US Poker Online: round-up of the best sites

Poker is maybe the one of the main areas where Americans have a right to be full of themselves. And while it often feels like they integrate top US poker players into the lists of saints and apostles, American poker TV certainly has done a lot for the rest of the world.

Why? Not because a green American is any easier to beat than a green European, and not because Americans are any tighter, looser, passive, aggressive, better, or worse than a man from any other nation. The appeal of American players is that there are A LOT OF AMERICAN PLAYERS! And that means action.

You want to play US poker online. Are there any legal considerations? We've answered the question: Is online poker legal in the USA? (opens in a new window), so we won't cover that here.

What the reduction of choice in US poker online means for YOU

Most poker sites around the world have banned American players, lest they be the target of the Justice Department, which is a very real threat with very real consequences. (No US-based poker PLAYER has ever faced any charges for playing online, by the way!)

Still, despite the risks to the house, online poker is alive in the US and is drip-fed through a handful of providers who still cater to the US poker online market. These are some of the sites which light up and explode with activity during the American peak hours.

Full Tilt Poker FATHER ASHLEY'S TOP PICK

Full Tilt Poker is still Father Ashley's favorite poker room of ALL, including the non-US sites. The addition of the insane, all-action Rush Poker is a superb, if gimmicky, extra string to this excellent site's bow. The sexy motif and concentrated talent at this site bring the stuff of American poker appeal to a head. Any site that sports Phil Ivey as a face man gets play from thousands of mouth-breathing pokerphiles.
Read why Full Tilt Poker is the best for real money players here >

The Cereus Network (UB, aka Ultimate Bet, and Absolute Poker)

UltimateBet.com is mentioned in almost every paragraph written by Phil Helmuth, while Absolute Poker other is constantly in the back of the heads of every online poker player who has played at two or more sites. Put them both together and you consolidate the mediocre freeroll action that low-stakes/recreational players love.
UB (Ultimate Bet) review >
Absolute Poker review >

Cake Poker and the Cake Poker Network

While Cake Poker's simplistic ad campaign is more appealing to an eight year old’s birthday party and not a US poker online player, Cake Poker and its affiliated networks (which includes Doyle's Room, where quite a few of the Super System contributors pull up a chair) is a perfectly sane option for those who are tired of the well-honed sharks at other, bigger rooms.
Get a slice of our Cake Poker review >

Bodog Poker, sportsbook and Bodog Fight (bikini wrestling!)

It has been said Bodog Poker’s founder, Calvin Ayre, will not travel to the US for fear of prosecution. Instead he keeps to his home in San José, Costa Rica. Big sacrifice. Meanwhile, this site mops up tons of US-based players and sportsbook betting fans. You can do both from one account!
Read more about Bodog Poker >

Merge Network

While somewhat new on the US poker online scene, Merge Network’s big win comes from the providers (like Aced Poker) who put faceplates on their gaming network and capitalize on niche markets. You might be lucky enough to play here and not know it.
Get more info on the US online poker room, Aced Poker >

Sportsbook Poker (contender for biggest digitized hooters)

The USA Sportsbook poker room is not necessarily a heavyweight in poker (though, with a generous new deposit bonus and $5 million in guaranteed monthly tournaments, no slouch either), but Sportsbook positions itself to take all action, at all levels, in as many games as possible, plus online betting on horse racing, football and almost every other sport. Sounds like fun, doesn't it?
Full review of Sportsbook Poker here >

PokerStars

Of course PokerStars! Their stable of poker ambassadors is filled almost entirely by the recent champions of the most prestigious American poker event, the World Series of Poker.
Read why you should trying playing at the PokerStars real money tables >

Conclusion

If you keep these in your back pocket, you’ll have access to some of the most populated sites, whether or not you're playing in the US.

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