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The Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement includes New Jersey, Delaware, and Nevada — all of which have legal online poker. Pennsylvania also has real money poker. That means multi-state poker and the ability to play against players in other states is still a possibility down the road.

When will online poker launch in Michigan?

After years of attempts, Michigan online poker launched on Jan. 29, 2021, when PokerStars went live.

Will I be able to play poker with players in New Jersey and Pennsylvania?

Michigan’s governor recently signed the interstate online poker bill into law, but the law doesn’t automatically set up a pact between other states. That is now up to the MGCB. It is unclear whether such a deal will be made in 2021.

One option is for Michigan to join the Multi-State Internet Gaming Association. The MSIGA allows New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware to share player pools.

Still, multi-state poker could be on its way to Michigan. It’s likely a must-have for the online poker market in the Great Lakes State to survive long-term. Michigan is slightly larger than New Jersey, where online poker is barely surviving despite pooling players with Nevada and Delaware.

Adding states, including Pennsylvania and Michigan, to the MSIGA over the next few years would certainly be a boost to the US online poker market.

Online poker in Michigan

Because sports betting and online casinos will likely generate more revenue than online poker, the latter verticals took priority. Even so, online poker was only a week behind the rest.

Only existing casino operators, which include three commercial casinos in Detroit and 12 tribal casino operators throughout the state, are able to procure online gambling licenses.

Each will be allowed one online casino brand and one online poker brand per license, up to two total brands apiece.

This means additional poker sites could be in the cards. WSOP and 888 Poker are two of the bigger names that have not found a path into Michigan but are available in other states with legal online poker.

Michigan online poker partnerships

PokerStars + Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians

Global online poker giant The Stars Group secured a partnership with the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians Gaming Authority in early January 2020.

The deal gives The Stars Group first-skin market access for all gambling verticals in Michigan, including online poker.

The Stars Group owns and operates PokerStars, which operates in NJ and PA. The Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians operates three Michigan tribal casinos, with the largest being the Odawa Casino, near Petoskey.

The Stars Group has secured a provisional license from the Michigan Gaming Control Board. However, it appears it’s a matter of time before PokerStars Michigan launches.

BetMGM Poker + MGM Grand Detroit

For a long time, it was understood that MGM Resorts International and partypoker’s parent company GVC Holdings would join the online poker market in Michigan. The two companies established a 50/50 joint venture sports betting and online gaming platform for the US in July 2018.

However, BetMGM Poker will be the brand available in Michigan in 2021.

The launch of partypoker Michigan through MGM Grand is no longer a go, but there are other ways for partypoker to enter the Michigan online poker market.

How Michigan online poker will work

Michigan’s online poker will launch as a fenced-in market.

Players who are 21 years or older and within state lines will be eligible to play online poker cash games and tournaments.

Online poker operators will use geolocation technology to ensure all live players are inside the state.

Players will need to sign up for an online account with an operator of their choice and go through identity and age verification before they can play.

One day, state lawmakers may enter into a multi-state compact to allow operators to share player pools with sites in other poker states.

A clause initially included in the state’s online gambling bills that would have directly facilitated an interstate compact was removed before the legislation was passed.

Lawmakers have indicated its removal was intended to address multi-state progressive slot jackpots. Therefore, multi-state poker is still a possibility down the road.

Online poker bonuses and rewards

Michigan online poker sites will offer free play to attract new customers.

Tax breaks allowing Michigan online poker operators a percentage of gross receipts for free play over the first five years of operation all but guarantees this.

Plus, giving free bonus cash as an incentive to sign up has proven to be a successful poker marketing strategy elsewhere.

PokerStars PA has shot out of the gate, posting four to six times the revenue it averages in NJ.

Players who open a PokerStars account in Pennsylvania using the PokerStars PA bonus code PLAY30 and deposit at least $20 will earn $30 in free play.

This offer includes $20 in free play and $10 in Spin and Go tickets.

