• Best Online Texas Holdem Site

Online poker cash games (occasionally referred to as 'ring games') are huge. It's the most popular way to play online poker for real money in 2020, with the no limit Texas Hold'em variant getting the most action.

So, where are the best places to play poker cash games online?

Top 5 poker rooms for cash games 2020.

Note: $2NL is just another way of writing 1c/2c no limit hold'em. The number in this '$2NL' format indicates the maximum 100bb buy in.

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What makes for a good cash game poker room?

Every site offers cash games; the same format, and mostly the same stakes. So how can one online poker room be better than another for ring games? Here are the main factors that set sites apart in this field:

1. Player traffic. More players = more action. Volume and variety is always a good thing in online poker, especially if you plan on multi-tabling.
2. Level of competition. If you're playing poker, you want to play against the worst players possible – that's how you make money. Some poker sites are softer than others.
3. Wide range of stakes. Although every site has a decent range, some sites do not offer the super-micro stakes of $5NL or lower, or high stakes games of $400NL+.
4. Professional software. You want to play at a poker room that takes the game as seriously as you do. When you're playing for real money, the last thing you want to worry about is sluggish or buggy software. If you're a Mac user you'll want to check that your chosen poker room is Mac friendly as well.
5. Multi-tabling. One of the best aspects of playing online poker cash games is the ability to sit down at multiple tables. The maximum number of open windows (tables) varies from site to site, so you want to be sure that the room you're playing at can accommodate your needs.
6. Features. Not totally essential, but it's nice to have stuff like the 4 colour deck and general table customisation options.
7. Low rake. This isn't an issue these days as the rake taken from cash games is virtually equal across all the major online poker sites. Used to be a consideration a few years ago, but 5% rake from each pot is now the standard.

That's all the essential stuff to look at when looking for the best cash game poker site.

It's also worth noting that I ranked these factors based on importance. Therefore, I wouldn't play at a poker room for its cool features if the player traffic is abysmal.

Why cash games are cool.

I love cash games. I really do.

I highly doubt that I need to convince you that ring games are awesome, because you're already looking for information on where's best to play them. However, here are three reasons why cash games are immense:

1. Titanic Poker Scene – If Jack didn't win his Titanic ticket in a cash game, he never would have gotten on that boat, and this film would have been a lot less interesting.
2. Judge's Game Scene in Rounders – A bit over the top, but that doesn't stop it from being as cool as eskimo pie. Unfortunately though, another scene from this film made it in to my top 5 misconceptions about poker in film.
3. Cool Hand Luke Poker Scene – Proof that bluffing makes you awesome.

What do all these scenes have in common? Money. Real money. None of that tournament business with frilly pretend-money chips. Cash. Man cash.

Playing cash games will allow you to be that cool old man who tells stories to grandchildren about how you won crispy money in ruthless games of poker 'back in the day', whilst puffing away on your homemade tobacco pipe. That's why cash games are cool.

Full ring and 6max.

Full Ring and 6max are the two main variants of no limit Texas Hold'em cash games. So what's the difference?

• Full Ring – 9 players max (occasionally 10, but usually it's 9)
• 6max – 6 players max (bet you didn't see that coming)

Literally, the only difference between full ring and 6max is the number of players that can sit down at the table at a time.

The differences between full ring and 6max.

Even though 3 extra (or less) seats is the structural difference between these two cash games, it actually has a significant effect on the way these games play. Here's a summary.

• Game speed.
  • FR: 60 hands/hour
  • 6max: 85 hands/hour
• Starting hand selection.
  • FR: Tighter. You can afford to wait for more premium hands as the blinds come around less frequently.
  • 6max: Looser. You have to be prepared to use skill advantage than card advantage to win money.
• Difficulty.
  • FR: Lower. You can play the situation more than the player. It's less important to adjust to exploit specific players at the table.
  • 6max: Higher. Fewer players makes the action more personal, so you need to be able to understand your opponents more. This also means you have more opportunities to exploit bad players.
• Variance.
  • FR: Lower. FR is less 'swingy' than 6max, which some players will prefer.
  • 6max: Higher. Looser action means that more money gets put in to the pot more often with varying hand strengths.
• Profitability.
  • FR + 6max: The slight majority of players agree that 6max can be more profitable than FR. This is because bad players are more 'exposed' in 6max thanks to there being a fewer number of seats at the table. However, the tradeoff is that you need to have more skill to beat 6max and the variance is greater.

