Free Online Poker No Download
Poker is a famous pastime, one that doesn’t need to be played for money to be enjoyed. Professional players may not agree with that assessment, but even they can think back to their humble beginnings when they wanted to learn the basics of the game without losing their bankroll.
No matter the reason for wanting to play free poker, there are many places to find it. Nearly all of the major online poker sites offer dot-net websites that can be played without any financial investment whatsoever. Those sites allow players to compete for play-money and coins, and while players may be able to buy a few coins with real money, the vast majority of them compete for the simple love of poker.
What are the Benefits of Free Poker?
Play Strip Poker online for free without download. Strip Poker rules, bettings, combinations and Blanche our good teacher;-). Free Video Poker Games If you’re into strategic games, then you’ll find that Video Poker Games are the right choice for you. We at CasinoFreak.com listed all the online casino games that give you the chance to play video poker for as long as you want, without risking any of your money. Play Texas Holdem Poker for Free. Practice Online Texas Holdem Poker Absolutely Free and with No Registration required.
With no money at stake, can poker really be enjoyable? Yes! The game is one of strategy and excitement, the thrill of the all-in and the suspense of the river card. And the pure fun of it is why it is played by millions of people of all ages at kitchen tables around the world.
There are numerous benefits of playing free-play games, though. Whether one aspires to become a professional player or simply to improve those skills enough to beat family members at the next reunion, there are many things to gain by putting in some time at the play-money tables.
- Learning the Basics:The best way to learn the basics of betting, raising, and position is to practice. Of course, using primers on websites like ours is always a great starting point, but it doesn’t always make sense until those lessons are put into practice at actual online poker tables.
- Practicing Strategies: As a player improves, it is beneficial to devise strategies or take ones found in books and on instructional websites and try them out. Play-money poker is the best place to see how well those strategies work for each player and if they work as intended. Every player finds different strategies that work best for them.
- Bankroll Management:Before investing hard-earned money to an online poker site, try to manage play money first. Since a skilled player never puts more than 10% of their bankroll on the line at any one time, it is a good idea to try that method with play-money poker and learn how to manage that bankroll, even if it doesn’t contain real money.
- Discovering Swings: Poker can be filled with upswings and downswings. No matter how much skill is employed, the luck of the draw can get even the best players time after time. While the odds are always in the favor of the players who use skills, getting the full experience of the potential downswings of poker is a good lesson.
- Managing Tilt: Even with no money on the line, the actions of other players or frustrations with one’s own play can put players on tilt. It’s not uncommon to see players go crazy in the chat boxes at free-play poker tables because they ran into bad luck. Learning to manage tilt comes easier before real money is on the line.
- Garnering Experience: Most live poker players know that poker online is different and adjustments must be made. Starting on a play-money site is the best way to get the feel for the online tables, even for those with experience in live games.
Warnings about Free Poker
This is not as ominous as it sounds, but there are some things that players should consider when playing free poker. It is going to be different from real-money poker online in several ways.
First and most importantly, players on free poker sites tend to be much looser in their playing styles. Without real money on the line, they might be more apt to call on every street, bluff more often, and play more wildly in general. This will change when switching to a real-money site, but there are quite a few players on free sites who take it seriously.
Second, don’t get tricked into buying play-money coins! Free poker sites always provide ways to win more free chips or coins, so there is no need to buy any if the option presents itself. If a player is that desperate for coins or chips, it might be time to read about tilt and figure out a way to manage it.
Third, there is no need to rush from play-money to real-money poker. Winning a few hands or even a few days in a row doesn’t mean the jump should be made immediately. Take the time to experience some of the ups and downs, and don’t get overconfident because of a few million play chips.
What are the Top Free Poker Sites?
The best place to play poker for free is with PokerStars, 888poker, or PartyPoker. Instead of using the dot-com website address, simply replace with dot-net to access the free-play sites. These sites have invested a great deal of time and energy into providing an extensive free platform as well as offering tutorials, lessons, and tips for every level of player – from new to advanced. Take advantage of the information at no charge.
Ultimately, those sites will also offer special deals and bonuses to open a real-money account on their sister dot-com sites. While there is no rush to do so, it is good to have those bonus options to make the most of that first deposit when the time comes.
