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It feels like the New Jersey betting scene has gone from zero to 100 real quick. A couple of years ago, you'd be wishing and hoping for more sports betting, casino or NJ online poker options but now there is an embarrassment of riches.
NJ Poker Sites – Top 10 Legal New Jersey Online Poker Sites for 2020 by Adrian Sterne New Jersey, also known as the Garden State, is considered the most densely populated state in the United States and is also home to several famous celebrities, including Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen. New Jersey has offered legal online poker since 2013. The state signed a compact in 2018 that shares a player pool with Delaware and Nevada. We, at Play NJ, will cover several topics regarding New Jersey's evolving online poker market, including how to play for real money. Best online poker sites for real money in 2020. Between the three major poker networks, New Jersey online poker sites have consistently earned around $1.6-1.8 million per month between them over the last couple of years. WSOP/888 poker has been the market leader of late, followed by PokerStars NJ and partypoker NJ. The market leader online poker site in New Jersey, WSOP.com shares its player pool with Nevada and Delaware, while also enjoying the popularity from the WSOP, one of the world's top poker brand.
With NJ online poker specifically, there are so many good options out there that we wanted to narrow down the field to our a few of our favorite places to play.
After doing a careful evaluation of the places to play and measuring them against each other, here are our Top 3 poker sites to play at for residents of the state of New Jersey.
PokerStars NJ Online
PokerStars has long been one of the biggest names in the business and now that they're back in the United States, they're again one of the major players. While their deposit bonus might be on the lighter side than, say, 888Poker, the tournaments themselves are what draw people here.
To start, they have tons of games on the go as the multi-table tournaments is what most people love here. They have some major events like the annual NJSCOOP or NJCOOP, which have tournaments that reach $1 million in prize pool guarantees.
One of their most popular options will be live tournaments where you can take earn satellites to major events like the European Poker Tour, PokerStars Caribbean Adventure or PokerStars Live London if you play your cards right.
If you're just looking for the basic nightly action, you'll find it here with buy-ins as low as $5 to as high as $50 for various weekday events.
On weekends, guarantees reach as high as $50,000 and Sunday is a particularly good day to play with the Sunday Special ($45,000 guaranteed) and the Sunday High Roller ($15,000 guaranteed).
If tournaments are your flavor, this is the shop you'll want to open an account.
NJ Online Poker Bonus
PokerStars NJ has a slightly different bonus structure than the other two companies on this list. They'll give you a slightly bigger welcome bonus, which is $30 into your account, but you have to make a deposit of $20.
This will appeal to players who are looking to have a small bankroll to start with.
If you like their product and you want to deposit some more, they'll give you a 100% bonus up to $600. That means if you max this out and deposit $600, you'll get another $600 into your account to boost it to $1200.
What Else Can You Play?
PokerStars has different branches with FOX Bet for sports betting and PokerStars Casino for casino gaming.
That means you can get into some poker and then also delve into hours of fun in the casino or all sorts of sports betting lines – if that's what you're looking for. You do not need to fun your account separately as you can use one balance to play.
WSOP NJ Poker Online
WSOP is, of course, one of the biggest brand names in the poker industry. Each year, the World Series of Poker is the main event of the poker calendar as their events bring in some of the biggest fields (2019 main event saw 8569 entries) and biggest prizes (2019 main event award $10 million to the winner).
The online product is top-notch too as they offer plenty of the games that you'll be looking for like No Limit Texas Hold'em, Pot Limit Omaha and Stud Hi-Lo. You can get into games across a range of buy-ins, including as low as one or two-cent tables.
One place where WSOP has the edge over competitors is with sit-and-gos as they usually have a bit more on the go – pun intended – than the others in peak hours. You'll find lots of options anywhere from $1 to $25. If there is a weakness here, it's that they definitely skew more to Texas No Limit Hold'em versus any other games.
NJ Online Poker Deposit Bonus
When you sign up at WSOP.com, you can get your hands on a couple of different bonuses. To start, they'll hook you up with a free $10 just to sign up.
That won't take you super far but at least this gives you an opportunity to register, poker around in the back end and enter a small tournament or two to see how you like the product.
Once you make a full deposit, though, WSOP will hook you up with a 100% bonus all the way up to $1000. In other words, if you deposit $50, they'll give you another $50. If you deposit $1000, they'll boost you up to $2000.
That's a very generous offer as it gives you plenty of funds to play with.
What Else Can You Play?