Which variant is best for me?

Loads of players ask this question. Do a Google search for full ring vs 6max and you'll be greeted with roughly one squillion forum thread results. It's a popular topic. Nonetheless, here's my basic recommendation:

Play full ring if you don't mind sitting back and being more selective with which hands you play. It's a slightly more relaxed game, and the variance is lower than on 6max tables.

Play 6max if you like to play more hands and your are comfortable with your postflop game. You have to be prepared to deal with a higher level of variance though.

I guess you can think of full ring as being slow and steady, and 6max as faster and more action-orientated. I definitely wouldn't say that one is better than the other though – both games are profitable if you know how to play them well. Just choose the format that you feel suits your playing style the best. Learn2Holdem.com has a nice comparison article on full ring and 6max.

Play money vs real money cash games.

The play money tables are hugely popular. They can also be a barrel of fun – if you're 12 years old or something.

There is a tremendous difference between playing for fun and playing in $2NL cash games. Sure, you might argue that playing $2NL is virtually playing for fun, but the reality is that the quality of play between these two games is unrecognisable.

If you've played in both micro stake cash games and on the play money tables you'll know exactly what I mean. If you haven't, you're missing out. Playing for real money is far more exciting, even if it is only for 1c/2c stakes.

If you truly want to experience online poker cash games, play them for real money.

High Stakes Poker (tv show).

High Stakes Poker is a TV program on GSN. If you love ring games half as much as I do I'd give it a watch.

The show films professional poker players playing in a high stakes no limit Texas Hold'em cash game. It's immensely entertaining, and it's the best poker TV show out there by a long shot.

What I love about HSP is the fact that it's a real game of poker. It's not a fabricated tournament where players just put on a performance for the cameras – the players on HSP genuinely care about the money in front of them, which makes for a fantastic showcase of talent.

You may be able to find a bunch of HSP episodes on PokerTube.com.

Famous cash players.

Here a few big-name poker players that are renowned for their ability (and winnings) in cash games. I'm sure you'll recognise a few of them:

• Tom Dwan (Durrrr) – The epitome of high stakes online poker. Plays the highest stakes HU cash games around and has gone through some of the biggest swings ever witnessed in online poker ($3 million+ each way over a matter of days). Still a huge winner overall though.
• Phil Ivey – One of the greatest all-round poker players ever. Has won over $15 million playing online poker alone.
• Patrik Antonius – Highly respected HU NLHE player. First player to participate in the Durrrr challenge.
• Viktor Blom (Isildur1) – Relatively new name in online poker, but won a ridiculous amount of money from top players like Durrrr and Phil Ivey throughout 2010, winning over $5 million in total at his peak.
• Doyle Brunson – Even though he's most famous for his WSOP bracelets, cash games have always been his bread and butter.

Although all of these guys are exceptional NLHE players, they also tend to play a lot of PLO online. Still, they're both cash games, so it's all good.

A few quick tips.

I can't give a well-rounded strategy on how to beat online poker cash games in a few short sentences, but I can throw some essential tips in your direction.

• Stick to good bankroll management. Always have at least 20 buy-ins for the stakes you want to play at. If you don't, you're setting yourself up for a fall.
• Try multi-tabling. If you're already good at poker, this is the easiest way to increase your winrate.
• Table select. Online poker gives you the fantastic opportunity to select which tables you play at, and the choice is plentiful to say the least. If you know that there are bad players at certain tables, sit at those and win more money.
• Use stats to help you with decisions. Download and start using Poker Tracker before you play another hand of online poker. Stats (e.g. VPIP and PFR) give you a tremendous edge over your opponents, so why aren't you using them?

After this it's all about playing your socks off and learning as much strategy as you can. My strategy articles and strategy videos are decent places to start. After that, look in to paid training – it's worth it.

Go back to the Texas Hold'em rooms.

Over the past two decades, we’ve seen Texas Holdem explode in popularity
among gamblers and gamers of all ages from all over the world. Most of this
explosion can be attributed to the growth of online poker and its ability to
enable anyone with a computer and an internet connection to get in on the
action.

Thanks to there being no need to pay for dealers for additional tables,
online poker also allows players to play for much lower stakes and for much less
money than they would have to in a brick-and-mortar setting. No matter how new
you are to the game, you can get realistic practice with real money, without
putting your whole bankroll on the line.