Even if sites don’t offer a specific free-play site, other poker sites like Ignition Poker and Intertops offer information that is meant to help new players improve their play. Most sites also offer things like freeroll tournaments that cost nothing to enter but give players the chance to win real money. This helps new players build their bankrolls with little to no initial investment.
No matter where a new player chooses to play, it is always beneficial to gain experience and move up slowly. Every pro player will give that same advice.
Is Learning Online Poker Easy?
I used to get intimidated by the enormous variety of poker sites online. What’s more, I had heard all sorts of stuff about how online poker players were really good, how I’d have a hard time at the tables, and how I should just stick to play money games to avoid losing my house. Had I taken these things to heart, I might not have learned poker at all! But I took the dive, head-first, and am glad I did. Nobody is ‘really good’ online. I didn’t have a ‘hard time’ at the tables. And I still have a roof over my head. Everything I had heard turned out the be the opposite of reality. Poker is an easy game if you play at one of the soft poker sites. The only hard thing about it is learning the rules, and even that only takes about five minutes.
Don’t doubt for one second that you can easily learn to play poker. And take it from me — you’ll be much better off learning online as opposed to in a casino.
Why Learn to Play Poker Online?
For starters, you’ll see more hands per hour online than in a brick and mortar cardroom. Online poker is inherently faster than live, because it’s easier to click a button than to shuffle chips and read stacks. The faster pace means you’ll be exposed to more poker situations in a shorter period of time playing online. This will make you a better player in the long run.
Second, playing poker on a software client is much more convenient than playing at a live table. In a casino, you’d have to memorize chip values and learn all sorts of arcane casino-specific rules. Online software displays bet amounts and stack values in plain-old number format — so easy to read! I can’t stress enough how helpful this is when you’re learning.
Third, you’ve got all the resources you can find on the net available to you when playing online. You can keep a poker table open on one half of your screen, and a starting hand chart on the other half. You can search Google if you run into tough situations. You can vent about bad beats to your friends via IM. I could go on and on about all the benefits to playing online. But I’d end up writing an entire book. Suffice it to say that the best poker sites to learn poker online beat out the best casinos any day.
3 Important Factors: Easy, Appealing, and Fun
Once you’ve made up your mind to learn the game online, it’s time to pick a site. This doesn’t have to be hard, or intimidating. Just ask yourself the following three questions about any poker site you come across:
1. Does this poker site look easy to use?
2. Is this poker software visually appealing?
3. Does this poker site look like it’s a fun place to play?
Factor 1 is pretty simple. If a poker site looks confusing or complicated, what’s the point? When you’re just learning how to play poker online, you don’t need all sorts of fancy features to deal with. You just need a simple, sensible poker client that will help you ease into the game. I found 888 poker to be one of the easiest poker sites for me. Everything I needed to get started was basically available on one screen. I just downloaded the client, clicked the link to register for an account, and boom! I was done.
Factor 2 boils down to personal preference. You’re not a professional grinder, so you don’t need to put up with crappy software just because the games are ‘good.’ Pick a poker site that agrees with your aesthetic sensibilities. In this regard, I found Bovada Poker to be the clear winner. The table layout is very simple — no distractions. Bet amounts are clearly labelled, action buttons are prominent and visible, and the games flowed smoothly. Bovada almost won me over with its well-designed software (I chose 888 though, in the end.) Try both sites, and see which you prefer.
Factor 3 is, again, a matter of personal preference. Does a prospective site look like fun to play on? If you aren’t having a good time — especially while you’re learning to play poker online– you won’t want to stick with the game. So if anything about a site puts you off, try a different one!
Free No Download Poker
So, how does free no download online poker work? Well, there are a couple of ways you can go about it. If you're a social media enthusiast you've likely seen a few friends bragging about their tournament wins or gigantic chip stacks at free poker apps like Zynga Poker or Appeak Poker.
These can be pretty fun starting points for learning the basics of poker rules and trying out a few random poker strategy techniques. Also to be fair, though, it's not really playing 'poker.'
Free social poker is its own unique animal and barely resembles the actual game played for money around the world. The order of play and actual poker hand rankings are the same but virtually everything else is on its own planet.
As all the chips are free (or bought and paid for, or hacked, etc), no one *really* plays poker like there's anything to lose. And that dramatically changes basic poker strategy. It's fun, for sure, but it's far from what you'll find on a real online poker site.
And that's where you should turn to for your best experience playing free no download online poker.
