🃏 What is social poker?
Social poker is a type of free online poker that is designed to enhance your social interaction and enjoyment. These games will often have social and community-driven features such as chat channels, leaderboards, friends lists and community tournaments. The actual gameplay is no different to traditional poker games, where players aim to create the best possible five card hand from a combination of their private cards and community cards.
Typically you will find that social poker is offered at sweepstakes casinos, rather than traditional online casinos. This is because sweepstakes casinos are obliged to offer a ‘no purchase necessary’ gaming environment. So instead of real money, you’ll play with virtual currencies such as Gold Coins and Sweepstakes Coins.
🚀 Top sweepstakes casinos with social poker – At a glance
There’s no shortage of world class sweepstakes casinos that offer social poker games. In fact, there might just be too many, meaning it can become confusing to work out which platform best suits your individual needs. Fortunately for you, I’ve created a short-list of the top social poker sites to play at right now.
| Operator | Poker Games Available | Bonus Offers |
| Stake.us | Stake Poker
Video Poker Online
Live Poker | $55 Stake Cash + 260K Gold Coins + 5% Rakeback |
| Sweeptastic | Video Poker
Caribbean Stud Poker Video Poker | 70,000 Lucky Coins + 44 Sweeps Coins |
| Global Poker | Omaha Poker
Crazy Pineapple
Jackpot Sit’n’Go Tournaments
Bounty Poker
Caribbean Poker
Stud Poker
Razz Poker
5 Card Draw
Badugi
H.O.R.S.E
8-Game Mix
Texas Hold‘em | 100,000 Gold Coins + 10 ‘rare’ entries to Jackpot Sit’n’Go |
| BetRivers.net | Extreme Texas Hold‘em
Casino Hold’em
2 Hand Casino Hold’em | $20 of virtual credits ($VC) |
| Pulsz | Texas Hold’em Poker | 367,000 Gold Coins and 460 VIP Points |
| Fortune Coins | Joker Poker
Jacks or Better | 650,000 Gold Coins + 1,400 Fortune Coins |
| Golden Hearts Games | Old School Jacks
Better Video Poker | 250,000 Gold Coins + 500 Sweepstakes Coins |
🏆 Top 5 sweepstakes casinos with social poker
Alright, now that we’ve covered the main features, time to take a closer look at each of these social poker platforms. Lifting the lid if you will, and uncovering the pros and cons for each of these world class sweepstakes brands. Let’s dive in:
1. Stake.us – fastest growing sweepstakes casino
Stake.us: Pros & Cons
- One of the best welcome bonuses
- Exclusive in-house poker game
- Brilliant customer support
When it comes to an all round sweepstakes casino package, few do it better than Stake.us. Which is probably why they’ve quickly become one of the leading sweepstake casinos in the US. Or it could just be that they’ve got one of the best welcome bonuses – as a new player you’ll be able to claim $55 Stake Cash, 260k Gold Coins and 5% rakeback on your losses. It’s the perfect way to get started and be sure to check out their featured Stake Poker game while you’re there. It’s an exclusive in-house poker game with a lot to offer.
Featured game: Stake Poker
$55 Stake Cash + 260K Gold Coins + 5% Rakeback
2. Global Poker – the best sweepstakes casino for poker
Global Poker: Pros & Cons
- Huge selection of social poker games
- Variety of poker tournaments
- Daily login bonus
As you might expect from the name, Global Poker specialises in providing social poker games for US players. They’ve got a huge selection of games to choose from too, but their stand-out would have to be the Jackpot Sit’n’Go Tournaments. There’s plenty of great bonuses and promotions to get involved with on this platform too, from their welcome bonus (100,000 Gold Coins + 10 ‘rare’ entries to Jackpot Sit’N’Go) to their daily login bonus. The only minor downside? Limited payment options for those looking to purchase additional Gold Coins.
