Texas is one of the largest states in the United States by both land mass and population, and many of its residents are interested in Texas online poker. Despite a long and distinguished history of cowboys and outlaw behavior as well as the fact that the most popular version of poker, Texas Hold'em, gets its name directly from this state, there are no state-licensed venues for online poker in Texas.
The citizens of Texas shouldn’t fret about having access to internet poker or other forms of internet gambling, however, as there are a plethora of legitimate offshore poker sites offering their real money services to this great state. We think that Ignition Poker is the best among them, but there are plenty of other reputable operators.
Below is a list of the great online sites available to those in Texas. We have carefully evaluated them to bring you only the best of the best.
Yes, Texas poker online is effectively legal especially if you're engaging in it as an ordinary player rather than as a provider of the games.
Texas is known to look with disfavor upon gambling in general, and therefore it's pretty much standard to expect the state to have rather severe and comprehensive statutes against the practice. The codes that deal with gambling are contained in Title 10 - Offenses Against Public Health, Safety, and Morals, Chapter 47 - Gambling.
You're not breaking any TX laws by engaging in poker playing online though. Indeed, the very tough anti-gambling statutes in effect within Texas have specific exemptions for gambling taking place in a private place (like on your computer at home) as long as you're not deriving any income from the activity other than as a player.
Therefore, It is completely safe and legal to play online poker at an offshore website.
If you're looking to get started with online poker for real money in Texas, then you can sign up at any of the sites below. They are all reputable and trustworthy, so you can feel safe selecting any one of them as your home for Texas online poker.
Getting started at the Texas poker online site of your choice is easy. We've included instructions below for opening an account at Ignition Casino Poker, but the basic idea is the same for any site. There may be a few differences and the order of these steps may vary a bit depending on the room you choose, but the process should be very similar.
In compiling our list of the best online Texas poker sites, we've considered the strengths and weaknesses of each room. They're not all identical, and we have a set of criteria that we use when determining which ones are superior.
Most rooms have the trio of NL Hold'em, Pot Limit Omaha, and Omaha/8, but beyond this, their offerings vary enormously. Some include such obscure variants as HORSE, Open Face Chinese, Razz, and others whereas others stick to just the basics. Another area in which there are great disparities is in the blind levels spread.
Some poker providers host such exciting game types as lottery-style sit n' gos, satellite tourneys, and fast-fold poker. However, some rooms eschew such fancy innovations.
Many poker rooms let you use legacy payment channels, like credit cards and money orders. However, for most users, the best option is Bitcoin or another crypto-currency. These useful fintech creations enable rapid transaction speeds with low fees.
If you aren't yet conversant with the ins and outs of Bitcoin, then you can read this Bitcoin walkthrough to learn how to get started with it.
You can look forward to a welcome bonus when you make a deposit at most of our recommended sites for online poker in Texas. Then there are other rewards to look forward to, like freerolls, rake races, leaderboards, loyalty points, and reloads.
The specific menu of promos available is different at each site. Some of them are temporary and every-changing while others are pretty much permanent.
Rakeback refers to a recurring rebate on the rake you pay at the tables, and it's one of the most valuable promotions that exists. Indeed, we appreciate the benefits of rakeback so much that we have chosen to include it as part of the name of our site, Professional Rakeback. Unlike most promos for Texas poker online, rakeback generally lasts forever.
If you're hesitant to begin playing at any Texas poker online sites without knowing more about them, then the reviews below are for you. Here you can read up on them so that you can make an informed decision.
Credit Card, Voucher Code, Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin SV, Litecoin, Ethereum, Tether, MatchPay
The Ignition anonymized poker room heads our list of TX offshore card parlors because it has more ring games running simultaneously than any other site. You have your choice of NL Hold'em or PL Omaha as high as $10/$20. Ignition boasts fast-fold poker too, which it calls Zone, and some tables of Limit Hold'em.
What “anonymized” means in this context is that no players are identified by username but rather are assigned a randomized number when they sit at a table. This makes long-term opponent tracking impossible, but on the other hand, it leads to soft games because novices feel comfortable here.
For tournaments, you have a full complement of SNGs, including lottery-style games, as well as a comprehensive array of multi-table tourneys. Stay alert for special MTT series worth millions in guaranteed prizes.
It's possible to download and play at Ignition on your Windows or Mac OS machine. In addition, you can access the full site on mobile. You'll get a 150% up to $1,500 poker match bonus when using cryptocurrency on your first deposit.