The difference with WSOP versus the other two on our list is that they solely focus on poker. If you want to have accounts for sports betting or casino gaming, you'll have to look to other shops.
That's not going to be an issue for most players as they already typically have a few sportsbook accounts, a couple of places for casino gaming and a poker outlet too, but sometimes it's nice to have it all under one roof.
888Poker NJ
888Poker is a fantastic outlet for those looking to have a little poker fun. One of the main highlights here is the tournament action, as it feels like they're running almost every hour of the day.
As a matter of fact, they basically do except between 1 AM to 4 AM.
During the week, you'll usually see a tournament guarantees get into the $10,000 range but those can go 10 times as high during the weekends. However, keep in mind that buy-ins for those do get pricier, ranging all the way up to $500.
If you're looking for sit-and-go games, since they don't involve as much of a time commitment as tournaments, you'll find plenty here too but it's only No-Limit Texas Hold'em or Pot-Limit Omaha. You can get into games for as little as 11 cents all the way up to $250.
NJ 888poker Deposit Bonus
888Poker presents new players with a couple of promotions. The first is a $20 welcome bonus, which is for anyone who simply signs up for an account.
You don't even need to make a deposit. The idea here is they want you to try out the product as they're quite confident you'll like it.
Once you see that you do and want to take that next step, you can make a deposit and get a 100% bonus up to $1500. This is quite sizable as you can see the other two companies on this list offer less – if you're planning to deposit up to $1500.
What Else Can You Play?
The benefit of having an account at 888 is you're part of a company that delivers some really good products across multiple outlets.
Not only do they offer poker, you can play in their casino, which has hundreds of slots, table games and classics, and you can bet on sports too.
partypoker
partypoker is viewed as one of the best options for poker players in the state of New Jersey. This is the place to be if you're looking for tournaments as they're constantly running crowded events – often bigger than WSOP or 888poker. Of course, you'll find all of the main classics here like Texas Hold'em – by far the most popular – as well as Omaha and Stud.
They run plenty of multi-table tournaments throughout the week with Tuesday and Sunday being the big days. Sunday offers up the $40,000 guaranteed event, which comes with a $200 buy-in, or players looking for another way in can enter the qualifiers for anywhere from $5-$20. On Tuesday, it's the Mega Tuesday tournament, which present a prize pool of at least $15,000. Those buy-ins are at $535 but again, you can earn yourself a ticket through the $5 qualifiers.
They have plenty of sit & go tournaments here too as well as a cool Fast-Forward Poker, weekly reload bonuses and a loyalty program. Overall, this is the place to be if tournaments are your main priority.
Deposit Bonus
For new players, partypoker is offering up a 100% match bonus up to $1000. That means if you deposit anything up to $1000, they'll match you and boost you to $2000. The one catch here is that the cash doesn't immediately land in your account. How it works is they'll pay it out in 10 equal parts. The more you play, the more you collect points and the more your bonus is unlocked.
For example, if you deposit $100, you'll eventually get a $100 bonus. The requirement here is that you play. For every four points you accrue playing poker, you'll get $10 of that bonus money. It's basically just a wagering requirement.
What Else Can You Play?
Just like the other options on the board, partypoker does offer casino and sports betting that you can do through one account. That means when you've had your fill of poker, you can click over to the partycasino, which is a gorgeous online casino. There you can play hundreds of slots (including progressives with jackpots in the millions), live casino, table games and much more.
After that, if you're looking to dive into sports, you can also do that at partypoker sports. It's a high-quality sportsbook that offers tons of live betting on a daily basis, a huge menu of sports betting odds and plenty of action on all of the major sports.
These days, the privacy of your home may be the best place to play poker in NewJersey. Poker went online in the Garden State in 2013.
Online poker rooms were a part of the synchronized launch of NJ's first legal online gambling sites.
Today, the online poker market includes seven sites, interstate player pools, and apps so you can play anywhere in New Jersey.
These days, you can find juicy cash games and big-time tournaments running all the time. You might even bank a six-figure score or win a World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet when playing online poker in New Jersey.
Best NJ online poker sites in 2020
Today's best online poker sites combine great software, large player pools, and lucrative welcome bonuses to enhance your online poker experience.
Poker sites in New Jersey are well-known for offering cash games and tournaments across a wide variety of poker variants. Each also offers the best seasonal poker tournament series with lucrative guarantees and unparalleled cash game action 24/7.