Free Online Poker - No Download, No Deposit
PokerStars, 888poker, BetOnline, William Hill Poker ... the brand names may be different but all are well established, trusted 'real money' online poker sites where poker players, casual and professional, from all over the world meet online to play real poker for real money.
As they are specifically designed for serious poker players they all offer very sophisticated software packages with fantastic features for the poker enthusiast to take advantage of.
Variable avatars and table customization options, specific bet-size buttons, bet sliders, multi-tabling, four-color card decks, you name it. If it helps make a game of online poker smoother and faster for players, it's likely integrated into the poker site's software.
But not all poker players want to download a full suite of software onto their laptop or computer and play for 12 hours a day. Or even play for real money, however small.
Others want to jump online - much like you - and get a quick 15 or 20 mins of fun, competitive poker in. Or work their way up to playing poker for real money by trying out a variety of free poker games first.
Whatever the reason you're looking for it, free no download online poker is a great way to experience the thrill of online poker without diving in all the way head first. Every real money poker site also offers free no download games you can access right in your Internet browser from either your phone or laptop.
All you need to do is register a new account and all sorts of free online poker games will be at your fingertips - including online poker tournaments.
How Can I Play Free No Download Online Poker?
As mentioned, you'll simply need to pick one of the sites mentioned on our toplist above and create a new account to access all the free no download online poker you desire.
As long as you have an updated Internet browser - Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Explorer, etc - and a relatively recent smartphone or computer (iPhone 3 and up, Android, Macbook, PC) you'll have everything you need.
Signing up and creating an account takes only minutes and you'll be able to jump into a free game momentarily. All you'll need to provide is an email address, home address and proof of age. With no deposit required, the steps are quick and easy and won't require any verification.
Once you've created your account and picked a screenname you can begin accessing the free no download games at any online poker site. You'll find an 'instant play' or 'quick play' tab in the lobby or on the home screen. Click through and you'll see al the games available to you in both real money and play money form.
Choose the play money option and you can immediately jump in the action at any table or tournament you like.
As you new player at any online poker site you'll be gifted a set number of play-money chips that will get you started in the games. You can then obviously earn a lot more by playing in free games or tournaments and building your play-chip bankroll. You can also head to the poker store and buy play-money chips to add to your account.
Why Play No Download Poker at a Real Poker Site?
As we mentioned at the top there are a few other options for playing free no download poker, including social media games and some free poker game sites but playing on a dedicated online poker site is by far the better option.
Why? Several reasons:
- Poker site software is MILES better than most free play poker games and sites
- The actual poker play is far closer to 'real' poker play
- Games are still free but you can actually learn successful poker strategy and meet other good players
- You can try out different poker games including Texas Hold'em, Omaha, 7 Card Stud or even Crazy Pineapple
- Build up your chip stack and move up the leaderboard for real-money prizes
- Buy new play-money chips in the poker store if you wish
- Get entry to free poker tournaments where you can win real money
- You can also eventually make a deposit and play real-money poker with the same account
The free no download poker software used by real poker sites is far superior because it was originally developed by poker players for poker players - not by random game designers who may never have held cards in their hands in their life.
Before sites like PokerStars had a dedicated Mac poker client or mobile app, for example, its no download software was how players on a Mac or a smartphone played for real money, so the level of skill and expertise in the software was almost as good.
The free no download poker software doesn't have all of the features as the full software suite (which makes it run faster, btw) but it is pretty close - especially nowadays. And it's especially designed to make the game of poker fast and smooth and easy to play.
Free no download poker on a real poker site is glitch free, secure and trustable and really makes the game of poker optimized for online play. You can't say that about most free poker games and apps you can find online.
We've played on many of the free no download options out there and we can assure you these are BY FAR the best tables and features you can find.
Can I Play Free No Download Poker on My Phone?
There are a few ways you can go if you want to play poker (free or otherwise) on your phone. You can download an app from the app store and play for free with the other players on that app.
There are a few OK ones but nothing truly special. And, in fact, most of the free poker apps we've tried via the App store or Google Play are pretty crappy.
Appeak Poker is one that stands out as relatively solid and with fun games/tournaments for all levels of players and a good leaderboard challenge.
You can also download the full app from a regular poker site like PokerStars or 888poker. This will give you the best mobile poker experience but it is actually an app you download to your phone or tablet.
