reporting & Poker Guides
Combined with frequent no-deposit promotions and exclusive series-based freerolls, 888poker gives players plenty of chances to build a bankroll from scratch without any initial investment. BetRivers Poker might be one of the newest online poker sites around, but it’s already making a big impression on the market. BetRivers is making real waves in the US poker industry and is backing up its dedication to give back 100% of rake made to its players. Backed by the world’s most prestigious poker brand, it offers the largest and most consistent MTT schedules, frequent major series, and exclusive online bracelet events.
The player pool in Pennsylvania is now open to benefit from shared, cross-state liquidity. Borgata Poker also functions in New Jersey, with player pools also recently being combined in a shared liquidity structure. This is due to the new shared player pool, which combines several states under one platform and means the a more comprehensive schedule will likely come in the near future.
It runs regular daily freerolls that new and returning players can access, giving you a way to win real money or tournament tickets without investing money from your bankroll. The poker rooms below represent our top recommendations for players taking their first steps into online poker. When reviewing poker sites, the PokerNews team looks at several factors that matter most to new players. The 888poker welcome bonus gives new players an easy way to start, with tournament tickets distributed over several days. It’s one of the best poker sites for players who want to build up a bankroll without making a massive deposit.
Well, no one would believe that one of my fellow reporters actually brought a desktop to the media room to use for the 2008 WSOP, while another didn’t bother bringing a computer at all. By the end of Bellagio Cup, my boss Jeff Holsey offered me a full-time role, but only if I promised not to drop out of school to take it. So, by the end of my first summer, I picked up an extra gig working for the WPT as a tournament reporter for Bellagio Cup. It wasn’t I was an amazing writer or that I had some elite level of poker acumen.
There were a few players like Kathy Liebert, JJ Liu, and Jennifer Harman that weren’t sexualized all the time, but the default for players and media personalities alike was to frame them in a sexy way. Additionally, PokerNews compensates live reporters for their travel time, accommodations, and living expenses throughout events. We travel the globe to bring fans live coverage of the biggest events at the most prestigious poker venues around the world.
To work in the US market, an affiliate needs to be licensed, and they cannot work with offshore sites in tandem. Once a site promotes offshore sites, there’s no going back. Its value has shrunk by 90%, and it was sold off to a company whose entire business is pushing crypto online casinos through search keywords. A search today for “non-GAMSTOP casinos” turns out top results from RochdaleOnline.co.uk, gdalabel.co.uk, eSports Insider, and Abercorn School. The real business lies behind the front page.
Mark Mazmanian shares stories from the felt illustrating the strategic way to approach playing poker with recreationals;… Victoria Coren Mitchell broke barriers as the first woman to win an EPT event (2006) and first two-time EPT champion. Modern voices like Nick Schulman, a 7-time WSOP bracelet winner and 2025 Hall of Fame inductee, bridge playing expertise with broadcasting excellence. Jesse May’s stream-of-consciousness commentary on Late Night Poker and his novel “Shut Up and Deal” captured professional poker’s essence for mainstream audiences. Mixed games coverage evolved alongside Hold’em, with PLO content growth reflecting the variant’s 16,432 possible starting hands versus Hold’em’s 1,326.
Even torrential rain and flooding in the days leading up to the series couldn’t stop the cream of Sydney’s poker crop from descending on Castle Hill RSL for the latest rendition of the APL Poker … Nevertheless, ACMA Chair Nerida O’Loughlin said, “This decision sends a clear warning that offering online poker to Australians is illegal and there are serious consequences for those who breach the law. The action was first brought in 2022 by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) following an investigation into online poker services offered to Australians. Australia’s Federal Court has fined local poker identity Rhys Jones and his company Brisbane Poker Pty Ltd a combined $24 million for operating prohibited online poker services.
WSOP.com, home of the world-famous World Series of Poker brand, is booming in New Jersey, giving the Garden State’s poker-playing population access to their favorite real money games. While full game rollout may come sometime after launch, PokerStars is likely to continue to offer the widest variety of poker variants in both cash games and tournaments. Playing on Borgata Poker PA, players will find plenty of cash game action at various stakes, tournaments in a variety of formats, and bonuses to incentivize putting in volume. Though it is owned by the same company and uses the same software, Borgata Poker PA still offers players a great experience and is undoubtedly an online poker site worth checking out. Here at PokerNews we have been in the business of reviewing online poker sites and online casinos for over 15 years, and readers have continuously benefitted from the high-quality content we deliver. Finding a great site to play online poker games in the US is not that difficult.
