Penny Poker Sites

How Low do Low Stakes Go?

Low stakes poker can be played as low as the 5-cent level, which would fit into an area that has become known as 'micro stakes' poker. There is no set range to classify micro stakes, but most experts consider anything from 5 cents to around $2 stakes to fit into the micro category. Low stakes in a real casino might be $20 a hand in Las Vegas, but things go a lot lower when you're playing online.

What Poker Games Can You Play?

Texas Hold'em is the most popular poker format available for low stakes real money play online. If you're not familiar, Hold'em is a game of two hole cards (face down) and five community cards (face up). The aim is to make the best possible hand of five cards using your two and three from the community.

Many other poker formats are also available for low stakes play online. These include Razz, Omaha Hi/Lo, Stud, Draw, and many subtle variations on a theme besides. If it's low stakes poker you're wanting, you'll find excellent variety at the sites listed above.

Can I Enter Tournaments?

Yes you can. There are myriad online low stakes tournaments you can enter every day, with a huge range of formats ranging from Sit N Go tournaments, to Multi-table tournaments, Heads Up tournaments and beyond.

By low stakes tournament play we mean online real money poker tournaments with very low buy-in fees. You'll even find some real money tournaments that have no buy-in whatsoever, with the pot funded by the online casino.

Can I Win Big Money Playing?

Entire books have been written on this subject, such is the trend for online poker players to chase a healthy return on playing low stakes poker in high volume. You're not going to become a millionaire playing 5 cents online poker, but it is possible to rack up thousands in winnings if you're a smart enough player and prepared to put in the hours.

The biggest reason for this is the fact small stakes poker undeniably attracts a large pool of weak players. It's an obvious entry point for newbies and thus you're always going to find small stakes games and tournaments flooded with what the poker community terms as fish.

New Jersey poker sites did not network with other states at first, but in May 2018 the state joined Nevada and Delaware to create a tri-state online poker network. Poker players in New Jersey can compete. Enjoy Playing Video Poker Online at the Best Casino Sites. Free video poker is fun, but nothing beats the thrill of winning cash when playing video poker games for real money. You can enjoy the best quality poker.

Some players will develop small stakes poker strategies that apply to the big picture. There are lots of opinions out there on which strategies work best, but it's unquestionably possible to make some good cash from small stakes online poker.

Is Playing Poker Online Legal?

That depends entirely on where you're playing. Some parts of the world deem it completely legal to play online poker for real money, while others deem it illegal. As the law applies specifically to the U.S., the legality of online poker differs from state to state. We would always advise you consult with a legal professional if you require clarification in this area.

  • Get ready for some big poker action this weekend with the first of two opening flights of the MILLIONS Online Main Event kicking off on Sunday, Feb.
  • Note: The SNG column indicates the lowest stakes single-table (STT), non-turbo SNGs on offer. How I've rated these sites. These poker rooms have primarily been ranked based on players looking to play no limit Texas Hold'em poker online for small stakes, whether that be in cash games or tournaments (i.e. Here are the 4 main factors I took in to account when ranking these sites.

How Do I Register to Play Online Poker?

Penny poker sites game

Free Poker Money Deposit Offers. If you are willing to make a small deposit with one of our poker room partners, we can give you even more free poker money. This really is your best value for very little risk as the bonus awarded by the poker.

The first step is to set up an account at a real money poker website (see the sites listed above). From there, you'll need to make an initial deposit into your online poker account to activate it. Once that's done you should be instantly eligible to enter all small stakes poker games the site has currently available.

Penny poker sites

Can I Play for Free?

If you're not quite ready for small stakes poker, there is an even gentler entry to the game available. All the major real cash poker websites offer a free play area, where you can get to grips with the formats on offer and grow in confidence. You won't get the rush you'll get from playing for real cash, of course, but when the times comes to play small stakes poker you'll be ready.

Penny Poker Sites

Is it Safe to Play Poker Online?

It's 100% safe to play online small stakes poker if you stick to the sites we've recommended. These poker sites have all been thoroughly vetted for their software security measures and they're guaranteed to protect your personal and banking details online.

So, you're interested in online poker, but you don't want to risk too much money just yet. Where's the best place to play small stakes online poker for real money?

Below is a table of what I think are the best sites for low limit online poker.

Best small stakes poker rooms.

RankRoomCompetitionCashSNGMacBonusPlay
Nitrogen PokerWeak$20NL$10+50c-Play Now
Ignition PokerWeak$2NL$1+20c$1,000Play Now
SwC PokerWeak$2NL$1+20c-Play Now
Americas CardroomTricky$2NL$1+10c$1,000Play Now
888 PokerAverage$2NL$0.50+5c$400Play Now
Betsafe PokerAverage$4NL$0.10+1c€2,000Play Now

Note: The SNG column indicates the lowest stakes single-table (STT), non-turbo SNGs on offer.

How I've rated these sites.

These poker rooms have primarily been ranked based on players looking to play no limit Texas Hold'em poker online for small stakes, whether that be in cash games or tournaments (i.e. SNGs and MTTs).

Here are the 4 main factors I took in to account when ranking these sites:

  1. The lowest stakes games on offer.
  2. The number of players frequently active at these limits.
  3. How bad the players at these stakes are.
  4. The general overall quality of the poker room based on software, traffic and support.

Clearly the level of the absolute lowest stakes cash games and SNGs on offer at a poker room is one of the biggest factors. It's not much use signing up to a poker room that doesn't offer SNG games under $5, or cash games under $10NL if you have a $30 bankroll. Even if you intend on playing at slightly higher limits anyway, it's always good to have the flexibility there to move down if needs be.

Penny Poker Sites

I've also taken in to account the quality of the competition. The softer the competition, the more money you will win – it's as simple as that. Therefore, I've included my rating of the 'softness' of the poker sites in the table to help you make the best choice.

Lastly, player traffic and my rating of the poker room overall has been considered. I'm sure I don't need to explain why on those two counts.

Summary of the smallest stakes games on offer.

Here's a quick summary of the most common limits of micro stakes games available at the majority of online poker sites.

Poker
Cash games.
  • 1c/2c (this is the absolutely lowest level available online)
  • 2c/5c
  • 5c/10c
  • 10c/25c (you can occasionally find 10c/20c games at places like the iPoker network)
  • 25c/50c
SNGs.
  • $1 + 20c
  • $2 + 25c
  • $5 + 50c
  • $10 + $1

Playing micro limit online poker for the first time?

We've all played low stakes online poker; even the best players had to start somewhere. It all starts with grinding it out in the micro stakes cash games or low level tournaments, building a bankroll and moving up to higher limits when you get the chance.

There are two key things to remember:

  1. Take your time and play within your limits.
  2. Keep playing and learning.

1) Take your time and play within your limits.

Good bankroll management is essential. And no, I don't mean that in the 'flossing is essential' or 'remembering your relatives' birthdays is essential' way. I mean it as in 'not turning the gas cooker off before you go to sleep is essential' and 'not starting fights with bears is essential'.

Seriously, treat your bankroll with ultimate respect. Without it, you can't play poker and you can't win money. Don't get careless and fritter your earnings away because you're on tilt.

Here are the basic rules of bankroll management that you should always stick to:

  • Cash games - always have at least 20 buy-ins for the stakes you're playing at.
  • SNGs - always have at least 40 buy-ins (including fees) for the level you want to play at.

If Chris ferguson can do it, so can you.

Penny Poker Sites Free

2) Keep playing and learning.

The more you play and the more you learn, the better you will get. The better you get, the more money you'll win. It's the cycle that every successful poker player has taken and continues to take.

Read strategy articles, read books, watch strategy videos, join a training site.

The information on how to win money from poker is out there, it's just up to you whether or not you take advantage of it.

How the stakes of online poker are categorized.

Technically, $50NL cash games and lower are referred to as the 'micro stakes' and not 'small stakes'. Seems quite strange considering that I'd hardly call $50 (or even $10 for that matter) a micro amount of money. But that's just how it is.

I decided to go ahead and call this page a guide to the best 'small stakes sites' anyway as I know that's what most people are searching for when they use that phrase.

For the sake of education and being thorough, here's how the different levels/limits of NLHE cash games and SNGs are categorized:

Penny Poker Sites Videos

CategoryCash GamesSNGs
Micro Stakes$2NL to $50NL$1 to $10
Small Stakes$100NL to $200NL$11 to $50
Mid Stakes$400NL to $1,000NL$51 to $200
High Stakes$2,000NL+$201+

Penny Poker Sites For Cash

Note: I've used shorthand for the cash game levels in the table above. Stakes written like $50NL indicate the standard maximum 100bb buy-in for that level. So for example, $50NL is the same as writing 25c/50c, and $400NL is the same as writing $2/$4.
This is a common way of writing the varying limits in NLHE cash games. The cool thing about this notation is that it saves you having to try and type that pesky forward slash.

You may also notice that the term 'low limit' or 'low stakes' poker hasn't been used here. That term is more commonly used when referring to playing live poker in casinos, with anything up to $3/$5 being considered low limit (crazy I know). It's just another one of those things in poker.

A few extra tips.

  • Use good bankroll management. I've told you about this before, but it's so important it's worth mentioning at least one more time.
  • Don't get too fancy against micro stakes players. You only need to think one level above a poker player to beat them, and small stakes Texas Hold'em players are thinking on a low level for the most part.
  • Avoid paying more than 10% in tournament fees. Paying 20% in fees for SNGs is just going to kill your winrate. 10% fees are standard at most levels, but in the micro levels at some rooms the fees are bumped up. Either avoid these rooms, or play at a slightly higher level where the fees are more friendly.
  • Take your time. It's not about doubling your bankroll in each session. Poker is a marathon, not a sprint. If you want quick and easy winnings, play roulette.

After that, it's all about time, effort and persistence. Just make sure you give me a shout out when you win your first WSOP main event.

Useful links.

Penny Poker Sites Play

Go back to the Texas Hold'em rooms.