Play Texas Holdem For Money

  • Casino Hold'em Online Table Game. Casino Hold'em is a poker game variation of Texas Hold'em, but in Casino Hold'em, you play against the dealer instead of other players. This game is sometimes referred to as Texas Hold'em Bonus Poker, but they are essentially one in the same.
  • Master the odds of real Texas Holdem by playing this free poker Texas Holdem game. Watch your skills improve as your high score shoots up with each free poker game. Each AI opponent has his own.
  • For anyone who intends to play Texas Holdem for real money over the internet, there is another monetary constraint you’ll need to be aware of. Getting funds into (and eventually out of) an online.

Check the Texas Holdem hands guide in-game for a list of poker hand rankings. Each time cards are dealt (start, flop, turn, and river), players bet on winning the round with chips. Players must ante up a minimum bet after seeing their hands to participate in the round, and must match the highest bet on the table at all times.

Welcome to holdemformoney.com! My name is Bob McKinney and my goal with this website is to share information about the game of Texas Holdem. But the site isn’t just about Texas Holdem poker; it’s about playing for real money, both live and online, in the United States. I’ve been playing for over 10 years, and I’ve ghost-written articles on the subject for countless webmasters. This is my first attempt at launching my own site on the topic, and I hope you’ll find my expertise to be wholly beneficial to your own future experiences.

Our Recommended Texas Holdem Poker Site

  • Does Not Accept US Players
  • Fast Cashouts
  • $88 Free Bonus
  • Established: 1997

Here’s some of the content you can expect from this site:

• Tips about cardrooms, both online and off
• Budgeting and money management as it relates to poker
• How to play (for beginners)
• Strategies for winning more and losing less
• How and where to find the fishiest poker players
• The federal and state-based legalities of Internet Texas Holdem for U.S. citizens

Here’s some of what you won’t find on this site:

• Overwhelming advertising
• Confusing navigation
• Fluff (meaningless articles written for search engines, not humans)
• Spam

The Legal Aspect of Online Poker

Having played Texas Holdem online for so many years, I’ve followed the legalities of internet poker in the United States for a very long time. I’ll explain the history that goes along with that story, from the history of the game itself to the initiation of internet card gaming; from the covert passage of the UIGEA in 2006 to the ill-fated ‘Black Friday of Online Poker’ and, of course, the current legal climate in the US. As you surely know, three states—Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey—have already passed laws to regulate online Texas Holdem games.

I, unfortunately, do not reside in one of those states, so I’ll be covering other viable options for Americans. There are plenty of offshore internet poker sites peddling their wares on US soil, and they are all more than willing to take our monetary deposits. The most pressing issue for any American poker enthusiast should be the establishment of trust. It takes years of distinguished service to build a solid reputation in a business like this, and I’ll make sure to provide all of you with the knowledge necessary to make wise choices when signing up with a new poker site.

Modern Age of Texas Holdem

Years ago, to play real money Texas Holdem online in any feasibly entertaining capacity, you were required to have a relatively new, well equipped desktop or laptop computer, preferably with a Windows OS and the highest speed internet connection money could buy. Otherwise the lag alone would cost you countless chips. In today’s modern age, it’s a whole different story. Every computer built in the last few years is capable of running the sophisticated software. System developers have taken more notice of less common operating systems, like Macintosh and Ubuntu, and the explosion of mobile poker games has been extraordinary.

I am developing materials detailing the expansion of mobile poker technologies and their optimization for different mobile devices and tablets. For example, the Samsung Galaxy brand leads the market in mobile sales, both in handheld and tablet sales. Thus you can look forward to complete details on Samsung Galaxy poker sites, as well as documentation of Texas Holdem for other Android based products.

Money Matters

Anyone who’s ever played Texas Holdem on any serious level knows that ‘money matters’! Okay, that’s not the context in which this segment’s title was written, but it’s true. Knowing how to budget your money and manage your bankroll (yes, money and bankroll should be two separate things) is key to enjoying the game while simultaneously fine-tuning your skills. I’ll be offering some valuable bankroll management tips, as well as a Texas Holdem guide for beginners based on my own personal experiences as well as the advice of renowned professional poker players.

