How to Make Sure Your Money is Safe When Enjoying Online Poker

1. Free Poker Sites
2. Random Poker Hand
3. Random Number Generator Video Poker
4. Online Poker Sites For Us Players
5. Is Video Poker Random

Before you enjoy real money poker, you need to make sure your bankroll will be safe. While most poker sites are reputable – avoiding the rogues should be a top priority for all players. This page covers the key factors involved in making sure you can enjoy online poker safely and securely.

Poker sites have a big reason to treat players fairly, and to ensure that funds are secure. It only takes one scandal or payment issue to make people wary. This applies to the fairness of the deal, implementation of bonus terms and ensuring that players are paid out quickly.

The information on this page will help you enjoy online poker with complete peace of mind. Here is what you will find:

After these factors are explained, you will find a list of the biggest and best poker rooms for US and International players – with an overview of the safety measures in place for each.

The US online poker for real money scene continues to grow, and a number of fantastic poker sites for real money games are now available to play here. There are many to choose from, but this article will focus on only a few of the best US friendly poker sites available right now.

1. Since online poker and other games involving real money are extremely security critical undertakings, it's probably worth investing the necessary resources to ensure that random number generation is done correctly.
2. Crypto site CoinPoker, a blockchain-based online poker platform, is offering a reward for anyone who can find a bug in the random number generator used to shuffle its virtual deck of cards.

List of the Safest Poker Sites

Safe Poker: Is the Deal Fair?

One of the biggest concerns players have about online poker is whether the deal is fair. When you are on the receiving end of a bad beat, it can feel like the online poker site is rigged against you.

While this is a common concern, the math does not back up the many claims. Since online poker began there have been billions of hands dealt. Large scale testing, player databases and tracking services are unanimous in acknowledging that the shuffle is random.

To back up their claims, the most trusted poker rooms regularly use independent auditing companies. Games are tested over millions of hands, and any discrepancies highlighted. Good sites have their deal checked regularly – and will display certificates or links to their results. Look out for the following names:

• Technical Systems Testing

Despite the claims (of mainly bad players), poker is unilaterally fair when it comes to the deal – you’ll get your fair share of aces at all the major rooms.

If you still have doubts – think of this from the perspective of the poker rooms. Their business model means that a fair deal is essential. Any site caught cheating (including with ‘Super Users’) would lose most of their players overnight. With a fair deal they keep players coming back – and keep taking the rake and tournament fees which fills their coffers.

Website Security and Safe Poker

Of all the elements which go into making online poker safe, website security is the easiest to check. All browsers use the ‘Secure’ tag to show sites which have valid security certificates. SSL is only the start of it. You can check the ‘about us’ information at all the main rooms for information on how your personal data is held. At the time of writing, there have been no data breaches at legit online poker sites for personal or payment data.

Depositing and Withdrawing Safely at Online Poker Sites

You’ll have a lot of options for depositing at poker sites. Which you choose will depend on your location (US sites have fewer options due to banking restrictions) and your personal attitude to risk.

Credit cards and debit cards are the easiest way to deposit for both US and international players. Using these is the same as shopping online – and very fast. Many players are reluctant to share their credit card information with poker rooms. This can be due to the perception of risk, or because of a desire to keep gambling transactions away from your bank statement.

Alternative deposit methods which are even safer include the following:

