When you buy through affiliate links in our content, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn Poker bonuses help you pad your bankroll while trying to win in cash games and tournaments. We’ll discuss the best poker bonuses and how to claim them, as well as which sites have them. Check the following top online poker rooms to join in the US.
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| Best Crypto Poker Site |
CoinPoker |
150% deposit bonus up to $2,000 |
150% deposit bonus up to $2,000
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CoinPoker
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TECHO
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Ignition |
100% Poker Bonus + 100% Casino Combo Bonus |
100% Poker Bonus + 100% Casino Combo Bonus
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Ignition
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NO CODE REQUIRED
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Americas Card Room |
New Player Bonus Up To $2,000 |
New Player Bonus Up To $2,000
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Americas Card Room
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NO CODE REQUIRED
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Black Chip Poker |
100% up to $2,000 |
100% up to $2,000
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Black Chip Poker
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NO CODE REQUIRED
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BetOnline |
100% Bonus up to $1,000 |
100% Bonus up to $1,000
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BetOnline
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NO CODE REQUIRED
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Bovada |
100% Bonus up to $500 |
100% Bonus up to $500
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Bovada
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NO CODE REQUIRED
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Ya Poker |
100% up to $2,000 |
100% up to $2,000
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Ya Poker
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NO CODE REQUIRED
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- Show Full Guide
Comparing the Best Online Poker Bonuses
The poker sites below offer some of the industry’s best poker bonuses – and you can find extra detail in terms of their poker network and rakeback.
| Poker Room | Welcome Bonus | Promo Code | Rake (Cap) | Rakeback | Network | Poker Games |
| CoinPoker | 100% up to $2,000 (USDT) | N/A – Claim Here | 5% ($0.30 – $25) | 33% (paid through CHP token) | Proprietary | Texas hold’em, Omaha PL, 5-card Omaha |
| BetOnline | 100% up to $1,000 + tourney tickets | POKER1000 | 5.56% ($1.50 – $8) | Weekly rake-based prizes | Chico Poker | Texas hold’em, Omaha, PL Omaha, Stud |
| Bovada | 100% up to $500 | PWB500 | 5% ($2 – $4) | N/A | PaiWangLuo | Texas hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo |
| Ignition | Up to $3,000 ($1.5k for poker) | N/A – Claim Here | 5% ($2 – $4) | N/A | PaiWangLuo | Texas hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo |
| SportsBetting.ag | 100% up to $1,000 + tourney tickets | POKER1000 | 5.56% ($1.50 – $8) | Weekly rake-based prizes | Chico Poker | Texas hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, Stud |
Top US Poker Sites with Bonuses Reviewed
Our Techopedia team has played at and analyzed dozens of online poker sites to find the best options. We’ll explain why these are our top picks and cover their poker offers below.
1. CoinPoker – Top All-Around Poker Site
- Founded: 2017
- Payout speed: 0-1 days
- License: Curaçao Gaming Control Board
- Headquarters: Curaçao
CoinPoker is a unique online poker room that doesn’t require KYC and centers on cryptocurrencies.
This poker site offers you 33% rakeback, which gets paid in CoinPoker’s native token, CHP.
The CoinPoker bonus is 150% of your first deposit up to $2,000 (in Tether).
Players will release $10 in bonus funds for every $20 paid in rake. By comparison, the release terms at most poker sites are higher (eg $50 rake per $5). The platform also has several leaderboard races to join.
In addition, there’s an enticing Sunday Specials tournament lineup. A $200,000 “Nemesis” tournament highlights the Sunday tourney extravaganza. You can only deposit with crypto to play in CoinPoker’s tournaments and cash games (hold’em, PL Omaha, 5-card Omaha).
Features Overview
- Poker Options: 9/10
- Poker Promotions & Rewards: 9/10
- User Experience: 10/10
- Payment Methods: 9/10
- Customer Support: 10/10
- $200k Sunday tournament
- Other enticing “Sunday Specials” tourneys
- Excellent bonus release rate
- 33% rakeback paid every two weeks
- No KYC & fast registration
- No traditional deposit methods
- Doesn’t offer live chat
- No other gambling options (e.g., casino)
2. BetOnline – Great for Poker Features
- Founded: 1991
- Payout speed: 0-14 days
- License: Panama Gaming Control Board
- Headquarters: Panama City, Panama
BetOnline is the leading poker site on the Chico Network. It stands out for its Sunday Majors tournaments, which are highlighted by a $150,000 main event. If cash games are your thing, you’ll find some of the industry’s softer tables here.