Let’s jump right in and give you a list of the best real money poker sites available to US players in 2026. In other words, if you are looking for a list of the best online poker sites for US players in 2026, you’ll love this one! That is to be the best guide to online poker sites for new players and to guarantee every player the highest poker signup bonus. When you join the best US online poker sites, target low stakes if you want to play less-experienced players. Some of the best online poker sites for players in the USA will give you the chance to play poker for free. You can sign up, deposit, play, and withdraw winnings easily from any of the recommended legal US poker sites that offer real-money banking and games.
When people remember the boom-era WSOP, they tend to focus on famous players and televised hands. On the flip side, I think poker tours consolidating media in house or to official contractors has really killed the rest of poker content. With only a handful of exceptions, I don’t think any player really struck me as wildly different from how they were on television. What did interviewing them face-to-face reveal that the public version of those players concealed? Everyone on the team at that time really was committed to putting on the best event they could and doing so in a way that revered the brand. I can promise you, more often than not, the voice in the meetings speaking up for the players was Seth’s.
Similar to the loyalty bonus, a repeat deposit bonus allows you to receive extra bonus money with frequent deposits to the same poker site. With a percentage bonus, the poker site gives you a percentage of your deposit as additional bonus money. As with a freeroll, you receive any potential winnings in real money. The poker site usually sets a fixed percentage, but most of the time you get 100% on the total of your first deposit, with an upper limit. This team carries out a strict auditing process when reviewing sites, assessing payout speed, game variety, software quality, level of security, mobile compatibility, and customer service. Robbie founded Cardplayerlifestyle.com in 2009.
Foster came in to today placed … Cash game specialist Van Tran has just concluded Day 1C of the WSOP Circuit Main Event with 948,000 … Industry veteran Danny McDonagh will make his long-awaited return to the Aussie Millions this year after being appointed by Crown Melbourne to oversee the series as Tournament Director, PokerMedia Australia has learned. Some members study and play whenever they’re not working.
Here, I want to reflect on what this means for the state of online poker media — and in particular, the remaining sites that discuss and advocate for the expansion of legal, regulated online poker. And PokerStrategy was once the largest community of online poker players in the world and by far the most influential poker affiliate. Ryan Lashmar is a veteran poker live reporter ailing from Montreal, Quebec, Canada who first got into poker 15 years ago, playing home games with friends and co-workers. Our reviewers are experienced poker players who know every nook and cranny of the game and where to look for any hidden flaws in the choice of games and rules.
While it took 38 hands to go from eight players to seven, it took only 16 more to reach heads-up play, setting up a memorable battle and a fitting conclusion. Molenaar peeked down at kh,kd in the big blind, covering both players. The Thai player, who entered the day with just over $22K in Hendon Mob-reported earnings, opened to five big blinds from a 14-big-blind stack with ac,td. You could see that he was one of the few players who was willing to bluff off 35M. You can see that I really look forward to PLO tournaments. Justin Hammer is the Live Events Director for PokerAtlas, an online tournament director for the Texas-based poker app Hijack, and a tournament director at Thunder Valley Casino Resort.
Another vital thing to remember here is that you don’t need to be a resident in any of these states to play online poker legally, you need to be located inside state borders to participate. Check if Online Poker is Legal in Your StateThe first step is to ensure the state you are playing in has legalized online poker. What’s more, unlike other free poker games, you can play an unlimited amount of games. GTO Wizard Play Mode requires no signup or download – just click the link below to get started and instantly play free online poker. Replay Poker is one of the best options for players looking to fully immerse themselves into a supportive, social poker community. Although it was offline for sometime, having initially been provided by 888poker, as of 2026, online poker in Delaware is back up and running thanks to the launch of BetRivers Poker.