The following poker operators in New Jersey are the best in the online poker business.
NJ online poker reviews
NJ online poker reviews
Each poker site uses its own software client, which creates small differences in presentation. Available stakes and game types also vary from site to site, as does the size of tournaments and prize pools.
- Pala Poker
Free play poker vs. real money poker
Real money online poker has been around New Jersey since 2013. Most licensed NJ operators brought free play money online poker to the market with it. In some cases, free play money online poker has been around a lot longer.
Free play money poker games do offer a way to learn the game without risk. However, few people take it seriously, so gameplay is often a poor simulation of the real thing.
So much so that real money micro-stakes may be a better place to learn, particularly if players plan to move up to real money stakes eventually.
Play money poker sites are often linked to social media. Furthermore, they offer player loyalty programs where players might be able to earn something while they play.
So, if you want to play poker to earn, you should hit the real-money games instead and keep play-money poker around just for fun.
Is real money poker legal in NJ?
Yes, real money online poker is legal in New Jersey.
It has been since Feb. 26, 2013, when a bill permitting internet gambling in the state was approved by the New Jersey Legislature and signed into law by then-Gov. Chris Christie.
Almost nine months later, the state's first legal online poker sites were a part of the synchronized launch of online gambling in New Jersey on Nov. 21, 2013.
Online poker operators have generated an average of about $2 million in revenue annually ever since.
New Jersey signed on to an interstate compact known as the Multi-State Internet Gaming Association (MSIGA) in October 2017. This changed the law to allow NJ sites to apply for regulatory approval to share player pools with those in Delaware's and Nevada's legal online poker markets.
Of course, WSOP.com and 888 Poker are the only other NJ online poker operators that run sites in these other states. As a result, they were the only sites to apply.
The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE) granted the sites the necessary approval and the first interstate games launched May 1, 2018.
WSOP.com has gone on to run a schedule of online WSOP bracelet events available in New Jersey and Nevada the past two years.
How to play online poker on Android
WSOP.com on Android
The WSOP.com Android app is available for download from the WSOP.com website.
The app promises to be optimized for on-the-go Android poker play. It is an excellent product for the one-trick, one-table No Limit Hold'em ponies.
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Unfortunately, WSOP.com mobile apps only support playing one table at a time. Also, the Pot Limit Omaha games and tournaments you might find on the desktop client are not there.
Game selection functions are also more frustrating than functional. The cash game and Sit and Go sliders work, but you can't see these lobbies, so it makes it a guessing game.
The mobile software is the same employed by 888 Poker, but the WSOP.com features the more robust better tournament selection and an efficient and easy-to-reg lobby.
The WSOP.com Android app does deliver on bringing the most prestigious name in the game to your Android device. But unfortunately, the actual desktop online poker experience is not available on WSOP.com mobile.
PokerStars on Android
The PokerStars NJ Android app is among the biggest in the market at over 80MB. What you get is mobile access to the industry-leading poker software and the PokerStars brand, which is optimized for your Android device.
That means No Limit Hold'em (NLH) and Pot Limit Omaha (PLO) cash games and tournaments, Sit and Gos (SNG) and the popular Spin and Gos. There are even Zoom Poker fast-fold games, although these tend to run only sporadically.
The PokerStars NJ Android mobile app offers access to all the account management features.
Some serverlag and unresponsiveness issues remain, but these are minor problems for an Android app.
The app also includes chatfeatures, quickseating, multi-tabling and tutorials for how to optimize it for phones and tablets.
You must go to the PokerStars NJ mobile page to download and install the app. However, once that's done, you're in for something special.
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888 Poker on Android
888 Poker NJ promises the slickest poker app in the business for Android devices available for download from the 888 Poker website.
All of its poker games are there, including cash, tournaments, Sit and Gos, super turbo games and SNAP poker fast-fold. However, the app features the same frustrating game selection sliders as WSOP.com. The problem is you can't see these lobbies and what games are running first.
Other than that, the 888 Poker NJ app does feature smooth functionality, quick deposits and real poker games with real opponents, in real-time.
It's just not as close to the desktop client experience as others in the NJ market.
How to play online poker via your iPhone / iPad
PokerStars for iPhone / iPad
PokerStars NJ seems to understand the need to replicate the desktop computer experience on mobile devices as much as possible. It does that with the PokerStars iOS app available for download on the PokerStars NJ website and the Apple App Store.