BetOnline features are also impressive and includes a Bad Beat Jackpot, Straddle, All-In Cashout (buy pre-river equity in your hand), Six Plus (all 2-6 cards are removed), and Run It Multiple Times.
After playing through the sign up bonus, the poker site throws in tournament tickets, with the number depending upon you meeting rake goals.
On the downside, BetOnline does not offer rakeback like some poker rooms. It instead gives you weekly prizes for paying certain amounts of rake. I would also like to see the BetOnline rake come down from its 5.56% figure at most stakes.
Features Overview
- Poker Options: 9/10
- Poker Promotions & Rewards: 9/10
- User Experience: 9/10
- Payment Methods: 10/10
- Customer Support: 10/10
- Loaded Sunday Majors lineup
- $150k Sunday Majors Main Event
- Several entertaining features (e.g., Straddle)
- Large Bad Beat Jackpot
- Soft cash tables
- 30-day expiry date on bonus
- Rake is higher than average
- No standard rakeback deal
3. Bovada Poker – Boasting $2m in Weekly Gtd. Tournaments
- Founded: 2011
- Payout speed: 0-14 days
- License: Costa Rica
- Headquarters: Costa Rica
Bovada strictly focuses on the US market, boasting one of the industry’s strongest weekly tournament schedules, with $2 million in guaranteed prize pools.
The highlight of this lineup is a $200,000 event every Sunday, where first place wins at least $20k.
The poker bonus is relatively modest compared to other poker sites. Bovada Poker does not offer rakeback or many promos either, which I would like to see change.
Nevertheless, I still love the tournaments and overall feel of this site. I found the mobile version to be particularly user-friendly when playing cash games.
Features Overview
- Poker Options: 9/10
- Poker Promotions & Rewards: 7/10
- User Experience: 10/10
- Payment Methods: 9/10
- Customer Support: 10/10
- $2m in weekly guaranteed tournaments
- $200,000 tournament each Sunday
- Interesting features like Anonymous Tables
- Nice mobile poker layout & design
- Solid online casino & sportsbook
- Modest poker bonus at $500 max
- Does not offer rakeback
- Not many poker promos
4. Ignition Poker – Huge Poker Welcome Bonus
- Founded: 2016
- Payout speed: 0-14 days
- License: Curaçao Gaming Control Board
- Headquarters: Curaçao
Like Bovada, Ignition Poker also operates on the PaiWangLuo Network. It stands out immediately for offering one of the biggest poker bonuses.
Ignition is a renowned place to play for free bonus poker funds because it offers $2,500 in weekly freerolls.
Some of its other online poker promotions could be bigger, but I’m still satisfied with the large welcome offer and freerolls. The VIP program also delivers poker rewards on your cash game and tournament play.
You can enjoy hold’em, Omaha, and Omaha Hi-Lo. Ignition features a Triple Header Sunday event with tournament prize pools worth $10k (Warm Up), $75k (Kickoff), and $150k (Main Event).
Features Overview
- Poker Options: 8/10
- Poker Promotions & Rewards: 10/10
- User Experience: 9/10
- Payment Methods: 9/10
- Customer Support: 9/10
- $1,500 max poker bonus ($3k overall)
- Ignition Rewards program
- $2,500 in weekly freerolls
- Triple Header Sunday lineup
- Large online casino
- Poker promotions could be more lucrative
- Doesn’t provide rakeback
- Average number of deposit methods
5. SportsBetting.ag – Unique Poker Tourneys & Formats
- Founded: 2003
- Payout speed: 0-10 days
- License: Directorate of Offshore Gaming (Antigua)
- Headquarters: Antigua & Barbuda
Sportsbetting.ag has been included in our list of top 5 poker sites for its unique offerings, like Mystery Bounty Tournaments, Jackpot Windfalls (sit-and-gos), and Open Face Chinese Pineapple.