For anyone who intends to play Texas Holdem for real money over the internet, there is another monetary constraint you’ll need to be aware of. Getting funds into (and eventually out of) an online poker site isn’t always the easiest thing for us Americans, especially at offshore websites. Again, the trust issue comes into play, but even more so the lack of depositing options US-facing poker sites grant us. Credit Cards are the most common, and often the safest, way to get money into a Texas Holdem site, with Visa and MasterCard being universally accepted. As such, I’ve provided a comprehensive US player walk-through of using credit/debit and prepaid gift cards to fund your poker accounts. Gift Card vouchers are a surprising popular and safe alternative.

Online poker is back in Pennsylvania. Many of the biggest and best-known poker sites are now legal and licensed to run games within state lines. They include PokerStars – with partypoker and WSOP.com expected to join soon.

As a player you can take advantage of the big marketing budgets these sites will use to gain traction in the Keystone State. There are no-deposit bouses, big matched welcome offers and generous loyalty schemes available right now.

This page has everything you need to understand the games, bonuses, and software options available at the legal PA online poker sites. You’ll also find a brief explanation of how the sites work and a detailed FAQ located at the bottom of the page.

Play online poker in Pennsylvania at PokerStars

On Deposit
100% up to $600 Match Bonus Offer

Is online poker legal in PA?

Yes. Seven casinos took up the poker license, most as part of a package deal.

Instead of $4 million per gambling vertical, several PA casinos paid $10 million for poker, online slots, and online table games licenses. Many also spent $10 million for a separate sports betting license.

It took a long time from when the gambling expansion act (H 271) of 2017 was passed for PA online poker sites to appear. License holders prioritized sports betting and casinos as these have higher revenue than poker.

Best Poker Sites in Pennsylvania

Poker sites need to reach a critical mass of players to offer a good enough choice of cash games and big guarantees for their tournaments. This naturally limits the number of successful rooms possible, and healthy market share is critical.

The biggest rooms in other regulated states are strong favorites to be the biggest and best in Pennsylvania. Here are the sites to check out:

  • PokerStars: Poker players the world over agree that PokerStars has the best software. While you will not be able to play against the giant global player pool in PA, you can enjoy the huge game choice and slick platform. New players get $30 in free play with a small ($20) deposit, with the ‘Stars Rewards’ loyalty scheme keeping your bankroll topped up after that.
  • Party Poker: Soon, PA players will be able to check out the software and the famously soft poker games at Party with free money. Party offers NJ players $25 simply for signing up – which we expect to see on offer in PA too. Enjoy tournaments, cash games and the new Fast Forward poker format.
  • WSOP.com/888: This brand is owned by Caesars Entertainment and will partner with Harrah’s Philadelphia to bring their unique platform to PA. There is more to this site than just qualifiers to the WSOP tournaments. You can play cash game, ‘Blast’ poker and a packed tournament schedule. New players get a matched welcome bonus of up to $1000 to get their bankrolls off to a flying start.

What do these PA poker apps offer?

Holdem

PokerStars Pennsylvania

Poker players worldwide consider the PokerStars desktop client and apps to be the best software around. This covers the speed and smoothness of the games – plus small factors like how easy it is to resize tables and the ability to upload your own pictures.

PokerStars partnered with Mount Airy Casino. They were the first online poker site to launch in Pennsylvania – and have exceeded expectations in popularity. Player pools are not shared with their New Jersey site for the time being, which will be the case for all PA online poker rooms until further notice.

There are two bonuses for new players:

  • Deposit a minimum of $20 to get $30 in tournament buy-ins and cash game tickets with bonus code THIRTY.
  • Alternatively, PokerStars will match your first deposit up to $600. To claim this offer, use bonus code STARS600.

Regular players will enjoy a novel loyalty program. Stars Rewards gives you chests as you play, these have prizes tailored to you – going up in value depending on the stakes you play.

Games at PokerStars include the usual mix of cash games, tournaments and sit & goes. This site has a fast-fold cash game called Zoom Poker, and a lottery sit & go format called ‘Spins’. Regular ‘PACOOP’ (Pennsylvania Championship of Online Poker) events feature big prize tournaments – the highlight of a busy tournament schedule. They also run a number of other exciting tournament series that come with hefty guarantees.

