One of the biggest online poker markets in the world is the UK. The UK such a hotspot for poker activity for three main reasons: #1 the UK has legalized and regulated the online poker market and is very friendly towards online poker companies: #2 the UK has very favorable tax laws for players, since poker winnings are not taxed in the UK: and #3, and most importantly, the UK. Largest UK online poker sites The largest online poker room in the UK is PokerStars. It averages 17,500 players at any given time. That is seven times its next largest competitor.
The best UK Poker Sites
Online poker sites
Admittedly, online poker was far more popular a decade ago, in the mid-2000s than it is today. That is slowly starting to change, though. Online poker went through a bit of a bad patch with the collapse of Poker Stars, and several other major poker domains, which were linked up in a money laundering and fraud scandal. Those dark days seem to be behind online poker sites, though, and playing poker online is suddenly becoming respectable again. These modern poker sites are far more transparent, far fairer, and far more exciting than their early predecessors were, and that makes them well worth a look.
What is an online poker site, though? Naturally, an online poker site is a website which allows you to play poker online, either for real money or for fun. That is the simplistic, elementary part, and you probably knew that already. What you may not have known is that online poker sites generally tend to offer you much more than basic poker games. They carry major tournaments, a host of other games, and top notch security, too. Read on to find out more about online poker sites.
Online poker games
Let’s start with the types of poker games you can play. First and foremost, Texas Hold‘em and Casino Hold‘em tend to be the most popular poker games that you can find at most online poker sites. These games may have several rule changes and variants, depending on where it is you are playing, but if you have an inkling on how to play hold’em poker, you should have no difficulties getting to grips with these standard poker titles.
As well as the classic hold’em games, online poker sites also carry a number of other poker games, as well as variants. After all, some players wish to play with exceptionally high stakes, whilst others – especially newbies – cannot afford to spend a month’s salary on a game. Various low-roller and high-roller versions of poker games can be found at poker sites, as well as games such as Omaha, and Hi/Lo.
In truth, the types of poker games you can play at an online poker site has little to do with the website itself, but the software provider which the poker site has chosen to go with.
What about other card games?
Whilst a player visiting an online poker website will most likely be interested in playing games, they may also be tempted to play other games. After all, playing non-stop poker can be tiring even for die-hard poker fans. Players who want to try their hand at other games may be in luck, it just depends on where they decide to play their favourite games.
Whilst virtually no major online poker sites offer up slot machine games, a good number of them do offer other, more traditional casino games for you to play. The vast majority of these games tend to be card games, such as baccarat, blackjack, Caribbean poker, paigow poker, or red dog poker, although various forms of stud and brag can be played, too. This is certainly not the case of all poker sites, but some do offer you the chance to switch games. In fact, some online poker sites (although, admittedly, not many at all) permit you to play roulette and video poker games.
Promotions and bonuses
Like virtually all major gambling websites, poker sites often offer all new players the chance to claim welcome bonuses. In some cases, these will be no deposit deals, and in others, they will be match deposit bonuses. These bonuses can only be used on poker games, though, and not any range of side-games that a poker site may be carrying.
Aside from welcome bonus and deposit bonus deals, most poker sites offer some kind of loyalty deals. Often, these deals come in the form of rakebacks or points. Players who acquire a certain number of loyalty points by playing games and placing bets at a poker site can convert those points into real cash. Rakebacks are a percentage of the rakes taken by the poker site and are offered back to the player as rewards for playing.
Cashback deals and entry into exclusive tournaments are other promotions and bonuses you may find open to you at poker sites. In truth, the array of promotions and bonuses varies wildly at poker websites, and online poker sites have nowhere near as many offers and deals as casinos and other gambling websites.
Tournaments and tables
Online poker sites should be thought of in the same manner as real poker tables in a casino. There are a specific number of seats at each game, and players may be required to wait until a table is free during peak hours. However, with so many games to play, you are always guaranteed a poker game of some kind or another in the UK’s top poker sites. Many poker sites host Sit & Go games, so you can pop in play and leave as you see fit.
Most poker websites have an exclusive set of tournaments which are only played in their domain. Some tournaments have entry requirements, such as fees. Others have none. These tournaments are often open to all players with a suitable chip stack and can lead to pretty prosperous rewards as well as respect among fellow players.