• Bitcoin / Cryptocurrencies: All of the offshore US poker rooms now accept Bitcoin including Bovada. This is the most secure of all deposit methods. It is also cheaper and faster than many alternatives. The downside is that you will need to create a Bitcoin wallet – and buy BTC (or other currency) at an exchange. You will not need to hold Bitcoin for long. The poker rooms switch this into dollars as soon as you deposit.
• Prepaid Visa Cards: There are two types of prepaid option. First, the Visa gift cards that you buy from gas stations or convenience stores. These work like regular cards (for US players, you’ll need to get brands which work for international payments). The second type is ‘Virtual’ cards, which work via an online account. Examples include PaySafeCard (a card-like voucher system) and EcoCard / EcoPayz.
• Money Transfer: This is sometimes known as person-to-person transfer. Here you will use services like Western Union or MoneyGram. You wire money to an individual not the poker room. The sites then reconcile the deposit with your poker account. This sounds risky, though is an established and 100% safe option for US players.
• Electronic Wallet Services: This deposit method is ideal for players that want to put a secure 3^rd party between their bank and the poker rooms. PayPal is the best-known example, though there are many more (Skrill and Neteller are two major alternatives). The big advantage of using ‘eWallet’ services is that you never need to share your information with the poker room. You will separately log on to your wallet during the deposit process, and simply confirm the transaction there. You will need to pay fees (this is how the wallet services make money).
• Wires / Bank Transfers: Many secure poker sites will accept bank wires, though the fees for these mean they are more suitable for bigger deposits. Local transfers can be made in many countries (though not the US). There are local 3^rd party systems to facilitate local transfers. Examples include iDebit for Candians and Poli.

This is not an exhaustive list. You will find many local options around the world, and more brands which fit into the categories above. From a safely perspective, you can choose the method which suits your attitude to risk the best.

Terms and Conditions and Poker Site Safety

The mark of a good reliable poker site is that they administer their bonuses in a fair and straightforward manner. Good online poker sites have clear terms and will not void bonuses for small things like playing the wrong games.

Play-through or points requirements to clear bonuses are very different across the sites. You need to ensure that that excellent bonus deal is not impossible to clear due to slow point accumulation or limited time.

Reputable brands have ongoing rewards and promotions to boost the bankroll of loyal players. If you see a big headline bonus, and no promotions, it is possible that that room is not somewhere people hang around for long.

In addition to the bonus terms, look for a responsible gaming policy. This shows how seriously the safest online poker sites take problem gambling. The best sites have self-exclusion and deposit limits, which players can volunteer to have in place.

Poker Site Licensing

Operating licenses are a great sign that you have found a secure and reputable room. There are very few reputable sites without a license. For US players, only Bovada / Ignition does not have one. Fortunately, these sites have a reputation going back many years – and are among the best for fast withdrawals.

Jurisdictions that license poker rooms will depend on the market they are serving. Big international sites do not accept players from the US. These sites are licensed in Malta, Gibraltar or the Isle of Man. In addition, many countries have their own site licensing setup. The UK Gambling Commission is among the strictest. A poker site licensed by them is more likely to be safe.

Free Poker Sites

For US sites, licenses are awarded by Caribbean nations and Central American countries. Jurisdictions include Antigua, Curacao and Panama. You will also find sites which are licensed by the Kahnawake tribe.

While the lack of an operating license should not stop you playing at a site – it should mean your checks on reputation, RNG testing and security need to be more through.

Random Poker Hand

Are There Any Safe Poker Sites for US Players

Since the big shake-up of Black Friday in 2011, a new group of sites has taken over serving the US market. These sites operate legally from the Caribbean or Central America – and have growing player bases. The question is, are these online poker rooms safe?

Bovada / Ignition Poker: These sites are part of a network which share players. Bovada is the single biggest US friendly poker room by a wide margin. They voluntarily gave up their license (from Kahawake) in 2016. Fortunately, other factors show that this is a very safe poker room. This site has a very long track record of looking after players well – and paying out winnings quickly. Their site is secure, tested (by iTech Labs) and a wide range of deposit options, including Bitcoin, are available. You can find out more in our detailed Bovada Poker review.

America’s Cardroom: This site is part of the Winning Poker Network. They hold the biggest poker tournaments, and regularly hold events known as the ‘Online Super Series’. ACR Poker are licensed by the government of Curacao. Their games are tested and their website secure. With more than 8 years online – this is considered a safe online poker site by US players and are open to international markets too.

BetOnline / Sportsbetting Poker: This site recovered from some historical payment scandals and are now under new management. They are part of the ‘Chico Poker Network’. Both rooms are licensed in Panama. While this is a smaller network, the games are considered soft – thanks to a lot of cross over traffic from the big sports betting brands.