If you’re here looking for the best Texas Holdem poker sites available
anywhere on the net, you’re in luck. Below you’ll find a list of the top rated
and most trusted sites available that are sure to give you the experience and
opportunities you’re looking for.

Why These Sites Are the Best

If you make a habit out of blindly trusting every recommendation you read on
the internet, you’re going to have an awful time. You always need to ask whether
you can trust the recommendations and information you’re getting or if there is
an ulterior motive you need to be aware of. Sadly, in the online review world,
many review sites are paid for more favorable reviews or higher placement in
recommendations. Effectively, you’re just looking at an advertisement, and not
an honest and accurate review.

That’s not how we operate here.

The sites you see recommended above are the
best the web has to offer.

We continuously monitor and update the list as poker
sites better their product or lose some steam and fall from the list. We never
have and never will allow a site to pay us for a better review or for higher
placement on our recommendation lists. The only way for a Texas Holdem poker
site to increase their stock with us and how we view them is by putting out a
better product for you, their customers.

It’s as simple as that. You can take our reviews to the bank knowing that
you’re getting an honest and accurate view of how things are with each of these
sites. We take our review process seriously because we know you take your money
seriously. In order for us to succeed, you need to have the best online gaming
experience possible, and that starts with playing at a site that carries its own
weight. With so many options to choose from in the poker world today, there is
no room for mediocrity.

Criteria for Selecting a Texas Holdem Betting Site

We didn’t just pull these recommended sites out of thin air. Our experts use
a long list of criteria to identify the winners and the losers within the
industry. As is the case with any industry, there are some great companies and
some serious bad apples within the online poker industry. This is why we take
our review process so seriously.

For those of you that are curious what we like to look at, we’ve included a
list of the most important criteria below. While these are not all of the
factors that we look at, these are the big ones that we feel are the most
important and play the biggest role in our decisions.

If you happen to be living life on the edge and trying a site that we haven’t
recommended here, you can use these criteria to try your best to form an opinion
on whether or not the site is worth your time and should be trusted. While we
know you’re all smart cookies, some of this information is more challenging to
find, and you may struggle to get an honest under the hood look. This is why we
strongly recommend you take advantage of our expert recommendations. If you’re a
free spirit and need to be out on the range by yourself, we hope this list helps
protect you.

Trust and Reliability

The number one factor in deciding the value of an online poker site is the
trust and reliability of the company running the show. If the owners and the
management of the site can’t be fully trusted, you’re putting yourself and your
money in danger.

While we’re willing to accept less than perfect marks on some
of the factors on this list, with trust and reliability, we are not. An online
poker site needs to be able to be trusted 100% with no red flags or warning
signs, or it’s a no-go from our team.

In order to calculate trust and reliability, we look a lot of places. We look
at the management and ownership of the company and what their track record
within and outside of the industry is. We utilize several different means of
gauging the company’s current industry reputation and look into any complaints
that have been filed against them in the past.

On top of this, we look through their public company records, licensing
regulations, terms of service, and anything else we can get our hands on to make
sure that everything they are doing is on the up and up.

Again, if there is even
the hint of something not right, the poker site will not be receiving a
recommendation from us.

Speed of Payouts

How much fun is winning on the felt if you don’t actually get your winnings?
The correct answer is 0% fun. In the early days of online poker, there were
issues with the processing of money. It would take a while for you to get your
money and that left a pretty sour taste in a lot of player’s mouths. As more and
more transfer options became available and the online poker world grew, these
problems started to diminish.

Nowadays, there are plenty of great mainstream mediums for you to get your
money fast from online poker sites. That being said, these options only work if
the site you’re requesting your winnings from has its processes set up properly.

If they’re lazy, slow, or disorganized, you’re going to be waiting a while to
get your money. This is not okay with us.

One of the most important factors we look at when selecting our favorite
online poker sites is how quickly they process and pay cashout requests. If
you’re going to be an old man or woman by the time they get you the money, we’re
not going to recommend them. You shouldn’t ever have to worry about the speed at
which you receive your cashouts. This is why payout speed is high on our list of
important factors when choosing the top online poker sites.