Credit Cards, Person to Person, Money Orders, Bank Wire, Cashiers Check, Bitcoin, Avalanche, Binance, Bitcoin Cash, Cardano, Dogecoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Polygon, Ripple, Shiba Inu, Solana, Stellar, Tether, Tron, USD Coin
Sportsbetting and its partner site BetOnline Poker boast NLHE and PLO (Hi and Hi-Lo) up to $5/$10. Furthermore, there's Boost fast-fold poker, 5 Card PLO, and 6 Card PLO although traffic is a bit lighter in these formats. The biggest problem with the ring game section is the high rake although this can be somewhat offset through the RISE rewards program, which delivers weekly rakeback as long as you rake $500.
There are sit-n-gos too, lottery-inspired three-player Windfalls, and a full schedule of tournaments. Look to leaderboards, contests, and reload bonuses for some extra value.
SB Poker and BOL work with Macs and PCs through a downloadable poker client, and iOS and Android compatibility is ensured via dedicated apps. The poker welcome bonus is a 100% up to $1,000 deal.
Credit Card, Voucher Code, Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin SV, Litecoin, Ethereum, Tether, MatchPay
Bovada is part of the same poker network as Ignition. This means it uses the same software and features identical games and traffic. The advantage to signing up with Bovada, however, is that it has a sportsbook and racebook, which Ignition lacks.
Football, baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer – you can wager on them all here, and a good number of other sports as well. The racebook meanwhile accepts your wagers on horse races at more than 100 tracks.
Bovada works just fine on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android hardware. There's a 100% up to $500 poker bonus as well as additional bonuses for the casino and sportsbook.
Credit Cards, Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, Tether, Money Transfer
ACR Poker boasts the most tournament traffic and biggest guaranteed prize pools of any internet poker site available to Texans. The weekly major is the $109 Sunday Moneymaker, which guarantees at least $300,000.
This is also a great room if you're into cash games or sit-n-gos, and in fact, there are weekly leaderboards that let you pick up thousands of dollars in extra cash if you can put in enough volume at ring games or single-table contests.
Windows and Mac users can download ACR Poker. Mobile poker is possible too. Our exclusive ACR bonus code PRB10FREE grants you a $10 no deposit bonus. Then you can take advantage of the 100% up to $2,000 initial deposit bonus for extra free cash.
Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether, CHP, Polygon, BNB
CoinPoker is a unique crypto poker site, using Tether (USDT) at the tables, that has deployed several high-tech features, like decentralized shuffling, RNG validation tools, and a proprietary cryptocurrency, CHP
Unfortunately, the cash games are limited to NLHE, PLO, and 5 Card PLO, and the rake is high especially as the blind levels rise. However, you can get 33% rakeback as long as you hold some of the CHP token in your balance.
Coin Poker runs on any PC, Mac, iOS, or Android machine. The first deposit bonus is a 150% up to $2,000 deal.
Credit Card, Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Lightning Bitcoin, Litecoin
Although Everygame a smaller site, it makes up for this weakness in the sheer number and value of the promos it offers. 36% rakeback, weekly rake races, freerolls, reload bonuses, a Loyalty Levels program, and regular tournament overlays are just a few.
Everygame Poker is only available for download to Windows PC systems, but there's an Instant Play version that works with Macs, Linux, and mobile. Upon your first deposit, you'll qualify for a 200% up to $1,000 poker bonus.
Bitcoin
SwCPoker is a crypto-exclusive poker destination with all cashier functions and all poker play conducted in Bitcoin. Besides the popular NL Hold'em and PLO, you'll also find Razz, HORSE, Open Face Chinese, and much more. You won't get any deposit bonus here, but you can receive rakeback returns as you play via the Krill rewards program.
Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, Ethereum, Tether, USD Coin, BNB
Nitrobetting transacts in Bitcoin only. There are only Hold'em and PL Omaha. The poker software here runs directly in any web browser, so it works with almost any computing system in use today. There's no bonus, but you can get up to 35% monthly rakeback.
The sections below aim to address live gambling options and venues in Texas, the history of poker and gambling in the state, and famous Texan poker players.
Texas only has one tribal casino that offers poker, the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino in Eagle Pass, which has 12 tables and runs NLHE and LHE cash games daily.
There are no commercial casinos, but many cardrooms have sprung up that avoid the TX anti-gambling laws by charging membership and time fees rather than rake. We have reviewed several of these poker clubs in the Austin area:
With the most popular form of poker taking its name from Texas, it's a given that the state has had a long and rich history of card playing. However, much of this history surrounded underground games and illicit gambling dens.