Real and professional poker tournaments
One of the more sensational aspects of online poker sites is the ability to join satellite tournaments. These tournaments can see you enter very prestigious world famous poker tournaments if you strike it lucky and play a blinder. Some satellites lead to major monthly games within the realm of the bingo site, although others are far more lucrative. It is not uncommon to find satellite events at the biggest and best online poker sites that could see enter such prestigious tournaments as the WSOP (World Series of Poker).
Online poker sites contain a little bit of everything. Some are luxurious affairs, design for the cream of the crop of the poker world. Others are suited for amateurs and novices just starting out. Whatever your rank and experience – budding newbie or seasoned veteran – there is something for everybody in the world of online poker sites.
Anyone residing in the United Kingdom will have no difficulties in locating a reputable online poker site. Customers in the UK are welcomed by an enormous range of poker rooms, so there’s plenty of online options available.
The question is, which of these online poker rooms should you register with? That is where things will get quite complicated, especially if you wish to make the right choice straight away. There might be loads of options available online, but not all of them offer the same standard.
Fortunately, you don’t have to worry as Top10pokerwebsites is here to assist you. We’ve compared and tested a massive number of online poker sites and carefully ranked them based on several key factors. We also included each of these rankings below, representing the top UK online poker sites at this moment in time.
Best UK Poker Sites for December 2020All Poker Rooms are Licensed , Mobile Friendly Advertiser Disclosure
Online Poker Uk Sites Real Money
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Contents
- Frequently Asked Questions
Since online poker is fully regulated and legalised in the UK, gaming and betting on the World Wide Web is not the minefield you will find in other parts across the globe. It’s relatively easy to locate an online poker site that, at the very least, trustworthy and safe. Most of the leading brands in the online poker community cater for players in the United Kingdom, and these leading brands can, of course, be trusted.
However, simply choosing an online poker site because they are operated by a well-known brand isn’t necessarily the right approach. Having a long history and an established reputation are positives, but these aren’t the only measurements that make a great poker site. To get the most out of your online poker experience, you will need to be sure you register with one of the best in the industry. So please avoid choosing a poker site on the name alone.
It’s for this reason that we at Top10pokerwebsites have placed a great deal of effort and time into our top poker rankings. We’ve assessed a wide variety of different poker rooms, not just those operated by big names, to determine which of them truly offer the most to their players. We consider several factors, as we believe it’s crucial to look at the entire package.
We will only recommend online poker rooms that perform well in each of our key areas. Therefore, if you are searching for a new online poker site to join right now, we strongly believe that you won’t find anything better than our online recommendations. By choosing any one of our online poker rooms, you can rest assured that you’ll receive a positive poker experience along with superb service. If you wish to see more detailed information on any of the online poker rooms we recommend, you can simply click on the review button.
UK Legislation and Online Poker
As with any form of online gambling in the United Kingdom, online poker is completely legalized, operating under identical regulations recognized in both sportsbook and UK casino laws. The initial form of modern online gambling laws was introduced during the mid-90’s that allowed online poker rooms, as well as other forms of online gambling, to be safely practised within the United Kingdom from businesses based in the UK as well as those of other countries.
Therefore, players in the UK had several options as both international and UK-based poker rooms could gain access to the market. During that time, license establishments such as Gibraltar, Antigua, and Alderney were considered the most popular.
In 2005, major changes were introduced in the UK gambling law as the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) took full control of all gambling forms within the country, including online and commercial. Within two years, the UKGC obtained full control over all gambling-related matters and began monitoring online poker sites for fair gaming and security.
New regulations required online poker sites to obtain a license through them, or at the very least, be regulated by an establishment that met their requirements, including Alderney, Gibraltar, Barbuda, Isle of Man, Malta, and other EU regions.
Current Online Poker Laws in the UK
The UK Gambling Commission aimed to offer trustworthy and safer online gambling environments. For this reason, full control was required over gambling establishments that operated within the country. However, with international licensed sites having full access, there was little the Gambling Commission could do.
A new bill was issued in 2014, requiring all online gambling sites to obtain a UKGC licence to continue operating in the United Kingdom. In November 2014, the bill was successfully added when all forms of online gambling regulations were taken on-shore. Additionally, a new gambling tax law was introduced to all gambling establishments accepting players from the United Kingdom, demanding a 15% tax fee to all off-shore and on-shore gambling establishments.