Party Poker Pennsylvania

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Party Poker is the biggest rival to PokerStars. This site is owned by gambling giant GVC, which has a national deal with MGM. Valley Forge Casino will supply licenses for GVC.

Once live, PA poker players should receive $25 simply for signing up. This bonus comes in two parts:

  • $10 is a cash bonus, you can use this for any type of game
  • $15 is in tournament tokens

If you like what you find, then you can get a 100% matched welcome bonus on your first deposit up to $1000 max. Promotions include leaderboards, reload bonuses and a loyalty points program.

In addition to the packed list of cash games, tournaments and sit & goes, you can now play ‘Fast Forward’ poker at Party. This is a fast-fold format, where players are moved to a new hand as soon as the current hand is folded.

The partypoker software has been completely revamped since they were last available in the US. You will find smartphone apps and desktop downloads for both Windows and Mac devices. At launch, games will only be against other players from PA. In time it is hoped that the shared player pools will expand to cover Pennsylvania – allowing games against other partypoker players from other states.

WSOP Poker Pennsylvania

WSOP is short for ‘World Series of Poker’. This brand is owned by Caesars Entertainment – owners of the iconic Harrah’s Casino in PA. There are active WSOP.com poker sites in both Nevada and New Jersey – and soon, Pennsylvania.

Software for this site is powered by 888 Poker, offering both an app and a downloadable desktop version.

There are some generous bonuses for new players at WSOP Pennsylvania:

  • A no deposit bonus of $10 to check out the games with zero risk. Use bonus code 10FREE to claim this
  • A huge bonus of up to $1000 matched to your first deposit

You can clear your bonus by collecting points in the real money games. WSOP have satellite qualifiers to the World Series events – as well as online poker promotions. Look out for new poker formats including ‘Blast’ lottery Sit and Goes, alongside the usual mix of NL Hold’em and PLO cash games and tournaments.

How legal online poker sites in Pennsylvania work

For online casinos and sportsbooks, you’ll normally access the website to enjoy gambling. Poker sites are different. Most players prefer to download a desktop software client to access the games. This gives you all the game types, and the ability to comfortably multi-table (play more than one table at a time). It also ensures the games are stable. Avoiding the client crashing just as you get dealt pocket aces is important.

PokerStars PA launched with both an Android and an iOS app available.

When you access the PA poker rooms, you will find four main poker formats. Which are available (and have games running) will depend on the size of the player pool at each site.

Here are the main formats:

  • Cash games: Your chips have a real monetary value and can be topped up to the table maximum at any time. Online poker cash games start at $2 buy-ins (micro-stakes) up to around $1,000+ buy-ins. The stakes at these tables range from $.02/$.04 to $1,000/$2,000. Tables typically have two, six, or nine players.
  • Poker tournaments: A knockout format where each player starts with a stack of chips in exchange for their buy-in. The bet sizes increase steadily, and play continues until one player has all the chips. Expect 10% or so of the field to get prizes. There are many variations in speed, poker game type, and the ability to rebuy or re-enter if you bust.
  • Sit & Go tournaments: Usually single table games, these kick off whenever a table is full. New variations include PokerStars’ Spin & Go. These are three-handed games with a random prize pool of up to 10,000x your buy-in.
  • Fast-fold poker: This innovation dispenses with the waiting time while other players finish hands by taking you to a new hand as soon as you fold. Players sit in pools rather than individual tables. Fast fold poker is used for both cash games and tournaments but is not available in Pennsylvania yet.

At international sites, there are a lot of poker variations to enjoy. The smaller player pools in Pennsylvania will mean that only No-Limit Hold’em and some Omaha variations like PLO and PLO8 will be available. If PA joins a wider group of state sites then Stud, Draw, and mixed games could become available.

Real Money Poker vs Free Online Poker

If you have only ever enjoyed poker on free to play apps, you will need to read up on strategy before you jump into the real money games. There is a huge difference in skill level as soon as real money is on the line.