Or you can simply create an account at an online poker site and access the no download (instant play) software via your phone's built in web browser. This can be used for either free or real-money play, is fast, has most of the features of the downloadable app and can be accessed in seconds.
If you are playing for real money it's equally secure; if you're playing for free money it's super easy to use on the train, on a plane or anywhere you want to play poker on the go.
Can I Play Real Money No Download Poker?
Yes, of course you can do that too. If you do want to go the full nine yards and play no download poker for real money you can do that to. You will use the same account name you used to set up your play-money account but you will need to fund it through any one of a variety of methods (Visa, Mastercard, Neteller, Skrill, paysafecard etc).
See our full list of all online poker deposit options and check the cashier at each individual poker site for their specific payment options.
Do I Need to Install Anything to Play No Download Online Poker?
You shouldn't. If you have the latest version of your Internet browser on your phone or tablet it should open and play on demand without having to install anything new.
Most Internet browsers have already accounted for things like Flash or Silverlight or HTML5 which might be required to play in-browser games so you should have no issues. If you use Chrome you may need to go into your settings and enable one of the above but it will all be explained in the browser itself when you start up the game.
Can I Play Free No Download Video Poker?
You can - and from the same account - but you will need to jump over the the casino side of the poker site software to do so. PokerStars and 888poker, for example, both have integrated casinos in their software where you can access all sorts of table and casino games including video poker.
Follow the links to the casino side and you be able to find the instant play video poker games there. You can either play in demo or free play mode to play them free or you can make a deposit and play them for real money on the no download software as well.
Is Free No Download Poker Safe and Secure?
With nothing at risk financially, the only thing possibly at risk with free no download poker is your name and basic personal information but all of that is encrypted and protected by any online poker site.
If you choose to play no download poker for real money the same rules of encryption and security apply as for any online transaction so as long as you keep your passwords and bank details away from prying eyes you will have no concerns.
How Can I Play Free Poker Tournaments Online with No Download?
If you create a new account at an online poker account you will typically be gifted a series of tickets into what are called 'freerolls' - free poker tournaments with no cash entry fee but real money prizes for the top finishers.
You don't have to make a deposit to play in these events and your tickets will be immediately accessible in your account. The welcome or entry freerolls usually have fairly small prize pools (say $100 or $500) but that is very real money and if you do make it into the final 10% or so you will get a share of it.
You can then use that money to play in other real-money tournaments or cash games where you can win even greater sums. Several well-known poker pros, in fact, began their entire poker career by winning money in freerolls and never looked back. They never made a deposit and ultimately have gone on to win millions from online poker alone.
You don't need to download any software to play in these freerolls either - they are equally accessible by using the no download software provided at the poker site. For more information on how you can access freerolls and more free poker tournaments, check our freerolls information page:
What are the Downsides to Free No Download Poker?
Truthfully, there aren't too many. If you're a real hardcore poker player or aficionado you will find a couple of things missing from the no download software:
- Customization options like custom bet sliders and four-color decks
- No multi-tabling
- No capability for HUD overlay
If you're a casual poker player in it to learn a bit more about the game and have some fun and/or bragging rights over your friends, the above things likely aren't an obstacle to you. You might not even know they exist in the first place.
No download poker provides more than enough online poker computing power than the average player needs or wants. The game is fast, streamlined and very easy to play and understand.
Free Poker Practice No Download
If you ever intend to play online poker for real money, large or small - or even if you'd just like to have an 'authentic' online poker experience with play that most closely reflects what you would find in a live casino or card room, playing no download poker online at a real poker site is your best option.
Free poker games and apps may offer something that looks similar to poker but it's actually quite far from it. There's very little strategy, effort or sense to it, to be honest. Random plays are the norm and you'll rarely if ever find a community of true poker enthusiasts you can learn and grow with.
Free Poker Slots No Download No Registration
Playing free no download poker on a legitimate poker site, however, is the best of both worlds. You don't have to make any deposits, you don't have to download any software to your computer or smartphone nor do you need to buy any play-money chips.
You can try out a variety of different game types, play in tournaments, win actual real money you can use for real play and your experience will most closely mimic what it's like to play real online poker. As you play the free games and build up your bankroll, you'll also gain confidence and understanding of proper poker play and a real shot at becoming a lifelong winning player.
If you then want to take those newfound skills and play online poker for real money, too, you're just a short step away!
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