About Us
US Poker is an independent site built for US players trying to work out where to actually play poker online. We compare real money poker sites and apps on the things that decide whether a room is worth your bankroll — traffic and game selection, bonus terms, payment options, mobile experience, and licensing status — and we publish what we find, including where a site falls short.
We are not a poker operator. We don't deal cards, hold player funds, or take deposits. Our job is to research the sites so you don't have to dig through operator marketing pages and forum arguments to figure out which ones are worth your time.
Why We Built This Site
US online poker is a patchwork rather than one single market. Some states run their own regulated, licensed poker sites; other players use offshore operators that accept US customers but sit outside state regulation. That distinction matters enormously for player protection, and it's rarely explained clearly. Our aim is to lay out, site by site, what's actually on offer, what the bonus terms really require, and where the meaningful trade-offs are — between traffic, rake, game variety, and how quickly you can get your money back out.
How We Score and Rank Sites
Every site in our rankings is assessed against the same set of criteria, and no operator can pay to move up the list — commission from an affiliate link never buys a better rating. Here's what goes into our editorial ratings:
- Traffic and liquidity — how active the cash game and tournament pools are, and whether the fish-to-reg ratio suggests soft, beatable games at your stakes
- Game variety — coverage across No Limit Hold'em, Pot Limit Omaha, mixed games, Sit & Gos, MTTs, and fast-fold formats like Zoom or Snap poker
- Bonus and rewards value — the headline welcome offer alongside the playthrough or clearing requirements, time limits, and any restricted formats, plus ongoing rakeback or loyalty rewards
- Payments — the deposit and withdrawal methods on offer, typical cash-out times, and any fees that eat into a payout
- Software and mobile experience — client stability, HUD/tracking software policy, and how the iOS and Android apps hold up at the tables
- Licensing and trust signals — what regulatory or licensing information the operator publishes, and how transparent it is about fund security
We weigh these differently depending on the player: a recreational player cares most about soft games and an easy sign-up; a grinder cares more about rake structure and cash-out speed. Our reviews try to flag both angles rather than defaulting to one.
What We Cover — and What We Don't
Our reviews and comparisons focus on real money poker: cash games, tournaments, Sit & Gos, and Spin & Go-style formats, plus the welcome bonuses and payment methods tied to them. Where a site also runs a sportsbook or casino product alongside its poker room, we note that it exists and how it differs, but our scoring is built around the poker offering specifically, not the sportsbook lines or slot library.
We also try to be upfront about the regulatory picture. Online poker in the US is regulated on a state-by-state basis, with no single federal framework — some sites hold state licenses, others operate under offshore licensing and accept US players without being licensed in any US state. We state what applies to each operator where we can verify it, and we do not claim a license or registration that hasn't been confirmed.
Our Independence
US Poker earns revenue through affiliate partnerships. If you click through to a poker site from this page and sign up, we may receive a commission. That relationship never decides our rankings — operators cannot pay for a higher position, and we will say plainly where a site has a weak point, even a top-ranked one. Our ratings reflect our own research, not the operator's marketing.
Playing Responsibly
Every review and every ranking on this site assumes you're 21 or older, or 18 where your state permits it — poker involves real financial risk, and no site, bonus, or strategy removes that. We don't present poker as a source of income, and we don't build content aimed at players who are chasing losses or gambling beyond what they can afford. If poker is becoming a problem, help is available through 1-800-GAMBLER, and our Responsible Gambling page has more resources, including state-specific self-exclusion programs.
Get in Touch
If you've spotted something out of date, have a question about how we reached a particular rating, or want to flag a site we haven't covered, our Contact Us page is the place to reach us. You can also review our Terms and Conditions for how this site operates.