Perhaps you can remember the start of the online poker boom when Chris Moneymaker won the 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event. Moneymaker rocked the world of poker when he became the first person to ever win the Main Event that qualified for the WSOP via an online poker site satellite. That poker site was PokerStars. Essentially, Moneymaker had turned $40 into $2.5 million! The 2004 WSOP Main Event saw an entrant increase of over 200%. The number of entrants continued to reach into the thousands as WSOP Champion hopefuls realized the value of online poker rooms and their satellites.

Like many poker players, Chris Moneymaker resides the United States and needs to know the answer to, “What are the best US poker sites to play at?” Which poker sites are going to give you the best bonus? Which sites are going to give you the most opportunities to turn your own $40 into $2.5 million?

Luvin Poker

Luvin Poker is one of the newer rooms to accept American poker players. They gain a lot of traffic from their relationship with the Everleaf Gaming Network, helping to populate both their cash games and tournaments. Their 300% up to $600 deposit bonus is one of the more rewarded promotions in all of online poker. On top of turning $200 into $600, players can also get up to 40% rakeback from cash games, tournaments, and SNGs.

Intertops Poker

One of the newer rooms to hit the US market is Intertops Poker. They boast a great initial deposit bonus, plenty of differetn games, and accept US-based poker players! Players can participate in Texas Hold'em, Omaha, cash games, SNGs, and tournaments. Be sure to use the bonus code FTR1000 when signing up to guarantee a $1,000 initial deposit bonus!

Bovada Poker

Another favorite poker site among US players is Bovada Poker. Bovada is also hosts other online gaming options, such as blackjack, roulette, and sportsbetting. As a result, Bovada tends to have a lot of players that are looking more to gamble with their money than play serious poker. That means one thing, fish! If you haven't noticed, Bovada also have an enormous first deposit bonus. You can play at anonymous tables and make some money off fish!

Cake Poker

Cake Poker has always served American poker players. For the longest time they took a back seat to sites like PokerStars and FullTilt; however, with Black Friday closing the bigger sites down, Cake remains as one of the best options of US-based poker players. The headliner or its own network, Cake poker is home to other skins such as Broadway Tables, Power Poker, and Intertops Poker. They offer games such as Texas Hold'em, Pot-Limit Omaha, and Seven Card Stud. Their 110% up to $600 deposit bonus matches the industry standard and can be gained by using the bonus code FTR.

US Poker Climate Today
So why is it that some poker rooms do not accept US Players? On September 29, 2006, the US government passed The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA). While this bill did not outlaw online gambling in any form, what it did was forbid American banks and online gambling establishments to process payments between each other. As a result, on October 2, 2006, PartyPoker exited the American online poker market. Following PartyPoker's lead, poker rooms such as 888poker and Titanpoker also closed their doors. All of these poker sites had concerns that the online poker they offered would fall under the category of online gambling and that American players would no longer be able to make or receive payments to their accounts. This does not mean that playing online poker is illegal! Unless you live in the state of Washington, there is no criminal action that can be taken against you for playing online poker. You cannot be fined or charged with anything. The UIGEA complicates things for poker rooms and banks, but it does nothing for the actual player.

Not all poker rooms left the US market though, and for good reason. PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker, two of the best US poker sites today, both were supporters of poker being a skill game, similar to chess. Since poker was skill-based game it could not be a gambling game. In gambling, luck is the name of the game. After the UIGEA was passed, both PokerStars and Full Tilt released statements which explained their stance on the issue. They said that the UIGEA pertained to games of luck, and that since they offered American players the chance to play a game of skill, they chose not to leave the US market. Both would remain for some time as the best American poker online sites.

However, as of April 15th, 2011, many more poker sites have left the United States. Despite this, US citizens can still play video poker online. PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, Absolute Poker and UB (Ultimate Bet) all had their website domains seized and officers charged with crimes by the US Department of Justice and the FBI. The charges were related to UIGEA and mostly revolved around money laundering. Because of these issues, the sites, plus several others, decided to block US play. For more information, we suggest checking the FlopTurnRiver.com poker forum for regular updates. Some of the site reviews remain on Best US Poker Sites for reference, however, we remind you that many do not accept US players.

PokerStars - PokerStars is dubbed the "World's Largest Poker Site" and for good reason. Year in and year out, it dominates the online poker scene. More players play on PokerStars than any other site. At peak times, their player count can reach above 250,000! And with names such as Daniel Negreanu, Joe Hachem, and Barry Greenstein standing behind the PokerStars brand, you can bet this poker room is doing everything it can to please their players. Using the PokerStars Bonus Code STARS600 will also net you a 100% up to $600 first deposit bonus.

Full Tilt Poker - Full Tilt Poker is the place where people go to "Learn, Chat, and Play with the Pros." It's true. Sit down at the right table or register for the right tournament and you could find yourself playing against the likes of Phil Ivey, Howard Lederer, John Juanda, Tom Dwan, or one of the many other poker professionals that make up Team Full Tilt. And this is by no means a small poker site either. Full Tilt has been known to have 100,000+ players on their site and never has a short supply of games. When creating your account, make sure to use the Full Tilt Poker Bonus Code MAXBONUS600 to qualify for a 100% up to $600 bonus on your first deposit.