Volume of Action

You can’t win any money playing Texas Holdem if you don’t have anyone to
play against. It’s important that an online poker site have enough active
players to run games regularly. This goes for cash games, sit and gos, and for
tournaments. If a site is too brand new or not doing a good enough job
recruiting players, it’s most likely not going to be a site that you want to
waste your time on. Nobody wants to sit around at empty tables waiting hours for
action.

Does this mean that we only select the sites with the most players? Not
necessarily. For some people, the goliath poker sites with hundreds of thousands
of players are great. For others, though, they like the smaller sites because
they attract more fish and have tournaments that don’t take nineteen years to
complete. This all comes down to personal choice. For that reason, you’re going
to see us recommend sites that are large and sites that are smaller. You’ll
never see us recommend a Texas Holdem site that is too small that there’s no
action whatsoever.

Types and Stakes of Action

This criterion is a continuation of the one that we just covered. If you’re
looking to play $1/$2 Texas Holdem, but every single player on a particular
site only plays up to the .05/.10 level, you’re not going to be a happy camper.
Not only do poker sites need to have a decent volume of players, but these
players need to be spread out amongst the different buy-in and stake levels.

There doesn’t need to be an even distribution or anything like that as we
know that the higher stakes will inevitably have fewer players. We don’t even
need there to be any players at the super-high, nosebleed levels. What we’re
looking for is a site that offers as much as possible to different levels of
players. If they only have enough players to sustain one or two buy-in levels,
we’re not going to be big fans. But, if they have games running all across the
buy-in spectrum, we’re going to be pretty pleased.

This goes for tournaments as well. While some tournament players prefer
smaller field sizes, there is such thing as too small.

If you’re someone who is
looking to potentially make a living or at least some significant extra cash
playing Texas Holdem, you aren’t going to be too pleased if the largest
tournament a site offers is a $50 guaranteed, $1 buy-in.

Again, we aren’t saying that we need $10k, $1 million guaranteed tournaments,
but we would like to see some tournaments where you can buy more than a
McDonald’s extra value meal with first place money. Variety and consistency are
the names of the game here. If an online Texas Holdem poker site can offer
plenty of options more than just a few specific times a week, we’ll be happy. If
they can offer a lot of different options all the time, well, now we’re talking
quality.

User Interface

When it comes to the user interface of an online poker site, we get picky.
When you’re spending hours at a time doing something, it better be set up well
and organized in a way that makes your life easier. The games need to be
organized well, and the different stake levels should be easy to find. When
you’re playing, it shouldn’t be a challenge to figure out how to raise, call, or
fold. Cruddy user interfaces are not only annoying and not fun to use, but they
can also set you up to make mistakes which can be very costly.

Outside of trust and reliability and speed of payouts, the user interface is
the most critical factor for us. The only exception to this is if there is an
online poker site that is so full of fish and bad players that we’d be willing
to accept a less than favorable user interface. Still, in those rare occasions,
the interface has to be good enough to prevent any mistakes. The only things
we’d skimp on for a fish-happy environment are graphics and overall feel. The
core functionality of the site still needs to be top-notch, or it’s a no from
us.

Bonus Promotions

The very last thing that we look at when determining the quality of a Texas
Holdem site is what sort of bonus promotions they have for players. This
includes deposit bonuses, forms of rakeback, guaranteed tournaments, VIP player
programs, and anything else creative they have to try and win your business.
This is certainly the least important factor on this list, but one that we still
want to take a look at, especially if we have a close decision between two
sites.

One thing we do want to point out is that you’re careful not to make this
your number one determining factor. Just because an online poker site offers you
a bunch of freebies does not mean that it’s a quality site. On the flip side,
just because an online poker site does not offer you a ton of freebies does not
mean that it’s NOT a quality site. Some sites are so established and so packed
full of fish that we would be willing to pay them some bonus money just for the
chance to play there.

Bonuses are great and should definitely be looked at, but they most certainly
should not be your top criterion.

Tips for Selecting a New Texas Holdem Poker Site

Once you think you’ve found an online poker site that peaks your interest,
it’s time to get started! Should you close your eyes and run into the fire
blindly? Of course, you shouldn’t! While we don’t want to hold up your poker fix
any longer, we do want to give you a few quick tips that can make your
experience at the new site that much better.

If you skip these tips, your world is not going to catch on fire. You will,
however, possibly set yourself up for some disappointment, and we’d really like
to help avoid that if at all possible. Unless you’re a glutton for punishment,
take these tips we’ve provided for you to heart.

