Mobile Poker Apps For Real Money
Poker put Internet gambling on the map back in the early 2000s, but real-money mobile poker apps have made the pastime a daily part of the lives of tens of millions of players worldwide. What once required a desktop computer and dedicated software now runs on iPhones, Androids, and other mobile devices, completely in the cloud.
Mobile poker is the most popular form of competitive gambling on the Internet, so there are literally thousands of online poker rooms available through mobile gambling apps. But nobody wants a bad site to bluff them out of a good hand, which is why it’s important to stick with an honest, reputable dealer. To find out how to safely play online mobile poker with the best brands in the business, you’ve come to the right table.
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Are Mobile Poker Apps Legal To Use?
Mobile poker apps are largely safe to use, if not explicitly legal. This is due to the way US laws tend to be written. In five states (DE, NJ, NV, PA, WV), online poker is authorized by name, while in three states (LA, UT, WA), mobile poker sites are expressly illegal.
In every other state, the activity is considered “unregulated.” That means that there are no laws against it, and participating is completely safe. While you can access offshore mobile poker sites in the three states where domestic law bars the activity, you do so at your own risk.
State-Licensed Mobile Poker Apps
In the US, gambling operators can only offer official apps through the App Store or Google Play store in states that explicitly allow online poker rooms. There aren’t many of those currently, though the number is growing. If you live in any of the following states, you can enjoy state-licensed mobile poker apps:
- Nevada (legalized 2011)
- New Jersey (2013)
- Delaware (2013)
- West Virginia (2018, launch pending)
- Pennsylvania (2018, launch pending)
Offshore Mobile Poker Apps
If you live in the remaining 46 US states or abroad in select countries, you will need a different option, as state-licensed poker apps are geofenced. Fortunately, all the best offshore gambling sites offer mobile-optimized poker apps. These web apps require no program downloads, no special updates, and no extra storage space on your handset or tablet. All you need is a modern mobile device, a web browser, and an Internet connection, and you can play in real-money poker rooms and participate in daily and weekly online poker tournaments whenever you wish. Most of the brands we recommend also offer mobile sports betting apps and casino apps that can be played on a mobile device.
Mobile Poker Platforms
The main platforms in play when it comes to mobile devices, at least from the end user’s perspective, are iPhones and Android phones. These use the iOS and Android operating systems, respectively, and they are by far the most popular mobile platforms in the world.
That said, our recommended mobile poker apps and sites will also run on Windows Phone handsets and Blackberry devices, for those few dinosaurs out there who still use them. And of course, any sort of modern tablet (iPad, Galaxy Tab, Kindle Fire, etc.) is compatible with these services, too. Still, iPhone poker and Android poker apps retain the most traffic.
Mobile Poker Game Types
The selection of mobile poker game types runs the gamut, but the most popular kinds of poker in online poker rooms and tournaments are of the so-called “flop” variety. These include Texas Hold ‘Em, Omaha, and their basic variants (like Omaha Hi/Lo). Draw and stud poker are also available at most poker sites, but flop games reign supreme online.
When it comes to where to play these games, outside of picking the site itself, there is only one mobile poker venue that matters to the serious enthusiast: the poker room. While many offshore poker sites focus heavily on live dealer or RNG/video poker, real poker means other players, and the best online poker rooms put those competitive tables right in your palm. Talk about a good hand!
Mobile Poker Tournaments
The bread and butter for any seasoned poker player is the online tournament. Though the World Series of Poker popularized this format in the 1970s, nothing beats the modern version, allowing you to join high-dollar tournaments whenever you want, wherever you are.
The best mobile poker sites have tournaments available 24/7, with prize pools ranging from a few hundred dollars to a million bucks or more! While single-table online cash games are wildly popular, too, nothing beats hitting the jackpot in a last-man-standing tournament poker event.
Mobile Poker Apps FAQs
In most states, you won’t find any real-money poker apps in the App Store or on Google Play. This is due to Apple and Google corporate policies that only allow paid gambling apps in states where those apps are explicitly legal and licensed to operate. However, the best mobile poker sites all offer browser-based web apps to players nationwide.
At most sites, yes. Playing multiple poker games at once is a legitimate strategy that many players use. Single-table cash games are the most popular format for this style of play, but it is also possible during tournament play. However, be warned: the smaller screen of your mobile device doesn’t always lend itself to this, and effectively playing multiple games at once requires lots of skill and experience.
Probably. As a general rule, any phone or tablet older than 2-3 generations (3-5 years) will suffer from performance issues when you try to play real-money poker online. Most people tend to replace their smartphones relatively frequently, but tablet users may have to consider upgrading if their devices are freezing up on them.
Not at this time. For security and stability purposes, the best mobile poker sites and apps only allow a user to log in from one device at a time. Due to the live nature of online poker rooms and tournament play, logging out to sign back in on a different device while sitting at a live table is a non-starter.
This depends on how large your associated deposit is and how frequently you intend to play. Generally, the higher the rollover requirement, the less likely the casual player will be able to reasonably meet the bonus terms. High rollers and frequent players will usually take all the bonuses they can get.
If you’re looking for the fastest way to fund your mobile poker account, credit or debit (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) is the way to go. If you want the best combination of speed, security, and payout support, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are the preferred banking method.
All mobile poker sites have similar rules in place for just such a contingency (which is thankfully less common than it used to be). The mobile poker apps and sites we recommend have disconnection protection policies, where if a player is kicked offline, they will have their turns set to “auto fold” or similar until they return.