There are so many poker sites to choose from, and this makes it difficult to pick the one which suits you best. To help you out, we have provided all the information you need to know around the best Poker Sites in the UK, including details around the best poker sites for beginners, as well as the best poker sites for new and existing customer offers.
Top 10 UK Poker Sites
1. PokerStars
One of the biggest and most well-established poker sites has everything you’d expect from an industry leader.
Starting with the basics. They have the standard tournaments and cash games for the traditional player, like myself. Once you’ve signed up it’s easy to navigate through the different areas and begin playing almost immediately.
For the non-traditional players, you also have games such as Spin & Go which sees you play up against a smaller group of players. Buy-ins are lower and games are far quicker. It’s easy to get carried away in this section so be sure to budget for the pace.
One aspect of PokerStars which we enjoyed was the custom leagues. In this section, it’s possible to invite friends and play online together. However, the data is still limited and needs to be exported as a separate file rather than showing it in an online profile.
2. GG Poker
- Amazing selection of games
- More worldwide players than other sites
I have to admit that GG Poker was a new site for me, but having one of the highest worldwide users and being an award winner in the Poker Listings operator rewards a few years back, it’s a good thing I tried it out. You can use the GG Poker bonus code which is GGMBS when signing up, and it’s an eye-catching offer for new customers to hopefully take advantage of.
To start, GG Poker has a wide variety of games and tournaments for all types of players. This includes the game Spin & Gold, which once had a $2m prize pool for a single tournament, the winner taking home a tidy $1m jackpot. There’s also the Battle Royale Spin & Go. An hour-long battle between 30 players. The timespan for me was a great feature on this as some larger tournaments can last for hours if you’re doing well.
My favourite part of GG Poker was the Smart Hud. Having used PokerStars for many years and becoming quite frustrated with the lack of data, the Smart Hud is a breath of fresh air. Not only is there data to delve into and find out about your playing skills, you can also focus your attention on opponents. It displays tournament winnings, something I always struggled to find on other sites and offers an impressive tool that reveals a player’s tendency to go all-in.
Despite being relatively new in comparison to the older bookmakers, GG Poker is a site that I’ll be using more and certainly recommend it for players looking to tweak their game.
3. bet365 Poker
- Great for beginners
- 24/7 customer support
I have no doubt you know who bet365 are, so I don’t need to explain how big they are in the world of betting. But this reputation helps it in the poker industry too. They can be trusted, most of the time, to have a site that works with a reliable withdrawal process and a customer service team on hand to help out. If you put your money in, you know that no one is going to take it and run. Unless you’re taking a chance on a 2-7 against a pair of aces of course.
It’s listed as one of the best mainly due to its style and approach for newer players and the inclusion of beginner tables. Something I’ve not seen on many other sites. Available for players who have been registered for 90 days or less, these small stake games have a max of $1/$2 and can stop beginner tilt causing players to lose their money too soon. But there are downsides. The beginner tables aren’t always busy enough to get a real understanding of the game. Plus, players who sign up under different accounts, or have been playing for years and have only just created an account, wouldn’t be classed as beginners and yet, can still play the tables.
There’s also the issue of rake, with bet365 consistently offering a high percentage. For example, for 5NL ($0.02/$0.05) bet365 is the highest of all the UK poker sites with 8.33%.
Overall though, bet365 poker is a site worth considering if you’re new to the game and need a place to practice before moving on to the more professional tables and world tournaments.
4. William Hill Poker
Another established site with a good reputation, William Hill covers a lot of bases. I’ve read in some places that it’s an ideal level for beginners, and while it does have a great poker school with tips on tournaments and head to head, it also promotes a lot of different games. Rather than just sticking to the classic Texas Hold’em.
For example, they don’t only offer the Twister Sit & Go, but also have Age of Gods Twister and Wild Twister. While I’m not a regular player of these new styles, it can help to speed up poker when you start to feel dragged down by long tournaments. In Age of Gods the blind increases every two minutes and jackpots are unique for every player. This can make your winnings far larger than if you’re playing regular tables where you often need two or three screens open to make a decent return.