The online poker rooms in Pennsylvania have options to enjoy play-money only tables. These can help you get to know the different types of poker game and how the betting rounds work. At PokerStars, the Home Games function lets you create private tables for your friends and colleagues. You can even play them with friends outside of PA, as long as they are for play money.

You can try out real money poker games at some sites without making a deposit. Party Poker should offer $10 in cash plus $15 in tournament entry tokens just for signing up. Other sites like PokerStars give you tokens worth $30 for just a small deposit.

To get off to a solid start at the real money poker tables, it is worth starting off at smaller buy-in levels than you would play in a live setting. This will give you a chance to assess the skill levels of your opponents and make sure you can beat the games before you move up to higher buy-ins.

Pennsylvania online poker: Bonuses and promotions

The online poker sites which have the most players in PA will have a huge advantage over competitors. PokerStars got a leg up on the competition as the first to market and exceeded expectations right away, taking in nearly $2 million in rake and tournament fees in its first month back in November.

As the number of players grows, bigger tournaments, better promotions, and a wider choice of cash games become available. This has the effect of attracting more players. Currently, PokerStars PA offers a choice of two welcome bonuses, namely $30 free if deposit $20 using marketing code FREE30, or a 100%bonus match up to $600 using marketing code STARS600, not both though.

Once more online poker rooms go live in Pennsylvania, there will be fierce competition for new players. You can take advantage of this by getting your bankroll off to a great start thanks to the sites’ big marketing budgets and generous bonus offers.

Based on poker rooms in other regulated states, here is what to expect:

  • No-deposit bonuses: Some poker sites will offer completely free chips, no deposit needed. This will sometimes come in the form of buy-ins to different tournaments or cash games. You’ll need to play this money through a set number of times before it can be withdrawn.
  • Matched welcome bonuses: Expect your first deposit to be given a 100% (or better) match. Some sites offer up to $1,000 in bonus money this way. This is usually released in increments as you play.
  • Freeroll tournaments: New players will be given access to beginners or depositors freerolls with real money prize pools. There may be additional entries based on loyalty schemes or future deposits.
  • Reload bonuses: If your bankroll gets depleted, you will usually be offered an extra bonus to reload. Be advised these are usually smaller offers than the initial deposit bonus.
  • Loyalty schemes: Poker sites all handle their loyalty programs differently. For PokerStars PA, expect to be awarded treasure chests, which have prizes tailored to your individual gambling preferences.

Depending on the brand, you might also be offered crossover promotions for the different gambling verticals.

Sports betting and casino games are well established in Pennsylvania, with many of the license holders for poker involved in all three industries. For example, players can now sign up for Fox Bet online sports betting and also access the PokerStars PA online poker and online casino verticals.

Depositing and withdrawing at PA online poker rooms

Texas Holdem No Limit Online

With poker being a skill game, more players will withdraw money than the other gambling verticals. You’ll have a lot of choices for how to get your money on board and your profits back off again.

While not all the online poker rooms will have all of the methods listed, the deposit methods below are the most commonly accepted.

  • Credit / debit cards: Instant payments can be made with your regular bank cards. Visa and MasterCard are accepted by all the sites. Some sites will also allow deposits with Discover cards as well.
  • Prepaid Play+ cards: Many gambling sites have branded debit cards. These add security and can be used for withdrawing your winnings. Then players can access funds via ATMs.
  • Casino cage: You’ll be able to deposit and withdraw at the casino associated with each of the poker room brands.
  • PayNearMe: This is another way of depositing cash, this time via 7-Eleven or CVS stores. Note that the fixed costs make this expensive for smaller deposits.
  • PayPal: This is a popular online wallet system. It is used as a secure bridge between your bank and online merchants. PayPal is used for both deposits and withdrawals. However, do not be surprised if this option is not available at most online poker sites. The fees associated with PayPal, combined with the high tax rates for PA online operators mean this will be a rare option, not a common one.
  • Neteller / Skrill: Owned by the same company, these wallet services work in a similar way to PayPal. They have been popular with poker players internationally for many years. Like PayPal, there is a chance these will not be available at every site because of hefty fees.
  • eChecks: Also known as ACH transfers, this poker deposit method comes directly from your bank. You can get pre-verified, making your eCheck deposits and withdrawals instant.
  • Bill pay: If you use a major bank, you might already pay your utility bills with Bill Pay. Paying into your poker account works in the same way. This banking option is not used for withdrawals.
  • Bank wire: This is a slower way to transfer from your bank, though can still be used if you wish to securely transfer large amounts.
  • Money order / paper check: Another slower banking method welcomed by many sites. If there are no alternative ‘online’ methods, you can withdraw your profits via a paper check.