Chaos struck the UK gambling market as businesses were first required to obtain a United Kingdom Gambling Commission license, and then pay an additional 15% tax fee. Most gambling institutions decided to withdraw their business from the UK market altogether, including sportsbook, casino, and poker companies.
Other online gambling establishments decided to bite the bullet and go through the required changes and alter their financials to include the new added tax law. By 2016, the UKGC applied the first of their brand-new laws that limited all forms of gambling that weren’t regulated by the UK Gambling Commission. While most leading poker sites found it rather easy to adjust, many other online poker sites were rejected as they simply didn’t meet the requirements.
The primary goal of the UK Gambling Commission is to ensure safe and fair gambling is practised for players in the UK. Therefore, a close watch has been adopted to all online gambling establishments, and responsible gambling and random testing of fairness is a regular occurrence.
The Affect New Poker Laws Have on the UK
In the beginning, when the new laws were implemented, it looked like UK players would no longer gain access to the international market, completely limiting the market. However, the 2014 bill simply required online poker establishments to obtain a UK Gambling Commission license in addition to the already existing licenses they had.
Some casino and poker sites had to apply drastic changes to their security measures by including SSL encryption systems among others. The license was granted once these measures were met, and the online establishment could once again provide online poker to the UK market. Therefore, UK members can access these online poker networks while players from around the world were also allowed.
The 15% tax law was also implemented by these online poker rooms, requiring each poker room to pay a 15% tax fee on all purchases made at their site. Once again, most online poker rooms refused the additional costs but had no choice but to obtain a UKGC license if they had any interest in the UK market.
Today, any form of gambling offered to the United Kingdom is regulated by the UKGC and all earnings made by UK players are taxed 15%. Therefore, UK players don’t have to pay any tax on gambling, even when winnings are being cashed out. As predicted, a handful of casino and poker establishments have tried to access the UK market without a UKGC license. However, with the added reliability, fairness, and security recognised by licensed sites in the UK, black-market casino and poker sites are struggling to remain active as they simply cannot offer the same benefits as UK licensed sites.
Benefits of a UK licensed Poker Site
The UKGC has introduced strict regulations and rules for online gambling sites offering their services to the United Kingdom in hopes of creating a more superior online gaming environment for players in the UK. While the newly implemented laws might have seemed biased towards online gaming companies at first, the result has been extremely positive in all forms.
More importantly, online players can easily join an online poker room that obtained a UKGC license, knowing that the required level of security and fairness is always applied. In addition, responsible gambling needs to be practised to remain within the strict regulations of the UKGC license, ensuring fair payments as well. The random testing mentioned above encompasses all aspects of any online gambling site, including payment testing, security testing, random number generator results, fair and regulated poker rooms, and payout percentages on casino games. Furthermore, the UKGC has made it possible for players to complain about requirements not being met or unlawful gambling they might encounter to the commission directly.
Online Poker Uk Sites Free
Today, the United Kingdom is considered one of the most prestigious markets in the world, but also one of the strictest. Obtaining a UK gambling license is not as easy when compared to obtaining a gambling license from another country, as every online poker room that applies for such a gambling license has to undergo several checks to ensure the quality of the poker room is deemed fit for players in the UK. Even with the added 15% tax bracket, online gambling companies continue to enter this lucrative market that has rapidly grown to more than £4.5 billion per annum.
Frequently Asked Questions
The final section of our UK guide to playing poker legally online is going to be answering some of the most frequently asked questions asked by UK based players. If you have not yet placed poker online then there will be a very good chance the questions you are seeking the answers to will be found in this section, so please do read it through fully.
Fortunately, due to UK Gambling Commission rules and regulations, all poker sites have to have ample funds set aside and segregated in regards to player deposits and player payouts, and as such as a player that in based n Great Britain you are going to find the poker sites licensed in the UK are very fast paying sites.
You will find quite a number of them will pay you more or less instantly once you have requested a winning payout that is if you choose one of the methods for making a withdrawal that allows the poker set to send you all of your winnings instantly.
With that in mind you are best advised to open up a web one e-wallet type account such as a Paypal, Neteller or Skrill account for poker sites offering instant payout will be able to send your winning back to you instantly to such a web or e-wallet if they do offer instant payouts.
