NJ Online Poker

Online poker is producing record revenues in 2020 with New Jersey operators in the best position to take advantage.

New Jersey is home to seven legal online poker sites - the most in the nation - which operate over four separate networks. While the coronavirus has shuttered the state’s casinos, online poker revenue in New Jersey surged to an all-time record of $5.1 million in April 2020, an increase of more than 200% from the previous year.

Bookies.com helps players choose the best online poker sites in New Jersey. We only review legal sites that are licensed by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement. We do not evaluate or recommend offshore-based online poker sites, which operate without regulation or oversight.

How We Pick the Best New Jersey Online Poker Sites

Our team of experienced reviewers use a specific methodology to determine the most poker player-friendly New Jersey online poker sites. Among the most important factors we consider:

Software, ease of use: No two sites are the same. We test and compare software, response times, game selection and ease of navigation.

Safety: Every NJ poker site we recommend must be licensed by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, which is responsible for ensuring that all online poker games are fair. The state agency also ensures that your account is secure, unlike offshore sites, which can abruptly shut down, resulting in a loss of funds with no recourse.

Bonuses and promotions: Online poker operators use bonus offers and promotions to sign up new players or retain existing ones. Most include some form of wagering requirement. Among the offers you will see: a first deposit welcome bonus for a new player and a deposit bonus or match for an existing online poker player with an account. We determine which offers are the most lucrative.

Transactions: It’s important that your NJ online poker room offers not only a wide range of deposit options, but also convenient ways to withdraw funds in a timely fashion.

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Why Play Poker Online in New Jersey?

Playing poker online in New Jersey offers several distinct advantages over a traditional land-based poker game. Among them:

Convenience: NJ online poker sites allow you to play from your home computer or mobile device from anywhere within the state 24 hours a day, seven days a week. No need to drive to a casino or stand in line to find a game.

Shared liquidity means more players: New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware are part of a multi-state poker compact that allows players from all three states to compete against each other on the WSOP.com platform. That means more players, more games and bigger pots.

Bonuses and promotions: Sign-up or welcome bonuses are always available to new online players, but not generally offered at casino poker rooms.

Variety of games: Most casino poker rooms offer a number of Texas Hold’em games and not much else. Limited space is not an issue playing online poker, where you are more likely to find other poker variants such as pot-limit Omaha and stud games on some sites.

Play for free: If you’re new to poker or simply prefer to practice, NJ online poker sites allow you to play in an online poker room for free after registering for an account. That gives a new player a chance to improve skills at their own pace before risking real money.

Is Playing Poker Online the Same as Traditional Poker?

While the rules are identical, the strategies are not. Among the key differences:

No physical interaction: Players who rely more on physical tells, or reading the mannerisms of others at the table, lose that advantage online since no players are physically present. Instead, players must evaluate other players by their betting patterns.

Pace of play: Online poker moves at a more rapid pace, allowing for more hands with fewer distractions.

No judgment: Playing in a brick-and-mortar poker room can be an intimidating experience for some. In an online poker room, players are free to try new strategies without judgment from others at the table.

Multi-table play: More skilled online players are able to play multiple hands simultaneously at different tables in an effort to maximize win rates. At traditional poker rooms, players can only sit at one table at a time.

Where Can I Play Online Poker in New Jersey?

NJ online poker players have seven sites which share four different networks. A look at each site and network and land-based partner.

888 Poker NJ/WSOP NJ: The partnership between 888 and WSOP is the only one that takes advantage of New Jersey’s online poker agreement with Delaware and Nevada, which allows for a shared player pool from all three states. The increased number of available players means a wider selection of cash games and tournament play. WSOP.com offers satellite and qualifying tournaments in which players can earn a spot in the annual World Series of Poker. Land-based partner is Caesars. You can join WSOP here or head on over to 888poker.

PokerStars NJ: One of the world’s leading online poker sites is a major player in New Jersey, having edged 888/WSOP as the state’s top poker revenue producer in both April and May 2020. PokerStars also runs a robust online poker tournament schedule and its poker app, available on both iOS and Android, is widely considered the industry leader, with intuitive features and tutorials. Land-based partner is Resorts. Check out PokerStars here.

BetMGM Poker NJ/Borgata Poker NJ/PartyPoker NJ: The three sites share an online network and have similar software platforms and tournament schedules. All are partnered with Borgata, the top revenue-producing land-based poker room in New Jersey. Borgata and PartyPoker were among the original NJ online poker sites to go live in 2013, with BetMGM joining the network four years later. Borgata offers a range of Omaha and stud games. PartyPoker is home to the WPT Online Poker Open.

Pala Poker NJ: By far the smallest NJ poker site. Does not share traffic with any other operator and primarily operates at night (other sites operate 24 hours a day). Offers both cash games and tournament play. Land-based partner is Borgata.

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Can I Play Live Poker in New Jersey?

Five Atlantic City casinos have live poker rooms. Each has been forced to close for a period of time due to coronavirus safety guidelines.

Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa: With more than 80 tables, Borgata is the biggest poker room in NJ. No-limit Texas Hold’em games are available at all times and Sit & Go events every hour. The Borgata is host to several lucrative tournaments, including the MGM East Coast Poker Tour, which includes events at MGM properties in Maryland, Massachusetts and the Borgata.

Golden Nugget: Nine-table poker room on fourth floor of the casino offers No-limit Texas Hold’em and Pot-limit Omaha games. Tournaments are offered every day, along with several daily promotions, including rewards for High Hand and Splash the Pot.

Harrah’s: Ranks (a distant) No. 2 behind Borgata in poker room revenue. A 40-table poker room offers low-limit cash games, an abbreviated schedule of tournament play and a Bad Beat Jackpot on all games.

Tropicana: Poker room has 18 tables with two No-limit Hold’em tournaments offered daily with a $40 buy-in. Offers several daily poker promotions.

World Series of Poker Room at Bally’s: Poker room at Bally’s has 42 tables dealing a variety of cash games. Tournaments are offered five days a week. Also serves as poker room for neighboring Boardwalk casino Caesars.

Types of Poker Games Available in New Jersey

Whether playing online or in person, No-limit Texas Hold’em is king. Several other games are offered online, depending on the number of players available.

No-limit Texas Hold’em: Cash and tournament games are always easy to find at New Jersey online poker sites for low or high stakes.

Pot-limit Omaha: Ranks a distant second in popularity. Many tournaments include some form of Omaha, in which players are dealt four hole cards and must use two of them.

Stud poker: Seven-card stud and Razz (lowest five-card hand wins) are among the most popular variations. Games are dependent on number of players available.

Fast-Fold: Also known as Zoom Poker, in which players can fold a hand and move immediately to a new table. Not offered by all NJ online operators.

Online players can choose cash games, tournaments or Sit & Go events. All are offered for a variety of stakes and buy-ins.

Joining a New Jersey Poker Room

NJ online operators make the sign-up process as easy as possible.

Check out our reviews are above and click on the link to claim a go to the website of your online poker operator and claim a welcome bonus. You will be prompted to register for an account.

You will be asked to provide name, date of birth, email address, home address and last four digits of Social Security number, which is needed to verify your identity and age and protects against potential fraud. All players must be 21 or older. Accounts can be set up from anywhere, but you must be physically located in New Jersey to play.

After the registration process is completed, choose one of the deposit options to fund your online poker account. Once funds are received, you are ready to play.

How to Add and Withdraw Funds from an Online Poker Account

It’s important that players be able to deposit and withdraw funds quickly and efficiently. Among the options offered by NJ online poker sites:

Play+: A card created for just this purpose, typically you can sign up for a Play+ card after registering on NJ poker site through a link in the Cashier tab. You can also go to the Play+ website. You can fund the card with a credit card or through your bank account and transfer funds instantly into your poker or NJ casino account. Winnings can be withdrawn back on to the card and accessed at participating ATMs.

E-wallets: Companies such as PayPal and Neteller allow you to transfer funds to and from your NJ online poker account for low or no fees in a timely fashion.

Credit/debit cards: The most convenient deposit option, with transactions processed quickly. Not always the most player-friendly option as some financial institutions charge high fees and others may reject gambling transactions as a matter of policy. Also, credit/debit cards are not a widely accepted withdrawal method.

PayNearMe: Deposit-only and cash-only option. Fund your account by scanning a barcode at a New Jersey 7-Eleven, CVS Pharmacy or Family Dollar store. No bank or credit card information needed.

ACH/bank transfer: A digital connection between your bank account and NJ online poker account. A preferred withdrawal method, through transactions can sometimes take several days to complete.

Prepaid cards: Prepaid cards can often be purchased on your NJ operator’s website or at various retail outlets. Cards contain a specific value, which helps prevent overspending.

Cash at casino cage: Each NJ online poker operator is partnered with an Atlantic City casino. Players can visit that casino’s cashier cage.

NJ Online Poker Mobile Options

Mobile apps are the easiest and most convenient way to play online poker in New Jersey, allowing you play on your mobile device 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from anywhere within the state.

The mobile apps are designed for the games to fit your screen size and allow you to play just about any game available on desktop, including fast-fold games. The apps are available in iOS and Android and can be downloaded for free on your NJ operator’s website or through the App Store.

Several NJ poker apps offer chat features and tutorials on how to best use the apps as well as poker instruction.

NJ Online Poker Tournaments

As NJ online poker continues to grow, so does the schedule of lucrative tournaments. Below are some with the biggest guaranteed prize pools:

• WSOP.com Online Circuit Super Series ($3.9 million in prize money in 2020, run by WSOP).
• New Jersey Spring Championship of Online Poker, ($1.2 million, Poker Stars).
• Borgata Spring Poker Open Online Series ($400,000, PartyPoker).

Several of the state’s online poker sites run lucrative tournaments on a weekly basis. Just about every online poker tournament requires a buy-in or entry through a satellite event. For example, WSOP.com offers a $100,000 guaranteed tournament every Sunday. PokerStars has a full lineup of Sunday tournaments and a wide range of daily events with guaranteed prize pools.

NJ Online Poker FAQ