If you’re a fan of the twister style games then William Hill also has a great offer for new customers.
5. Unibet Poker
- Browser based playing
- Best rake % in online poker
Another big gun in the world of online betting and poker, Unibet offers some of the best options for all types of players, whether you’re a newbie or experienced. They have everything you’d expect from a top poker site, with the bonus that, unlike William Hill, you don’t need to download an app and can play in your browser. This is great, as I already have too many apps and don’t always have room for more.
But the main reason Unibet is in our top ten is their rake benefits. If you’re unaware of what rake is, it’s the percentage fee taken from each game so that the site can make money for providing the service. And Unibet offers some of the lowest in the industry with a consistently low percentage of around 3/4%.
With a combination of great rake percentages, a tidy user interface and a loyalty system, Unibet is one of my favourites.
6. Ladbrokes Poker
Ladbrokes finds its way onto our list as the steady eddie of the bunch. There’s nothing here that stands out from the others but they do a bit of everything and they do it well. But that’s not to say they won’t improve. Having revamped their layout they now boast Table 3.0, which includes:
- Bigger table & player avatars
- Improved table graphics & animations
- Expansive in-the-money (ITM) indicator with detailed mouse overview
- Improved hand strength display
- Rabbit Hunt improvements
- Updated rank dialogues with improved design
The Ladbrokes poker rake is also fairly standard at a rate of around 5%. If a pot reaches $0.20 then $0.01 will be collected by the operator. Again, while this isn’t the best rake in the industry, it’s also not the worst.
If you’re looking for safe and reliable then Ladbrokes has you covered. Find out more on our page dedicated to the Ladbrokes sign up offers.
7. Paddy Power Poker
With so many sites competing in a market with limited options, the site to pick often comes down to the offers. That includes both new and existing customer offers. The new and existing customer offers that Paddy Power provides are very good.
That’s not the only thing in their favour. Being a huge brand you’re guaranteed a reliable experience with good customer service. Their poker networks are run by iPoker, offering a 100% random number generator and they offer regular players rewards in rakeback and freerolls.
There’s nothing here that pushes Paddy Power to the top of the pack, but if you use their sportsbook and want to stay with your trusted brand, there’s nothing here that should push you to look elsewhere.
8. Party Poker
As far as online poker goes, Party Poker has seen it all. Having started in 2001, they saw a huge chunk of players leave as the US imposed laws on online poker. But they survived and have grown their audience again to be one of the top sites for worldwide players.
One of the advantages, for me, is their anonymous cash games. If you’re unfamiliar with why, some players like to use poker software for tracking opponents. The majority of these players will be professional and use the software to gain the upper hand. If you’re more of a recreational player and like cash games, Party Poker is a great place to spend your time. However, if you like poker software, then this might not be the one for you. It should also be pointed out that tournaments are not anonymous.
They also partypokerTV, something that not all poker brands have. A section of the site that uses Twitch and Youtube to show coverage of both live and pre-recorded games. Watching these is a must if you’re new to poker as following the moves from pro players can really help your game.
Similar to Ladbrokes, Party Poker does a lot well but falls just short of the top poker sites on our list. They’re a good option, with plenty of players but if you’re looking to move from recreational to professional, then sites like PokerStars will be a better option.
9. NetBet Poker
- Fast paced games like Snap
- Exclusive freerolls
NetBet poker just makes it into our top 10. At times there are fewer players than expected. Despite this, they have a wide range of good offers, bonuses and promotions as they continue to get more customers to their site. They have weekly special offers and also run lots of poker tournaments. They also have a Poker Academy, which is a free and fun Poker school that helps educate you on everything you need to know before playing poker. For more experienced players, NetBet has the VIP Club, where you can earn points and receive rewards.
Most poker sites have such offers, and despite NetBet’s being good, it doesn’t make me want to stick with them over the biggest sites. They have everything you need, great tournaments, cash games and as mentioned, great bonuses, but for me, PokerStars and GGPoker are still clear when it comes to overall best poker sites.
