Mac Poker Sites

If you are using an iPad or iPhone, then you will also have the option to install apps from some poker sites. This is just from the biggest global sites. At the time of writing none of the offshore sites which welcome US players have app options. While the biggest sites give you all the game options, it can be difficult to effectively multi-table via an app.

Browser poker games also work on phones and tablets via your browser window. I recommend you check out the sites offering real-money mobile poker games, and try them out for small stakes before you commit – as there is a big variation in the quality available.

What Kinds of Poker Work Best on a Mac?

There are a lot of different ways to enjoy real money poker on your Mac. In addition to many different poker game types, there are 4 major forms of the game – each of which have their own variations. While it is possible to enjoy them all, experienced players recommend that you specialize – at least until you are profitable in one of the formats and ready to spread your wings.

Cash Games: Cash Games are the ‘standard’ poker format. As the name suggests, you play for cash, and your chips are worth the amount of hard currency which is stamped on them. You can find Mac compatible poker cash games with buy-ins from around $2. If you are an experience pro, then the bigger sites offer games where the buy-ins are 5-figures. The most common cash game table size is 6-max these days.

Tournaments: Instead of chips with a real value, this format is played with ‘Tournament Chips’ each player buys in for a specified amount, and is given a stack of chips. When your chips are gone, you bust out. These games play until one player has all of the chips, with prizes awarded for how deep you finished. Tournaments are great from a desktop or laptop Mac computer. For many people, they are considered too long for mobile phone play.

Sit N Goes: These started off as a subset of tournament poker, though have since branched out in many ways. The standard games are 1 table of 9 players, with 3 getting paid. The name ‘Sit N Go’ comes from the fact that these games start as soon as the table is full – as opposed to having a scheduled start time like the bigger tournaments. The main variations which are popular today are double or nothing Sit N Goes and Lottery (jackpot) Sit N Goes, which have randomly determined prize pools.

Fast Fold Poker: This format is ideal for those players who like to cram in a ton of hands in a short session. Fast Fold Poker can be played in cash game or tournament format. Instead of sitting down at a virtual table, you join a pool of players at each buy-in level. At the start of each hand, 6 or 9 players from your pool are randomly sat together. As soon as you fold a new hand starts with different players. This is a very quick and very entertaining format.

Is Playing Real Money Online Poker on My Mac Legal?

This question is mostly asked by US players, who are aware of the banking restrictions which were put in place by the UIGEA of 2006. The short answer is that enjoying real money online poker games at an offshore site is completely legal. The UIGEA only targets banks and poker site operators. Some anti-gambling states may have restrictions in place. To the best of my knowledge, nobody has ever been arrested for playing real money online poker under either federal or state law.