Utilize the Play Money

We get it. You’re big time, and you don’t have time to play around with the
kiddie games. We’re NOT telling you that you have to start at the play money
tables and work yourself up to real money. What we are telling you is that you
can use the play money tables to learn the user interface. Each online poker
site has different controls and different ways that you raise, fold, and call.

Taking the time to learn how these work with no real money on the line can go
a long way to save you cash.

Best Online Texas Holdem Site

Imagine if you’re in a big pot and you accidentally
fold when you mean to call because you don’t fully understand how to use the
buttons. This is why we are recommending you start at the play money tables.
Spend five minutes clicking around and getting comfortable with the buttons.
Once you confidently know how to do everything, then you can move over to the
real money tables without fear of making a silly and costly mistake.

Fill out Withdrawal Forms Early

Since you aren’t physically in a casino or card room, the poker sites are
going to need to verify that you are who you say you are. This is not for tax
purposes or reporting. This is to protect you so that when you go to withdraw,
they know that they are sending the money to you and only you. The way they do
this is by having you fill out a few forms the first time you go to make a
withdrawal.

People tend to get annoyed by this because when they make their first
withdrawal, they want their money quickly. Here’s a great tip. As soon as you
create an account with an online poker site, request any documentation they will
need to process withdrawals. You can fill this all out on day one and then when
you go to make your first withdrawal, you won’t have to wait at all. Waiting a
few extra days when you aren’t withdrawing any money is no big deal, but it can
be a real headache when you want your money.

Do yourself a favor and take care of this as soon as you join a new site. You
will thank us later.

Understand Promotions

While we said that the promotions aren’t high on our list when selecting an
online Texas Holdem site, that does not mean you shouldn’t take full advantage
of the ones offered to you. In a highly competitive market, online poker sites
are constantly throwing free money and free things at players to try and steal
them away from other sites and to make sure that they stay.

Here are a few tips for promotions that will make your life a lot smoother
and help to put more money in your pocket. First, always pay attention to the
promotions page of the website. You should also join any mailing lists that the
site has. This is how you will find out about new promotions. Promotions with
online poker sites are not always the same. They change, and new ones are added
all the time. You need to be aware of this as much as possible.

Why? Well, some online poker sites require that you “opt-in” to a promotion
to take advantage of it.

This means that you have to check a box in your member
area that says you want to get some of that free money. If you don’t do this,
you can fulfill all the requirements for the promotion, and you’ll get
absolutely nothing.

Furthermore, you need to make sure you read the terms associated with each
promotion you are interested in. In order to protect the site from people trying
to game the system, each promotion is going to have some specific rules and
parameters that you’re going to have to follow. If you don’t follow these rules
to a T, you will not receive your free money. These things are a lot easier to
fix before the promotion runs. If you were unclear about something and did it
incorrectly, you won’t be able to convince the poker site to give you the
promotional bonuses.

It doesn’t take much extra time or effort. Read the promotional rules, and
rake in that sweet, sweet free cash and bonuses.

Ask Questions

The last bit of advice we can give you that will help you to succeed at a new
online poker site is to ask questions if you’re confused about something. Not
sure how to use the software? Ask for help. Don’t understand a particular
promotion? Ask for help. Not sure how to deposit money? Ask for help.

The online poker sites that we’ve recommended have fantastic customer service
departments. They have FAQs with the most common questions you might have, well
written out terms of service for their site and for promotions, and they also
have staff members ready to answer any other questions you might have. If you
are unsure about anything, just ask. Finding out how things work before there is
a potential problem will make your online poker experience that much more
fruitful and enjoyable.

Getting Started

You’re just about all set to get started playing Texas Holdem online. Before
we send you on your way to crush on the felt, we wanted to give you a few last
minute words of wisdom and encouragement to keep you on the right path to
success. Remember, Texas Holdem is a game that takes a minute to learn and a
lifetime to master. Make sure that you take your time and understand that you
are not going to be the best overnight. This means that you shouldn’t
immediately jump into the biggest games. Stick within your bankroll and allow
yourself the proper time to learn without losing all of your money.

With patient hard work, focused study, dedicated practice, and solid bankroll
management, you have no reason that you can’t become a very successful Texas
Holdem player.