It's designed natively for iPhone or iPad devices and features almost everything you'll find on the desktop client.
There's a 'PlayNow' button, allowing you to instantly join your favorite games, tournaments and access to about every poker game and popular PokerStars' product.
WSOP.com for iPhone / iPad
You can download the WSOP.com mobile app for iOS devices on both the WSOP.com website and the Apple App Store.
Unfortunately, the same limited functionality you find with its Android app is there on the Apple app as well.
That means No Limit Hold'em is the only game and it's a single-table only experience. That said, there are freerolls, Sit & Gos, multi-table tournaments, cash games and even casino games available.
It provides 24/7 access to games and customer support.
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Plus, the WSOP.com app is optimized for iPhone and iPad users.
888 Poker for iPhone / iPad
The 888 Poker iOS app is available for download on the 888 Poker NJ website and the Apple App Store. Plus, the mobile app seems to be designedbetter for iOS devices than Android.
It's got the full account functionality of the desktop client. Plus, Sit & Gos, multi-table tournaments, satellites, step tournaments and cash games including Hold'em Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo and Seven Card Stud Hi Lo. There's even access to the 888 Casino games.
Plus, 888Blast poker jackpot games are there as well.
How to clear online poker bonuses
The top online poker sites in New Jersey offer a variety of online poker bonuses to players. These include everything from free tournament tickets to no-deposit and deposit-match bonuses.
Most include wagering requirements that players must complete before they can withdraw the bonus funds. There is a straightforward way to meet these wageringrequirements and clear the bonus: play online poker.
Of course, the amount you must play to clear a bonus is specific to that bonus. That's why it's always essential to understand the terms and conditions of a bonus before you try to clear it.
You're going to want to know how many days you have to clear the bonus, if it will be released incrementally, and if and when it expires. Plus, you're going to want to know exactly how much poker you need to play to clear the bonus.
In most cases, players earn frequent player points (FPP) based on the amount of rake they pay on a site. Poker bonuses are cleared when certain FPP thresholds are met.
It's always a good idea to look for times when online poker rooms run promotions allowing you to earn extra FPPs. You might be able to clear a bonus faster as a result.
Another rule of thumb worth noting is that the bigger a bonus, the harder it is to clear.
That means you've got to be willing to put in the time at the tables to clear a significant bonus. Most recreational players would be better off choosing smaller and easier-to-clear bonuses they may be able to get their hands on playing only part-time.
Remember, there's no such thing as a free lunch, and if you want to clear a poker bonus, you are going to have to put in some work to do it. The bigger it is, the more practice you'll have to do to get it.
However, those with a clear understanding of how to clear the bonus they seek and a willingness to grind it out should find the pursuit of poker bonuses profitable.
Moving money on and off poker websites
NJ online poker sites work hard to make moving money on and off the sites as quick and easy as possible. Each site offers a variety of easy-to-use deposit and withdrawal methods and is continually adding new ones.
Whatever method you used to make a deposit can usually be used to withdraw funds. If not, NJ online poker sites are happy to make other options available.
Here's a list of some of the mostpopular deposit and withdrawal methods at NJ online poker sites:
- Visa and Mastercard: NJ online poker sites accept major credit cards as long as the bank the card is issued by approves. Some issuing banks may not authorize online gambling transactions. If that's the case, you'll need to find another deposit method. However, several exist where you still can use your Visa or Mastercard.
- Play+: Several online poker sites in New Jersey take the Play+ prepaid credit card. The card can be funded using a Visa, Mastercard, Discover card or even your checking account.
- Prepaid Cards: Prepaid cards can be a safe and convenient option for making deposits on NJ online poker sites. Players load money onto the prepaid cards and then use the funds to deposit on a poker site. Several major credit card companies offer prepaid credit cards and some NJ online poker rooms have their own branded cards.
- Cash at the Casino Cage: NJ online poker sites run under licenses held by Atlantic City casinos. Most will accept cash deposits at the cashier cages inside the associated casino.
- PayPal: This third-party payment processor is the largest in the world and available at several online poker sites in New Jersey. You can fund a PayPal account from several sources, including your bank account and credit cards.
- ACH E-checks: ACH e-checks is an online money transfer service that essentially lets you write an electronic check to an online poker site. It's a great way to move money from a bank account to an online poker site.
- PayNearMe: Financial services provider PayNearMe has partnered with 7-Eleven convenience stores and CVS Pharmacies to create a financial services app. The app allows users to make bill payments via retail sites. Also, you can make payments at several NJ online poker sites with cash.