New PA players also receive a ticket to the depositor freeroll event on the last Sunday of every month. It features cash prizes and a zero-entry fee.

PokerStars’ players in Pennsylvania can also use the promo code STARS600 when they sign up and make their first deposit (or three qualifying deposits within 60 days), and can also earn a 100% bonus of up to $600.

Players need to earn redemption points to unlock the bonus, but get 5 points for every $1 paid in tournament fees or rake in most games. Once earning 100 redemption points, PokerStars PA will release $10 in bonus cash into their account.

PA players can only receive the free-money bonus or the deposit bonus, not both. PokerStars Poker in Michigan should roll out with something similar.

Any tournaments that launch will attempt to stay competitive with a bonus structure to try to attract new players.

Fund your online poker account

There’s little doubt Michigan online poker operators will want to make getting your money on and off the sites as easy as possible.

That means offering a variety of deposit and withdrawal options, including third-party payment processors like PayPal, debit or credit cards, and cash.

Here’s an example of the variety of deposit methods at PokerStars PA:

• Instant E-checks: ACH payment.
• Skrill: A secure online third-party payment option.
• Mastercard or Visa: Credit or debit card transactions through approving issuing banks.
• Neteller: A secure online third-party payment option.
• Stars Transfer: Instant deposits with online banking.
• PayNearMe: Make a cash payment at retail locations, including 7-Eleven and CVS.
• PokerStars Play+ Card: This prepaid card pairs to a Stars’ account.
• Cash Deposit: Cash at the Mount Airy Casino cage.

Poker and cardrooms in Michigan

There’s a massive live poker scene in Michigan with as many as 10 live poker rooms operating across the state.

Walk into any one of the Michigan poker rooms on this list, and you’ll find securing a seat at affordable stakes is as easy as asking for one.

Bay Mills Resort & Casino

Bay Mills Resort & Casino, in Brimley, features a four-table poker room that is open 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

There are regular cash games and low-buy-in tournaments. Players must be at least 18 years or older.

FireKeepers Casino Hotel

The newly renovated 26-table poker room at FireKeepers Casino Hotel, in Battle Creek, is the premier poker room in the state.

The room spreads Texas Hold’em, Omaha and stud cash games at a variety of low to mid-stakes. Plus, there are low to mid-stakes buy-in tournaments every day, including a regular stop on the popular Mid-States Poker Tour.

Promotions include a progressive bad beat jackpot.

Greektown Casino Hotel

Greektown Casino Hotel, in Detroit, features a 12-table poker room offering Texas Hold ’em and Omaha games. There are regular tournaments and high-hands promotions.

Gun Lake Casino

Gun Lake Casino in Wayland, features a 14-table poker room spreading Texas Hold’em and Omaha games.

There are low-stakes tournaments happening five days a week, and promotions include a bad beat jackpot.

Kewadin Casino

Kewadin Casino, Hotel and Convention Center, in Sault Ste. Marie, features a four-table poker room open Wednesdays through Sundays.

There are low-stakes tournaments on Wednesdays and cash games every day.

MGM Grand Detroit

The poker room at MGM Grand Detroit features 17 tables with Texas Hold’em and Omaha action.

There are bounty tournaments three days a week and promotions include splash pots, bad beat jackpots and hot-seat drawings.

MotorCity Casino Hotel

The MotorCity Casino Hotel, in Detroit, features a 17-table poker club spreading Texas Hold’em and Omaha games.

There’s a regular tournament calendar, and promotions include a bad beat jackpot, high-hands and a gas card giveaway.

Ojibwa Casino Baraga

The Ojibwa Casinos, in Baraga, spreads poker on a single table running on Fridays and Saturdays from 6 p.m.

Ojibwa Casino Marquette

The Ojibwa Casino, in Marquette, has poker on three tables on Fridays and Saturdays from 6 p.m. to 4 a.m.

Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort

Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort, in Mount Pleasant, features a 14-table poker room open 24/7.

