Mobile Poker - Playing Real Money Poker on iPad, iPhone & Android

Find the Best Sites Offering Mobile Poker Games Online

More people go online via mobile devices than desktops these days. This is still a new phenomenon, only taking off in the last 7 to 8 years. This trend shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. For this reason, the real money online poker sites around the world offer mobile gaming options. These come in different types, with apps available from some of the largest real money poker rooms. Other sites offer play via your browser window on mobile phones and tablets.

This page looks at the different types of poker games, debating which is the best format for mobile poker play. You will also find information on the different devices and mobile operating systems that work with poker games. Before that, a look at the legality of real money mobile poker gaming in different worldwide jurisdictions.

Is it Legal to Play Poker for Money on My Mobile?

The laws which affect whether an individual can enjoy online poker for real money depend on their country (and state) of residence. Some countries have very liberal laws, or no regulations at all – meaning you are free to play at whatever sites you like.

In the US, banks are restricted from sending money to poker sites via the federal UIGEA act. Playing online poker for real money on your mobile (or desktop) device is fully legal – as long as you can find a suitable payment option. The sites offering limited mobile poker types are based offshore in Caribbean nations where gambling and poker are fully regulated and legal. I should note that no individual has ever been indicted simply for playing real money online poker from the US. Some states do have laws restricting the rights of individuals to play poker online. One example is Utah.

If you are playing mobile poker from one of the regulated countries. Then the laws will often stipulate that only licensed sites can take your bets. These tend to be the bigger and more reputable poker sites, the same ones which can afford to invest in their mobile poker platforms.

What are the Best Poker Games for Mobile Devices?

Poker is commonly divided into 4 formats, cash games, tournaments, sit n goes and fast-fold poker. There are some big differences in how suitable these games are for mobile poker play. Most of the mobile poker you can find these days is in Texas Holdem format, though there are other game variants available at the largest sites.

I’ll start with the least suitable format – tournaments. Since these can often last for several hours, playing them on a phone-sized screen is not always ideal. The sites realize this, and offer more cash game and fast-fold formats. Since the going can be slow in online poker tournaments, many players like to multi-table them. This is not possible on most mobile poker clients.

Sit N Goes in either the standard 1 table format or the new lottery / jackpot sit n go format are better for mobile devices. These games are fast, and (especially in the later stages) your strategy is restricted to pushing all in or folding.

Cash Games are the most common mobile poker format. The fact that you can dip in and out makes this ideal for a quick session. On most mobile poker sites, you’ll only be able to play 1 table at a time. Some of the bigger sites – for example PokerStars – allow up to 4 tables via their app.

Fast Fold Poker feels like the best fit of all for mobiles, you do not spend time waiting between hands, and will not lose out via having to post more blinds if you disconnect. US based players can enjoy Zone Poker at Ignition, while players worldwide will find fast-fold options at all the major poker sites.

What Devices and Operating Systems Support Mobile Poker?

For phones and tablets, the main operating systems are iOS (which powers Apple devices) and Android. Of these Android is far more prevalent. There is some overlap these days between phone size devices and tablets. I’ll assume phones have 5 inch and smaller screens.

You will find that most mobile poker platforms use responsive browser gaming – rather than apps. In fact, only a couple of the biggest brands have poker apps at all. These are www.888.com and PokerStars. Both have separate installable apps for iOS and Android.

These days, in-browser gaming is very good – so you should certainly try out the options for mobile poker where no app is offered. These games will also work on the small number of mobile devices with different operating systems, for example Windows.

Summing Up – The Future of Mobile Poker

Playing mobile poker for real money is both legal and supported by many of the biggest and best online poker sites. You can enjoy several different formats of poker, though I recommend cash games or fast-fold poker, which are best suited to mobile devices.

With network speeds getting faster all the time, and 5G ready to boost this further, there is a lot of potential for mobile poker. If you have not already checked out what is available on your smartphone or tablet, then do it soon!