10. Sky Poker
- Great community & poker forums
- Live events
Sky Poker are another operator that are worthy of a mention within our top-ten. Their site is slightly dated in some areas compared to some of the other operators within our top-ten best poker sites, but they’re still a well-respected operator in the betting industry, and their poker coverage is strong.
They have plenty of tournaments, Sit & Go games, and cash games available to their customers throughout the year, whilst also having a useful ‘Academy’, which is used to teach beginners the basics of poker, which can be a tricky game to understand if you’re new to the betting scene.
Best UK Poker Betting Offers
- Amazing selection of games
- More worldwide players than other sites
- Great for beginners
- 24/7 customer support
- Browser based playing
- Best rake % in online poker
- Great community & poker forums
- Live events
- Fast paced games like Snap
- Exclusive freerolls
- Great for beginners
- 24/7 customer support
Best Poker Sites for Tournaments
The best poker site for tournaments is PokerStars, though GG Poker comes a close second. Both have a huge player base and can regularly fill the seats at all hours of the day. That includes the tournaments consisting of hundreds, if not thousands of players at a time. The tournaments with these volumes of players provide a good way to play for low stakes and high prizes. Though my tip is to play two or three at once, as they can become quite slow.
In fairness, most of the sites we’ve listed will provide similar tournaments, especially if you’re like me and prefer to stick with the basics. But those that have the majority of players from a specific region may go quiet after a certain time.
Best Poker Sites for Beginners
The best poker site for beginners is PokerStars. PokerStars is often considered one of the best poker sites for beginners due to several key factors that cater specifically to new players. Here’s some of the key factors they have.
- User-Friendly Interface: PokerStars’ clean, intuitive software works seamlessly on desktop, mobile, and web, making it easy for beginners to navigate.
- Extensive Tutorials and Resources: Free lessons, guides, and the PokerStars School help new players learn rules and strategies at their own pace.
- Wide Range of Stakes: Low buy-ins and freerolls let beginners practice and win real money without significant financial risk.
- Practice Options: “Play money” games provide a risk-free way for beginners to build confidence.
- Game Variety: PokerStars offers a variety of games, including Texas Hold’em and Omaha, helping players find their favorite format.
- Active Player Base: A large global community ensures games are available 24/7 at all skill levels.
- Beginner-Specific Tables: Designated tables for new players provide a less intimidating environment.
- Bonuses and Promotions: Generous bonuses and free entries help beginners grow their bankroll.
- Trusted Reputation: As a licensed and secure platform, PokerStars is a reliable choice for new players.
- Player Support: Responsive customer support assists beginners with any questions or issues.
Best Poker App
The best poker app is GG Poker because of its industry-leading technology and slick design. Nowadays, all poker sites have mobile apps, meaning you can use their poker sites with ease wherever you are. The GG Poker app was easy to download and we had a pleasant experience on the app. It is easy to find any game, tool or feature that you need, whilst you can also look at their FAQs for any information. They also have a good customer service. With a wide variety of games, as well as a smooth and easy way to deposit and withdraw your money, GG Poker currently has a great mobile app.
How we picked our list of Best Poker Sites
Picking the best poker sites wasn’t an easy task and there are a lot of different factors to consider. As you probably know, having read the above, we picked looking at the size of the user base, the rake, user interface and the volume of tournaments. And on the surface, most of the best sites have the basics covered and provide a decent service. But when it comes to parting with your money, a reliable and well-known site is always a good choice. Especially if you already have a favoured brand you’ve used for making sports bets.
There are many different online poker sites that you can choose from, and each bettor will have their own preference as to what they look out for. However, our team of betting experts would recommend the likes of PokerStars, GG Poker, and bet365 Poker as some of the best poker betting sites.
Yes. You’ll be pleased to know that bet365 Poker is available to bet365 customers. There’s even a dedicated mobile app to this area of their site, and so you won’t be disappointed with what they have to offer you when it comes to poker.
Yes. You’re able to play online poker in the UK providing that you’re 18 or older.
Sadly for now you are not able to play Global Poker in the UK. It is only available at this current time in the US and in Canada.