The Jackpot Windfalls are particularly enticing because they offer prizes worth up to 2,500x your buy-in.
The poker sign-up bonus here is worth checking out as it comes with many tournament tickets. You can also pick up random prizes by logging into your account and choosing a face-down card.
I did initially have trouble using the Sportsbetting.ag desktop version on my Chromebook, but I eventually got it working. Another small complaint is the 5.56% rake at most limits. Besides these manageable drawbacks, Sportsbetting.ag Poker is certainly worth checking out.
Features Overview
- Poker Options: 8/10
- Poker Promotions & Rewards: 9/10
- User Experience: 8/10
- Payment Methods: 9/10
- Customer Support: 10/10
- Mystery Bounty Tournaments
- Tournament tickets included with bonus
- Jackpot sit-and-gos
- Random poker rewards
- Offers casino games & sports betting
- Rake is slightly high
- Bonus expires in 30 days
- Desktop version doesn’t always work
Types of Poker Bonuses
You can find plenty of online poker promotions across different sites. Below are some of the best poker bonuses available to claim.
Poker Sign Up Bonus
You qualify for a poker sign-up bonus (a.k.a. poker welcome bonus) by completing registration and making your first deposit at a new site.
Poker sign-up bonuses are the most-lucrative offers because they’re meant to attract players. The majority of the operators covered here offer a poker welcome bonus worth up to four digits or more.
Poker Deposit Bonus
Most poker bonuses require you to place a deposit to qualify. They typically match you by a certain percentage, such as 100% up to $600 on PokerStars, or 150% up to $2000 on CoinPoker.
Sites stipulate a minimum deposit for these poker offers, with a poker deposit bonus usually requiring anywhere from a $20 to $50 minimum.
Poker No Deposit Bonus
No deposit poker bonuses are special because they don’t require financial risk on your part. Instead, you merely sign up for an account and collect your poker no deposit bonus.
The lone problem is that any poker signup bonus with no deposit required is rare. None of our favorite operators currently provide these offers. Nevertheless, if you find an online poker no deposit bonus, then you should capitalize on it.
Rakeback
Online poker rooms earn their money by charging you rake in tournaments and cash games. However, some of them also give you back a percentage of this rake for your loyalty.
For example, CoinPoker delivers 33% rakeback every Monday for the previous two weeks’ of play. If you spent $20 in rake under this deal, you would get $6.60 back.
Reload Bonus
In contrast to a welcome or no deposit bonus poker offer, a reload bonus is available to a site’s existing players. It rewards you for reloading your account with another deposit.
For instance, you might get a 75% up to $300 bonus for depositing at least $20. If you’re constantly on the lookout for real money and bonuses for poker, then reload offers are worth your time.
Tournament Tickets
A tournament ticket gets you into an online poker tourney for free.
For example, you might receive an $11 ticket to cover a $10 buy-in plus $1 rake/fee. Tournament tickets often come attached to other online poker promotions.
VIP Poker Rewards
Many poker sites also offer VIP programs, which give you special poker rewards as a token of appreciation. These rewards can include better rakeback deals, tournament tickets, and exclusive poker offers.
Loyalty programs also have different tiers, with benefits improving as you gain higher status. If you climb high enough in a program, you might even get a special no deposit poker bonus.
Refer-a-Friend
Online poker sites use refer-a-friend programs to up their efforts in attracting new players. They give you poker bonuses (eg $50) to motivate you to recruit buddies.
You participate by sending your friend a referral link, which they use to visit the site and sign up.
Of course, you won’t get an instant poker bonus for your efforts—the buddy still needs to deposit and play a certain amount. Regardless, referral poker deals are worth consideration.
Periodic Bonuses
These poker promotions run at certain times of the year, such as Christmas, Halloween, and St. Patrick’s Day. For example, you may see a 100% up to $300 reload bonus plus 5 tournament tickets around Christmas time.
These poker bonuses might also be available during an operator’s slow season (eg July & August). Either way, they represent more poker free bonus opportunities.
What is the Best Online Poker Bonus?
All five operators discussed here offer worthwhile poker bonuses. If you’re looking for the absolute best poker bonus, though, we recommend the promo at CoinPoker.
While CoinPoker does not feature the biggest offer, its poker bonus (Tether/USDT) has the ideal combination of size and reasonable wagering requirements. You unlock $10 for every $20 in rake contributed.
Many other poker bonuses are stingier, such as Sportsbetting.ag ($5 per $50 in rake). We’re not saying that you should avoid the Sportsbetting.ag bonus altogether. Instead, we are just highlighting why CoinPoker offers the best online poker bonus.
What are Poker Bonus Codes
Some sites require that you use a poker promo code (a.k.a. poker bonus code) to qualify for offers. For example, BetOnline does require a special code to claim its sign up promotion.
Keep in mind that not all operators ask for poker bonus codes like CoinPoker.
How to “Clear” Your Poker Bonus Money
Whether you’re going for a sign-up or no deposit bonus poker offer, you must meet terms and conditions before withdrawing the funds.
The following terms are common for clearing free bonus poker funds and cashing out.
Eligible Payment Methods for Claiming Poker Bonuses
Outside of a no deposit poker offer, you must fund your account to qualify for bonuses. The following payment methods are the most common for making deposits and claiming poker deals.
Cryptocurrencies
Many offshore poker sites accept cryptocurrencies for deposits and withdrawals.
They don’t enjoy dealing with middlemen like banks and eWallets, which is where a key advantage of crypto lies. Crypto allows for peer-to-peer transactions between players and poker rooms.
Popular cryptocurrencies regarding real money and bonuses in poker include Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Dogecoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Tron, USDC, and USDT.
Debit and Credit Cards
Credit and debit cards allow for instant deposits at online poker rooms. They are highly common banking options at offshore sites (eg those licensed by Curaçao Gaming Control).
The two main catches with debit and credit cards, though, include high rejection rates and fees. In the latter case, you might end up covering a 10% fee to deposit with your card.
Bank Transfer
A bank transfer lets you move money from your account to a poker site’s bank account (or vice versa). It’s a convenient way to make deposits and withdrawals when playing online poker.
Again, though, offshore poker rooms do not enjoy middlemen and associated fees. They must also be mindful of the UIGEA, which creates an extra hurdle for offshore gambling bank transfers.
eWallets
You can link a credit card and/or bank account to an eWallet, then use this method to deposit and withdraw poker funds.
Popular eWallets include Skrill, Neteller, and PayPal. Unfortunately, these same eWallets do not commonly deal with offshore poker rooms.
Prepaid Cards
A prepaid card is similar to using a credit/debit card to qualify for online poker real money free bonus funds. It also sees you enter digits from the card to place instant deposits.
However, the key difference is that you must load money onto the card before use. You’ll often be loading the exact amount needed to claim a poker deposit bonus.
Other Poker Payment Methods
We have covered many of the common and best poker online banking options. However, you may hear about or come across digital wallets, bank wires, and checks.
Digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay are much like eWallets.
Bank wires let you receive payments from a poker site’s bank account, but they come with considerable fees (eg $35 and above).
A check is a slow (10-15 days) and expensive (fees can be $50+) withdrawal option.
How to Sign Up and Claim a Poker Bonus
You can sign up, deposit, and claim online poker bonuses with relative ease. The following steps show how simple this process is at our recommended sites.
Pick a Poker Site with a Great Bonus
Consider one of the online poker rooms on this page, like CoinPoker and click the button to claim the poker welcome bonus.
Fill Out the Sign Up Form
Once you’ve reached a poker room, you can select Register (or the relevant option) to pull up the registration form. You then fill in all required fields and submit your account information.
Download the App if Necessary
Depending on the online poker room, you may have to download a mobile poker app to access their offerings. In other cases, simply visit the relevant poker site and play through your smartphone or tablet browser.
Claim Your Poker Bonus
This step may come before or after the deposit process—it all depends upon the site. In either case, you usually claim a poker bonus from your account area. You might also need to enter a poker promo code during this step.