- Online Banking: Those that make bill payments with their online bank account can often deposit to an NJ online poker site directly as well. But this too is often subject to authorization issues.
Types of poker games available to NJ poker players
Most of the tournament and cash-game action in the NJ online poker market revolves around No Limit Hold'em. There's also some Pot Limit Omaha around and some sites that have software capable of running other poker variants.
The thing is, games don't run without players and most of the time, it's hard to find even six players willing to sit at RAZZ, HORSE or 2-7 Triple Draw games.
So, even the sites that advertise a wide variety of poker variants available don't run much outside of No Limit Hold'em and Pot Limit Omaha games most of the time.
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That said, it's all about timing. You might be able to jump in a cash game or tournament featuring your favorite poker variant.
- No Limit Hold'em (NLH): The biggest cash game in NJ online poker is far and away No Limit Hold'em. There are usually tables running with stakes ranging from $0.01/$0.02 to $25/$50 with six-max and nine-handed tables. However, the majority of the action is at the micro- and low-stakes levels. Most NJ online poker tournaments are No Limit Hold'em as well.
- Pot Limit Omaha (PLO): Most NJ online poker sites run Pot Limit Omaha (PLO) games, just not as many as No Limit Hold'em. The stakes online in New Jersey run from $0.01/$0.02 to $25/$50, but the $0.50/$1 and $0.25/$0.50 tables are the most popular. If your timing is right, you might also find Omaha Hi Lo games running, too.
- Stud: A lot of NJ online poker sites claim to offer studgames. In reality, the games run rarely. Stakes range from $0.50/$1 to $40/$80 when they do get off the ground.
- HORSE, 2-7 Triple Draw and other variants: While mixed games are fun and everybody knows poker is more than hold 'em and Omaha, NJ online poker isn't. Alternative poker variants are usually only found in specialized seasonal tournaments. Cash games do not run regularly.
- Fast fold games: Most online poker sites in NJ run some version of fast-fold games akin to PokerStars NJ's Zoom Poker tables. In this format, you are instantly transported to a different table to start a new hand when you fold one. Zoom cash games and the like requires a large player pool, so it doesn't always run on NJ sites.
- Multi table tournaments: All NJ online poker sites offer a daily schedule of No Limit Hold'em multi-table tournaments (MTT) with buy-ins ranging from $1 to $50. However, the bigger buy-in MTTs are on Sundays in New Jersey. Larger online poker operators run SundayMajors with buy-ins ranging from $50 to $500. Prize pool guarantees for these events go up to $50,000.
- Sit and Go tournaments (SNG): Online poker sites in New Jersey host No Limit Hold'em, Pot Limit Omaha and Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Lo Sit and Go tournaments. Most are nine-handed, six-max or heads up. Buy-ins start at $0.25 and go up to $500. Prime-time peak hours are the best time to find Sit and Go tournaments running.
- Lottery Sit & Go tournaments: Lottery Sit & Go tournaments akin to PokerStars' Spin & Gos run on a variety of NJ online poker sites. These are three-handed Sit & Go tournaments with randomized prize pools awarded. That means they are playing for anywhere from two buy-ins to $1,000. The Sit & Go tournaments that run regularly in NJ will range from $1-$25 and are even more popular than standard Sit & Gos.
Is it safe to play online poker for real money in NJ?
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Online poker is legal and regulated in New Jersey. That doesn't mean big brother is watching; however, it means theNJDGE provides oversight in the state. It ensures it is entirely safe to play online poker for real money in NJ.
The NJDGE vets every operator, issues permits, and tests and approves software and games. Fair play is a part of the equation every step of the way.
Offshore online poker rooms are the ones to concern you. Unlike legal and regulated NJ online poker sites, these are unlicensed and don't undergo any testing.
You may have read about superuser scandals in the past where someone was able to see an opponent's hole cards and take advantage. The NJDGE has strictguidelines in place to make sure nothing like that ever happens in the state's legal, regulated online poker market.
Licensees are also required to keep customer funds separate from their operational budget. That means your money is always safe and secure with an NJ online poker operator.
Even if an online poker operator goes belly up, your funds will be safe.
You may remember that UltimatePoker left the NJ online poker market in 2014. Every dollar on deposit was paid back to customers before the site closed because those funds were held separately from the site's operating budget.
More resources on multistate online poker: