Best US Poker Sites
Best Us Poker Sites is a guide to poker sites that still accept American poker players. Contrary to popular belief, it is completely legal to play internet poker for those based in the United States. While government legislation attempted to shut down the game, there are still sites that cater to American players. Back in 2006, the UIGEA was passed, making it more difficult for US players to deposit on poker sites. Then in 2011, the government starting enforcing this legislation, banning sites who were in gross defiance of the law.
In 2012 there are still plenty of rooms acting within the law that serve American poker players. The rooms found below are the best US poker sites found online today. Each room will allow you to play for real money in games like Texas Hold’em, Pot-Limit Omaha, and Seven Card-Stud. These sites have payment processors that accept credit cards, wire transfers, and other deposit methods. Players can compete for real money in cash games and a variety of tournament formats. All of the sites below offer big deposit bonuses that are great for building a bankroll.
Bovada is currently the best option for American poker players. There are many reasons why Bovada is the best US poker site. They have a lot of player traffic, fishy games, consistent overlay in their guarantees, and new “Anonymous Tables”. Their initial deposit bonus is also quite large, giving players up to $1,000 in bonus dollars to start. If you are an American player looking for a place to play, Bovada will have you covered. Check out FlopTurnRiver for more information and the latest no limit holdem strategy to make the most out of Bovada.
Cake Poker has continued to serve American poker players despite government pressure. The flagship room on their own poker network, Cake Poker is known for its incredibly fishy games and solid deposit bonuses. Right now, players can earn a 110% up to $600 bonus by using the code FTR when depositing. This is a great bonus for those Americans looking to build their bankrolls. Players can choose between Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and Seven-Card Stud in cash game, tournament, and SNG formats.
Americas Cardroom is one of the most popular rooms on the Yatahay Network. The site lacks a bit of traffic, but more than makes up for it in fishy games and big deposit bonuses. By using the code FTR1000 when creating your account, you will immediately become eligible for their 100% up to $1,000 deposit bonus. Players can clear this bonus by playing Texas Hold’em in cash game, tournament, or SNG formats. The most action can be found at their low-stakes cash games and SNGs, where there are always fish willing to donate their bankrolls.
Intertops Poker is a new poker room that is found on the American-friendly Cake Poker Network. The site offers both a deposit bonus and 33% rakeback to its new players. Be sure to use the bonus code FTR1000 when signing up to guarantee a 110% up to $1000 deposit bonus, as well as 33% rakeback. As one of the best US poker sites, Intertops offers a variety of games including Texas Hold’em and Omaha. Players will find a lot of traffic and very fishy games at lower-stakes cash games, tournaments, and SNGs.
If you are looking for a lot of traffic, then Carbon Poker is the best US poker site for you. As a member of the Merge Network, Carbon draws traffic from a lot of other rooms. Because of the large amount of traffic, it is easy to find fishy games at the micro and low-stakes levels. Players can also earn a nice bonus while beating up on the soft games. By using the bonus code FTR, players can earn a 100% up to $750 bonus.
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.