Online poker partnerships in PA

For now, PA poker games are ring-fenced. This means that tables will not be shared with poker players from other regulated states like New Jersey and Nevada.

Three major international brands already partnered with Pennsylvania casinos, with only PokerStars and Mount Airy Casino live with their online poker product. More announcements are expected soon to clarify plans for online poker.

This is the full list of the PA casinos which have licenses to open online poker rooms:

Play Texas Holdem For Real Money

Poker SiteCasino PartnerSoftwareStatusBonus
PokerStarsMount Airy Casino ResortPokerStarsLive$30 Free
PartyPoker PAValley Forge CasinoPartyPokerApprovedTBD
WSOP.comHarrahs Philadelphia888ApprovedTBD
SugarHouseRivers PhiladelphiaRush StreetApprovedTBD
BetMGMIndependent LicenseGVCApprovedTBD
Penn NationalHollywood CasinoIGTApprovedTBD
Parx CasinoParx CasinoGAN/KambiApprovedTBD
Wind Creek CasinoWind Creek CasinoTBDApprovedTBD

Play Texas Holdem For Cash

Live poker in Pennsylvania

There are 10 live poker rooms in Pennsylvania. They are:

Play Texas Holdem Poker For Money Online

  • Harrah’s Philadelphia: This poker room is branded using the World Series of Poker name. It is open 24/7 and has 28 tables featuring cash games and tournaments. Types of poker include the popular No-Limit Hold’em, Seven-Card Stud, and Omaha.
  • Mohegan Sun Pocono: Located close to Wilkes-Barre, this poker room holds 18 tables. Daily tournaments include bounty events. The room also offers bad beat and royal flush jackpots for cash games.
  • Parx Casino: This is one of the bigger poker rooms, hosting 48 tables including a separated three-table high-limit poker room. Parx is located at Bensalem, northeast of Philadelphia. They hold big buy-in tournament events, as well their own regular schedule of tournaments and cash games.
  • Rivers Casino: Located in Pittsburgh, Rivers Casino hosts a 30-table poker room, which covers more than 8,000 square feet. Hourly high-hand bonuses keep the cash games lively, while bigger buy-in tournament events run alongside their busy weekly schedule.
  • The Meadows Casino: Rather than a separate room, the 14 poker tables at The Meadows are on the main casino floor. You’ll have a view of the live racing while you play. This room is located 25 miles southwest of Pittsburgh, at Strabane Township.
  • Hollywood Casino: This live poker venue is located at the Penn National Racecourse, at Grantville, PA. They have 17 tables and run cash games with a high hand promotion. Tournaments include both standard and turbo blind options.
  • Mount Airy Casino: The poker parlor at the Mount Airy resort in northwest PA is a smaller live poker venue. With only nine tables, Texas Hold’em is the only variation you will find here.
  • Presque Isle Casino: This is the smallest poker room in Pennsylvania, with only seven tables. While most rooms are 24/7, this one opens at 10 a.m. / 12 p.m. and continues only as long as there is substantial play. Single and multi-table tournaments are advertised, in addition to cash games.
  • Sugarhouse Casino: Located in Philadelphia, Sugarhouse offers a 24/7 poker room which holds 28 tables. High hand and bad beat jackpots are run. Buy-ins for their cash games range from $60 to $3,000.
  • Wind Creek Casino: This 28-table live poker room is located close to Bethlehem, PA. This was previously known as Sands Casino. With a complimentary beverage service, tableside dining, and a lot of TV’s showing sporting action, this poker room is advertised as state of the art.