Poker is one of the most popular card games in the world, and you can now enjoy playing several different poker variants for real money at hundreds of fully licensed online casinos and dedicated poker sites.
Here are some of the most popular poker games to keep an eye out for when visiting any of the highly recommended online casino poker sites mentioned further below.
What are the most popular online poker games
The most popular poker games currently being played at today’s best online casinos are live dealer poker games from various leading online casino software providers, such as Evolution Gaming and Playtech.
Evolution Gaming has produced several cutting-edge live dealer games, such as Live Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Live Three Card Poker, and Live Casino Hold’em Poker. Playtech has also developed similar games, such as Live Casino Hold’em, and Heads Up Holde’em – Live.
If you’re not too bothered about live dealer games and would prefer something more laid-back, where you have more time to make decisions, then you need to check out Microgaming’s Aces and Faces video poker game or Play’n GO’s Progressive Jackpot Caribbean Stud Poker game.
If that’s not enough to keep you going, there’s also Microgaming’s Lucky Showdown Hold’em Poker game and Playtech’s Heads-Up Hold’em game (not to be confused with the live dealer version).
The live dealer games are usually only accessible in the real money mode, but most of these other popular online poker games can also be accessed in the free-play mode.
What are the winning poker hands?
When playing online casino poker, the aim is to try and get the best possible winning poker hand. In video poker, you play alone, and in other online poker varieties at online casinos, especially the live dealer poker games, you only have to beat the dealer. You won’t be playing against other players.
If you want to find out how to play poker, one of the best websites you can turn to today is Ask Gamblers. It’s one of the world’s most informative online gambling information websites.
It might be a good idea to learn basic poker rules before playing any online poker games for real money, which means learning the different winning poker hands. In ascending order of value, and starting with the lowest valued hand, they include the following:
- High card (ace is high, 2 is the lowest card). This winning poker hand at online casinos often pays even money (1:1).
Therefore, if you put a $/€/£10.00 bet on with these odds, and win, you would receive a total of $/€/£20.00 (which includes your initial $/€/£10.00 stake returned + $/€/£10 profit).
1:1 means you have a 50% implied probability of this result occurring. In the American/moneyline odds format, it’s the same as saying 100. In the European decimal odds format, it means 2.00; in the UK fractional odds format, it means 1/1.
Now, let’s take a look at the other winning poker hands and the average odds you are likely to come across at most online casinos.
- A pair, which also pays the same as a high card (1:1)
- Two pair, which pays 2:1. This is the same as saying there’s a 33.33% chance of this result occurring. It also means 200 in American/moneyline odds, 3.00 in decimal odds, or 2/1 in fractional odds
- Three of a kind pays 3:1. This is the same as saying there’s a 25.00% chance of this result occurring. It also means 300 in American/moneyline odds, 4.00 in decimal odds, or 3/1 in fractional odds
- A straight, which pays 4:1. This is the same as saying there’s a 20% chance of this result occurring. It also means 400 in American/moneyline odds, 5.00 in decimal odds, or 4/1 in fractional odds
- A flush, which pays 5:1. This is the same as saying there’s a 16.70% chance of this result occurring. It also means 500 in American/moneyline odds, 6.00 in decimal odds, or 5/1 in fractional odds
- A full house, which pays 7:1. This is the same as saying there’s a 12.50% chance of this result occurring. It also means 700 in American/moneyline odds, 8.00 in decimal odds, or 7/1 in fractional odds
- Four of a kind, which pays 20:1. This is the same as saying there’s a 4.80% chance of this result occurring. It also means 2,000 in American/moneyline odds, 21.00 in decimal odds, or 20/1 in fractional odds
- A straight flush, which pays 50:1. This is the same as saying there’s a 2.00% chance of this result occurring. It also means 5,00 in American/moneyline odds, 51.00 in decimal odds, or 50/1 in fractional odds
- A royal flush, which pays 100:1. This is the same as saying there’s only a 1.00% chance of this result occurring. It also means 10,000 in American/moneyline odds, 101.00 in decimal odds, or 100/1 in fractional odds
The exact odds may vary slightly from one game of online casino poker site to the next.
The payout information is easy to find just by looking at the paytable when you launch the game. Don’t forget that you can play online poker from any modern smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer with internet/Wi-Fi connectivity.
Top online casino poker sites where I can play today
If you’re looking to play poker at a fully licensed online casino today, you can find secure links to hundreds of sites on the official AskGamblers.com website.
Secure links to each casino’s official sign-up page can be found inside the reviews. Don’t forget that you can claim a guaranteed new player welcome bonus when depositing for the first time at any of these highly recommended sites.