You will however be able to withdraw winnings back to your bank account, or your credit card account, however be aware that MasterCard do not permit any type of gambling sites, and that includes poker sites to send winnings back to be credited to a credit card account, however Visa do permit poker sites to pay winning players back to their credit card accounts.
You should always ensure that when you sign up to any poker set that is offering you the ability of picking out and using one of several different currencies that you select UK Pounds Sterling as you chosen and preferred currency for your account.
Failure to do so may see you falling foul of the terms and conditions in place at the poker set you are playing at, and that could lead to your poker site account being closed.
You will also obviously never be at the mercy of any exchange rate fluctuations when you select GBP as you poker site currency account option, and will not have to pay any form of currency exchange rate fees and charges when depositing and then making a withdrawal from your poker site account
The only way that you are going to be 100% confident that any poker game you choose to play is completely above board and offering a fair game is by you insisting that any poker site you are thinking of playing at is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission.
As part of their license application they will have had to prove beyond any doubt that all of their poker games are offering a fair game and the random number generators used to determine every single card dealt out is indeed providing a random outcome.
If you make the mistake of playing at poker sites that are not licensed by the UK Gambling Commission you will have no guarantees the games being offered at such a poker site are fair or random.
The only way that an online or mobile poker player could possibly cheat when playing poker for real money at any online poker site is if they collude with other players sat around the poker table they are playing at.
However, all poker sites now have security systems in place that can detect any form of cheating through collusion at their respective poker sites and a such when playing poker online or via a mobile poker platform you will have the peace of mind in knowing you have just as much chance of winning as every other player sat around your table.
One aspect to you making use of and claiming any of the new player or ongoing poker promotional offers and bonuses that are being given away to UK based players is that you will need to know how those types of bonuses are credited to your poker site account.
The vast majority of deposit match bonuses are released not your poker site account as you are playing with your own money and you make a certain number of poker bets and wagers, however some deposit match bonuses may be added to your account as soon as you have made a qualifying deposit.
Some poker sites may even offer you something known as a no deposit bonus and by claiming those type of bonuses once you have claimed them your poker site account is credits with the bonus funds which you can then start using straight away.
You may be wondering if you do decide to play poker on perhaps a mobile device or even on a computer what will happen if you get disconnected from the poker set you are playing at for one of several different reasons.
It is worth noting that every single poker site will have their own disconnection result in place as and as such you should read through those rules as they will enlighten you on any live hands you have in play will then be played off for you.
There are quite a number of tools that professional online poker players can use to allow them to track certain player, and if you are new to playing poker online you will not want to have your poker playing tracked by a professional player!
There are now many poker networks who are going to allow you to sign up and play at their sites anonymously in regards to other player being able to identify you from a unique username, and a such you should consider making use of those poker networks to ensure you can play without other players tracking you and getting to know how you play your hands off!
If you are seeking a poker site and poker room to sign up to and one that has a huge number of poker players logged into that site and in their rooms at different times of the day or night then you should consider playing at a poker site owned and operated by a well know UK based company.
Many bookmakers who have betting shops in the UK also run their own online poker sites and what you will find is that it is those poker sites that have the highest number of UK based players playing in their sites.
One question that we do get asked a lot especially from first time online poker players based in the UK is how they are going to be able to master playing some of the more unusual poker game variants that are on offer at different poker sites, namely the variants of poker they may never have played before.
Well, all of the poker sites and poker rooms that we are going to be introducing and showcasing to you throughout our website have free play poker tables on offer at their respective sites, and as such by simply signing up as a new player at one of those sites and logging in you will then be able to play the games on offer at no risk for as along a you like.
It is also worth knowing you can also take part in freeroll poker tournament son which real cash or bonus prizes are being given away at the majority of our featured UK online and mobile poker sites, and those tournaments are going to be of interest to every players as there is no risk of you losing any of your own money when taking part in them!
There are quite a number of different companies who offer some form of game of chance verification in certification, and what you will need to ensure is that any poker site you have chosen to play at or are about to play at offers you a range of citified fair poker games.
The way in which those third party companies can certify the games are completely random is by attiring the gaming logs of each hand dealt out and also checking the random number generators sued to determine just which cards are dealt out are supplying contact random events.