There’s a six-day per week tournament schedule and promotions include a bad beat jackpot, early bird rake, lucky ticket draws and high-hands.

The room spreads Texas Hold’em, Pineapple, Crazy Pineapple, Omaha, seven-card stud and Razz. Multi-game formats include round by rounds, dealer’s choice, HORSE, SHOE and HOP. Players may request any game type with any limit.

Poker is a famous pastime, one that doesn’t need to be played for money to be enjoyed. Professional players may not agree with that assessment, but even they can think back to their humble beginnings when they wanted to learn the basics of the game without losing their bankroll.

No matter the reason for wanting to play free poker, there are many places to find it. Nearly all of the major online poker sites offer dot-net websites that can be played without any financial investment whatsoever. Those sites allow players to compete for play-money and coins, and while players may be able to buy a few coins with real money, the vast majority of them compete for the simple love of poker.

What are the Benefits of Free Poker?

With no money at stake, can poker really be enjoyable? Yes! The game is one of strategy and excitement, the thrill of the all-in and the suspense of the river card. And the pure fun of it is why it is played by millions of people of all ages at kitchen tables around the world.

There are numerous benefits of playing free-play games, though. Whether one aspires to become a professional player or simply to improve those skills enough to beat family members at the next reunion, there are many things to gain by putting in some time at the play-money tables.

1. Learning the Basics:The best way to learn the basics of betting, raising, and position is to practice. Of course, using primers on websites like ours is always a great starting point, but it doesn’t always make sense until those lessons are put into practice at actual online poker tables.
2. Practicing Strategies: As a player improves, it is beneficial to devise strategies or take ones found in books and on instructional websites and try them out. Play-money poker is the best place to see how well those strategies work for each player and if they work as intended. Every player finds different strategies that work best for them.
3. Bankroll Management:Before investing hard-earned money to an online poker site, try to manage play money first. Since a skilled player never puts more than 10% of their bankroll on the line at any one time, it is a good idea to try that method with play-money poker and learn how to manage that bankroll, even if it doesn’t contain real money.
4. Discovering Swings: Poker can be filled with upswings and downswings. No matter how much skill is employed, the luck of the draw can get even the best players time after time. While the odds are always in the favor of the players who use skills, getting the full experience of the potential downswings of poker is a good lesson.
5. Managing Tilt: Even with no money on the line, the actions of other players or frustrations with one’s own play can put players on tilt. It’s not uncommon to see players go crazy in the chat boxes at free-play poker tables because they ran into bad luck. Learning to manage tilt comes easier before real money is on the line.
6. Garnering Experience: Most live poker players know that poker online is different and adjustments must be made. Starting on a play-money site is the best way to get the feel for the online tables, even for those with experience in live games.

Warnings about Free Poker

This is not as ominous as it sounds, but there are some things that players should consider when playing free poker. It is going to be different from real-money poker online in several ways.

First and most importantly, players on free poker sites tend to be much looser in their playing styles. Without real money on the line, they might be more apt to call on every street, bluff more often, and play more wildly in general. This will change when switching to a real-money site, but there are quite a few players on free sites who take it seriously.

Second, don’t get tricked into buying play-money coins! Free poker sites always provide ways to win more free chips or coins, so there is no need to buy any if the option presents itself. If a player is that desperate for coins or chips, it might be time to read about tilt and figure out a way to manage it.

Third, there is no need to rush from play-money to real-money poker. Winning a few hands or even a few days in a row doesn’t mean the jump should be made immediately. Take the time to experience some of the ups and downs, and don’t get overconfident because of a few million play chips.

What are the Top Free Poker Sites?

The best place to play poker for free is with PokerStars, 888poker, or PartyPoker. Instead of using the dot-com website address, simply replace with dot-net to access the free-play sites. These sites have invested a great deal of time and energy into providing an extensive free platform as well as offering tutorials, lessons, and tips for every level of player – from new to advanced. Take advantage of the information at no charge.