Place Your Deposit
Many online poker rooms that we recommend accept credit cards and cryptocurrencies. You must choose your desired banking method and place the minimum qualifying deposit for the poker sign up bonus.
Start Playing Cash Games & Tournaments
You’ll need to generate rake or earn loyalty points to release your poker bonus. Gambling sites typically give you small increments of the bonus as you complete the requirements.
What is an Online Poker Bonus?
Online poker bonuses provide opportunities to earn extra money beyond your play. For example, a 100% poker bonus might give you a chance to earn up to $1,000 max.
Of course, the amount you get from poker promotions depends upon multiple factors. Your deposit and playing volume influence the size of bonus you’re eligible for. You stand to maximize winnings from poker bonuses with larger deposits and more play.
Regarding the latter, you typically unlock bonus funds by contributing rake through cash games and tournaments. For instance, you might collect $5 for every $25 paid in rake.
Most operators put an expiration date (eg 60 days) on how long you have to unlock money from poker deals. Now that we’ve covered how online poker bonuses work, let’s discuss their advantages:
- You can earn free money—especially if you’re already winning on the tables.
- Some poker promotions are unique and entertaining (eg random prizes at Sportsbetting.ag).
- You don’t have to get the entire bonus to win (eg you unlock $50 of a $100 bonus before it expires).
- Certain offers don’t cost you anything, such as an online poker no deposit bonus.
Are Poker Bonuses Good or Bad?
Poker bonuses are almost always worthwhile because they have lots of upside and few drawbacks.
First, bonus offers ensure that you don’t have to play your best poker online to win. You can use a combination of solid play and bonus funds to increase your bankroll.
Online poker bonuses deliver money even when you don’t earn the entire thing. If you release $100 of a $200 bonus, you still keep $100. Contrast this to casino and sportsbook bonuses, where you either meet playthrough and earn the entire bonus or get nothing at all.
Poker promotions normally don’t exclude certain games from satisfying wagering requirements. This differs from casino bonuses, for example, where games like blackjack, craps, and roulette might not contribute to playthrough.
Check out the expanded list of poker bonus pros below, along with the potential cons.
- Paid in increments
- Bonuses boost your bankroll
- Don’t usually exclude games
- Can enhance your poker experience
- Available in abundance across the industry
- May encourage you to play too much
- Playthrough can be unrealistic at some sites
- Some promos are worse than others
Best Poker Bonuses – Our Verdict
We highly recommend that you check out one or more poker bonuses at our recommended sites. After all, you might as well chase promotions if you’ll be playing online poker anyways.
The CoinPoker bonus is our favorite because it’s both large and easy to clear – with only a 2x wagering requirement to earn 150% up to $2000.
Of course, you can’t go wrong by pursuing other poker bonuses either at BetOnline, Bovada, etc. to build a bankroll with multiple offers, sometimes known as ‘bonus whoring’.
Just remember that bonuses are meant to enhance your experience—not cause you to take excessively risks in an effort to earn them.
We suggest picking an offer with fair requirements, making a reasonable deposit, and having fun while going for bonuses.
How We Test and Review Poker Websites
150+ Gambling Platforms Reviewed
1,100+ Games Software Tested
200+ Monthly Hours of Research
375+ Promotions Verified
Playing online poker is becoming more popular by the day and you need to choose a reputable site that best matches your needs.
We here at Techopedia have an in-house review process that’s analyzed by our poker experts that covers each and every aspect of the most popular online poker sites in the world.
In particular we look at:
- Rakeback and other bonuses
- Game selection
- Player pool size
- Reputation and safety
- Payment methods
To find out more, take a look at our detailed guide on how we test gambling platforms and poker sites featured on Techopedia.
FAQs
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Affiliate Disclosure: Techopedia may receive advertising commissions for visits to a suggested operator through our affiliate links, at no added cost to you. However, all our recommendations are unbiased and follow a thorough review process. Gambling can be addictive, please play responsibly and you must be of legal gambling age.
References
- https://www.gamingcontrolcuracao.org (Curaçao Gaming Control Board)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unlawful_Internet_Gambling_Enforcement_Act_of_2006(Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act)