Safe International Poker Sites

Random Number Generator Video Poker

International players have a pick of some huge and long-running brands. These rooms have built a reputation over decades in many cases. Some are listed on the London Stock Exchange. This brings a new level of financial oversight – in addition to any security measures they put in place individually.

It is hard to choose one international site which is ‘safer’ than the others. PokerStars, Party Poker, 888.com and Bet365 are all huge brands with everything covered above fully in place. If you want to enjoy the games at a smaller international poker site, it is worth doing some extra checks to make sure that they comply.

Know Your Customer Checks and Safe Poker Sites

Document / Id checks are something which divide players. Many reputable sites will ask for ID. This can happen when you make a deposit, and if not, it will always happen when you make your first withdrawal. Typical requests include a picture of your photo ID, and proof of address. Some sites also ask for a picture of both sides of your credit card (you can black out some of the numbers).

My view on these is that they protect you as much as they do the poker sites. Without them, poker would be the target of fraud and money laundering – making the games unsafe for regular players.

If you want to ensure that your withdrawals are quick, you should prepare for the ‘KYC check’ in advance.

Wrapping Up: How to Find the Safest Poker Sites

The good news is that online poker is extremely safe. You’ll be protected in many different ways by sites which have a huge interest in maintaining their reputation. This includes regular testing of deal fairness (remember, after billions of hands, no proof of rigged deals has ever been produced).

Payment security is increased by the large number of options available. If you feed uncomfortable sharing your credit card info, then cryptocurrency, eWallets and local bank transfers are all safe and secure options.

If you’re looking for online poker real money, there are a few options you can try out. These sites for online poker for real money range in variety, but one thing they all have in common is that they let you play poker for real money. Here’s some information on these sites.

Online Poker Sites For Us Players

Ignition

This online poker casino lets you play poker online for real money. It’s consistently rated as one of the best online poker sites for US players. The reason why it’s rated as one of the best online poker sites US players is due to its various features. Some of the features it has included a 100% casino match bonus that goes up to $1000. This means that for every dollar you deposit, you get $1 in return from the site.

It’s also known for having some strong developer companies behind the slot games. Realtime Gaming and Rival are considered by many to be among some of the best developers for slots in the business. Plus, you also have the option for adding Bitcoin to your deposit account, which is attractive to many people due to the fact that there’s some anonymity to it and many people are happy with the security.

Bovada

Bovada is a popular poker online location for people from the U.S. It has a lot of opportunities for real online poker options for making money. It started out in 2011, and it has a real email and phone contact info so that you know it’s legit. People love the racebook and sportsbook options along with casino options, all from the same account. Bovada actually appeals directly to US players and focuses exclusively on them. It gets excellent ratings online and has built up a reputation as a trusted organization.

You can deposit and withdraw funds easily from the site, minus a lot of the hassle that you may get with other sites. The Welcome Bonus is good up to $3750. Among the community for casinos on the Internet, it has a reputation for actually paying players who win quickly. This is critically important among an industry that often doesn’t meet these high standards.

They have a huge number of games with over 150 casino games. You can cash out of the site in just 4 days, and it should never take longer than a week. They take a number of different credit cards, as well as Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash.

Intertops

Is Video Poker Random

Intertops also gets some strong reviews, especially in the area of sports betting. They are one of the longest-lasting games in town. They receive 4.5 out of 5 on many review sites, and many places indicate they have a strong performance when it comes to payments. There are apparently virtually no reports of them having a problem with not paying the people who won on their site.

They are also known as being a place that pays players quickly. On Intertops, you get up to a $200 sign up bonus. They have been running since 1996. They can handle just about everything from basketball to NFL, MLB and other types of bets. They also offer poker or casino bets.

The place has a lot of support for customers, and you can contact them on a variety of different platforms including through Skype, through live chat, email or on the phone. They take bitcoin, and the estimated payout time through Bitcoin is just 48 hours.
Plus, if you don’t speak English, they still have you covered. You can instead get support in Spanish, Danish, Chinese, Portuguese, and many other languages besides. It’s all included.

This is an excellent chance to play poker online, and pick any online poker game you want. You can play poker online whenever you want here.