Varying from www.pokernewsdaily.com one poker site to the next, loyalty bonuses are highly sought after and can often be very big. Oh, and please don’t just think it’s OK to plug your phone and cable into my laptop without asking first! Just try to be a bit more understanding sometimes.
Good morning and welcome to PokerMedia Australia’s live coverage of the WSOP Circuit Sydney Main Event! Yu tanked before jamming, covering Petrie, who made the call for his tournament life. Marco Perri and Steve Larkman both found themselves relatively short-stacked midway through the second level of play. Edmonds needed help, with Mayo expected to hold more than 92% of the time. A short time afterwards, Robert Spano found a double-up through Horvat. Fester reluctantly made the call with his K♦K♣ to see Tran deliver the bad news and show 6♠6♥ for a turned boat.
As such, players from each state can now play against players from other states in an expanded, shared-liquidity player pool. Though the three markets were all ring-fenced, meaning players could only compete against players in the state where they are physically located, this has since changed. Another great option for online poker in Pennsylvania is BetMGM Poker PA, which launched in April 2021. While after launch, the full schedule was somewhat limited, as time goes on PokerStars on FanDuel has promised bigger and better tournament and cash game availability.
When he’s not near the felt, he enjoys playing video games, volunteering at his church, and working on his Master’s degree. Scrolling through endless galleries, trying to spot your face in a sea of players… No, you can use payment methods other than a credit card at most sites to play poker in the US. If you want to play poker live, though, all you need is a deck of cards and some chips. Yes, for the most part you must download software to play poker online in the US, or download and play on an App.
It has a mix of cash games and mid-stakes tournaments that is hard to beat. CoinPoker is one of the go-to sites for US players, and it’s easy to see why. Freerolls, centrolls, and low buy-in daily MTTs remain ideal for beginners, while seasoned players can try their hand at the Sunday Specials. From the traffic and welcome bonus to the tournament schedule and competition level, several factors contribute to a premium online poker experience. The players have enjoyed their first breather of the day, with the 15-minute reprieve now coming to an end as the field now climbs to 193 entries. The players have returned from their second break of the day into the final two-hour session before registration closes for Day 1A of the Main Event.
Behind the scenes, Steve Lipscomb’s World Poker Tour creation and Mori Eskandani’s PokerGO leadership shaped poker’s television presentation. Television personalities Norman Chad and Lon McEachern became synonymous with poker through 18 years of WSOP coverage on ESPN, while Gabe Kaplan brought Hollywood credibility as High Stakes Poker’s commentator for nine seasons. Virtual reality experiments promise immersive experiences, though mainstream adoption remains limited. AI coaching through PokerGPT offers personalized training, while anti-cheating technology using machine learning combats the persistent botting epidemic on unregulated sites. Online poker participants surged 255% during 2020 lockdowns, with 50-75% continuing post-lockdown.
For the few remaining sites still promoting regulated online poker, most have anachronistic policies of pretending no other sites exist — so mentioning us or the campaign is presumably blackballed. The reality is that the regulated online poker market is so tough that it’s more valuable either promoting an offshore site, or selling it to a company who will. Consider today the value of the domain PokerStrategy.com — a site purchased by Playtech twelve years ago for $50 million as the busiest online poker community in the world. These three sites were once cornerstones of poker media. As you reflect on the media analysis of poker tournament coverage, consider the pivotal role commentators play in crafting narratives.
With sweepstakes casino platforms rapidly becoming a prominent part of the US online gaming sector, operators are increa… The 2026 SPT Manila poker festival is awarding a record breaking guaranteed prize pool, culminating in the ₱15 million… The first of Rick Gleason’s three-part miniseries examining the Poker Hall of Fame.
Omaha poker is an action game often played as a pot-limit or fixed-limit game Live reporters are compensated with a day rate on a per-event basis. We are currently seeking candidates to join our team for exciting events this year. The PokerNews Live Events team is expanding and looking for passionate poker writers to join our roster of live reporters.
In the meantime, I was quietly developing a very unique skill set virtually no one else had. We were keeping track of the Scott Seivers and Jason Somervilles of the world years before anyone else really paid them much mind. Since PocketFives Live only covered the members of the online community, we also had a lot more latitude than other outlets.