In 1996, the Kickapoo Tribe opened up a legal gaming facility that spreads poker, and this remains the only such casino poker venue in the State of Texas. However, beginning in 2015 or thereabouts, several membership card rooms began to conduct business. They charge daily, monthly, or annual membership fees and/or seat rental charges rather than rake, which they contend exempts them from the “economic benefit” clauses of the Texas anti-gambling statutes.
Whether this line of reasoning will hold water in the long term is up for debate, but for now, they provide players in select cities around the state an additional way to play poker for real money. An attempt by crusading prosecutors to shut down two Houston poker clubs ended in embarrassing failure. It seems the authorities are taking a live-and-let-live approach to membership card clubs, so they are free to operate pending further legal happenings.
There may be more prominent poker players from Texas than from any other state. This is only to be expected when we consider the long Texan history with the game, which extends back to the frontier days.
Doyle Brunson may be the most important figure in the history of Texas poker. Doyle first took up poker in the '50s, and when he won more money in a single night of 7 card stud than his entire salary for a month, he quit his job and turned poker pro. After his two WSOP ME triumphs, Doyle authored the seminal book “Super/System,” originally entitled “How I Made Over $1,000,000 Playing Poker.”
Doyle “Texas Dolly” Brunson has become the Godfather of Poker, having been around since the inception of No Limit Texas Hold'em and continued to play at a high level despite being more than 80 years old. Indeed, he has cashed in the WSOP Main Event in every decade of its existence from the '70s to the '10s. EVERYONE in poker knows who Doyle is, and a good many outsiders have heard of him too.
Sadly, Doyle Brunson passed away in May 2023.
Some folks who are lucky enough to have another address in a nearby state, whether it be a business address, summer home, second apartment, family home, etc, may have other online poker options available. Here is a list of the states that border Texas and Professional Rakeback's review of each of them: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. If you're looking for general info on the laws that pertain to poker in the United States and the sites that are available, then our U.S. poker players' guide may be right for you.
You likely have friends or relatives who are interested in poker but who are ignorant of their legal options for playing online. Please share this article with them so that we can spread knowledge about the game we enjoy so much.
Online poker in Texas is quite possible and could be profitable for you depending on how good you are. There are no laws prohibiting private individuals from participating in card games over the internet. The Texas online poker sites listed on this page are all conscientious organizations that wish to leave you satisfied, so select one of them and start playing today.
At Professional Rakeback, we take responsible gambling seriously. If you find that your online gaming activities consume too much of your time, energy or money, then you might wish to consult the following resources for help:
Playing poker in Texas over the internet is pretty enjoyable, and we'd like to remove any doubts or concerns you have about it. To this end, we've presented below some of the most common questions and answers related to online poker in Texas.
No, Texas has not established any legalized framework for online poker licensure.
It absolutely is legal to play online poker in Texas. Despite the fact that there are no licensed online cardrooms that have received the OK of state leaders in Austin, there are many offshore rooms that cater to Texans. They're based in jurisdictions where online gaming is totally legal, and they happily welcome residents of the state through their virtual doors.
There's nothing in the Texas legal codes that makes playing a crime as long as you do it in a private place. Furthermore, all federal laws that deal with this subject criminalize those providing the games, not individual players.
It's perfectly legitimate to play on PokerStars from Texas, but unfortunately, it's not possible to do so except for play money. You see, PokerStars was one of the companies hit the hardest by Black Friday in 2011, and as part of the resolution of the case, it agreed to stop doing business in America except in those states where it has gone through the appropriate regulatory approval (like New Jersey). Thus, Texas citizens are unable to play at the world's leading online poker provider, which is true of the majority of the U.S. population as well.
We have our criticisms of Global's claims that its enterprise is completely legal in Texas and the remainder of the United States. While there isn't really enough space in this FAQ to go into detail on this subject, we have prepared a review of Global that discusses the problems we see with the firm's business model.
Mobile gaming is a big moneymaker for all kinds of entertainment companies, and online poker firms are no exception. Some sites have apps that you must install to your smart device while others include mobile compatibility through their web-play interfaces.
We've gathered together some links that may be useful to anyone in Texas curious about gambling:
We strive to maintain this information and update it frequently with our research. However, we are not immune to making mistakes or omitting information that you, dear reader, may find of use. If you have any further questions not addressed in this guide or have noted any discrepancies or inaccuracies we urge you to contact us with your questions and concerns so that we may swiftly address them!
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