Ultimately, those sites will also offer special deals and bonuses to open a real-money account on their sister dot-com sites. While there is no rush to do so, it is good to have those bonus options to make the most of that first deposit when the time comes.

Even if sites don’t offer a specific free-play site, other poker sites like Ignition Poker and Intertops offer information that is meant to help new players improve their play. Most sites also offer things like freeroll tournaments that cost nothing to enter but give players the chance to win real money. This helps new players build their bankrolls with little to no initial investment.

No matter where a new player chooses to play, it is always beneficial to gain experience and move up slowly. Every pro player will give that same advice.

Is Learning Online Poker Easy?

I used to get intimidated by the enormous variety of poker sites online. What’s more, I had heard all sorts of stuff about how online poker players were really good, how I’d have a hard time at the tables, and how I should just stick to play money games to avoid losing my house. Had I taken these things to heart, I might not have learned poker at all! But I took the dive, head-first, and am glad I did. Nobody is ‘really good’ online. I didn’t have a ‘hard time’ at the tables. And I still have a roof over my head. Everything I had heard turned out the be the opposite of reality. Poker is an easy game if you play at one of the soft poker sites. The only hard thing about it is learning the rules, and even that only takes about five minutes.

Don’t doubt for one second that you can easily learn to play poker. And take it from me — you’ll be much better off learning online as opposed to in a casino.

Why Learn to Play Poker Online?

For starters, you’ll see more hands per hour online than in a brick and mortar cardroom. Online poker is inherently faster than live, because it’s easier to click a button than to shuffle chips and read stacks. The faster pace means you’ll be exposed to more poker situations in a shorter period of time playing online. This will make you a better player in the long run.

Second, playing poker on a software client is much more convenient than playing at a live table. In a casino, you’d have to memorize chip values and learn all sorts of arcane casino-specific rules. Online software displays bet amounts and stack values in plain-old number format — so easy to read! I can’t stress enough how helpful this is when you’re learning.

Third, you’ve got all the resources you can find on the net available to you when playing online. You can keep a poker table open on one half of your screen, and a starting hand chart on the other half. You can search Google if you run into tough situations. You can vent about bad beats to your friends via IM. I could go on and on about all the benefits to playing online. But I’d end up writing an entire book. Suffice it to say that the best poker sites to learn poker online beat out the best casinos any day.

3 Important Factors: Easy, Appealing, and Fun

Once you’ve made up your mind to learn the game online, it’s time to pick a site. This doesn’t have to be hard, or intimidating. Just ask yourself the following three questions about any poker site you come across:

1. Does this poker site look easy to use?
2. Is this poker software visually appealing?
3. Does this poker site look like it’s a fun place to play?

Factor 1 is pretty simple. If a poker site looks confusing or complicated, what’s the point? When you’re just learning how to play poker online, you don’t need all sorts of fancy features to deal with. You just need a simple, sensible poker client that will help you ease into the game. I found 888 poker to be one of the easiest poker sites for me. Everything I needed to get started was basically available on one screen. I just downloaded the client, clicked the link to register for an account, and boom! I was done.

Poker Online Real Money

Factor 2 boils down to personal preference. You’re not a professional grinder, so you don’t need to put up with crappy software just because the games are ‘good.’ Pick a poker site that agrees with your aesthetic sensibilities. In this regard, I found Bovada Poker to be the clear winner. The table layout is very simple — no distractions. Bet amounts are clearly labelled, action buttons are prominent and visible, and the games flowed smoothly. Bovada almost won me over with its well-designed software (I chose 888 though, in the end.) Try both sites, and see which you prefer.

Play Poker For Money App

Factor 3 is, again, a matter of personal preference. Does a prospective site look like fun to play on? If you aren’t having a good time — especially while you’re learning to play poker online– you won’t want to stick with the game. So if anything about a site puts you off, try a different one!