Featured game: Jackpot Sit’n’Go Tournaments
5 SC FREE + 250 Game Coins and 600 Diamonds
Sweeptastic: Pros & Cons
- Generous bonuses and promotions
- Cryptocurrency accepted
- Responsive web design
Ah, Sweeptastic! Maybe one of the best sweepstakes casinos for bonuses and promotions right now. When you register as a new player you’ll get your hands on 70,000 Lucky Coins + 44 Sweeps Coins. Furthermore, the website is designed perfectly, with intuitive navigation and it’s also mobile-friendly. Meaning you can play their social poker Hold’em games from just about anywhere. Incidentally, my personal favourite is their featured game: Casino Hold’em. Sadly, there’s no live chat support, but personally, I never had any issues when playing here.
Featured game: Casino Hold’em
33 SC FREE and 67,777 Lucky Coins
4. Fortune Coins – amazing choice for video poker
Fortune Coins: Pros & Cons
- Hundreds of casino games
- Fortune Coin redemptions
- VIP program
This sweepstakes casino is an excellent choice if you love playing a wide variety of casino games. If you need a recommendation for a place to start, I’d look at their featured game: joker poker. Beyond this, they also have an excellent VIP program that can be used to get access to various bonuses and promotions. You’ll also have the opportunity to use your Fortune Coin winnings to redeem real cash prizes at Fortune Coins, providing you meet eligibility requirements.
Featured game: Joker Poker
Claim Your Free 650,000 Gold Coins & 1,400 Fortune Coins
5. Pulsz – generous welcome bonuses
Pulsz: Pros & Cons
- Great bonuses and promotions
- iOS and Android mobile app
- Well known software providers
Last but not least is Pulsz. This sweepstakes brand has a lot to offer, including great bonuses and promotions with a welcome package that includes 367,000 Gold Coins and 460 VIP Points. This brand has a huge variety of games from well known software providers and a mobile app that will rock your world. One of their best games is free Texas Hold’em poker, you simply MUST give it a go!
Featured game: Texas Hold’em Poker
367,000 Gold Coins and 460 VIP Points
🔎 How to master social poker
In this next section of my guide, I’ll run through a few basics, just in case there are any newbies out there who might need a helping hand.
⚖ Basic rules of social poker games
At its core, social poker follows the same fundamental rules as traditional poker. The objective is to form the best possible five card hand, by using a combination of your own cards and the community cards. Hand rankings are the same as in traditional poker, with a royal flush being the strongest hand. However, another way to win the round is by forcing the other players at the table to fold, if you’re the last player standing before the final showdown, then you’ll also take the pot. Social poker typically implements Texas Hold’em gameplay, where there are between 2 and 10 players, using a standard 52-card deck.
✅ Step-by-step guide to playing social poker
In social poker Hold’em, the game progresses through four distinct betting rounds: Pre-Flop, Flop, Turn, and River. Each of these rounds provides players the opportunity to bet, check, call, raise, or fold.
- Pre-flop
Pre-flop begins after each player has been dealt two private cards. The betting starts with the player to the left of the big blind, who can choose to call, raise or fold. The action continues clockwise around the table until all active players have contributed.
- Flop
Next up, the dealer reveals the flop, which consists of three community cards dealt face-up. These cards are shared by all players to form their best possible hands. A second betting round ensues, beginning with the player to the left of the dealer. Players again have the options to check (if no bet has been made), bet, call, raise, or fold.
- Turn
Next is the Turn, where the dealer places a fourth community card face-up on the table. This leads to another round of betting, similar to the previous ones.
- River
Finally, the River involves the dealer revealing the fifth and final community card. The last round of betting then takes place, with the same options available to the players.
Once the final bets are made, if two or more players remain, a showdown occurs where players reveal their hole cards. The player with the best five card hand, using a combination of private and community cards, wins the pot.
Your go-to guide for top-notch social casinos
1.
5 SC FREE + 250 Game Coins and 600 Diamonds
Players from United States of America accepted
2.
25 SC FREE and 57.5K Gold Coins
Players from United States of America accepted
3.
27.5 SC FREE and 57.5K Gold Coins
Players from United States of America accepted
4.
$55 Stake Cash + 260K Gold Coins + 5% Rakeback
Players from United States of America accepted
5.
Purchase Offer: 20 SC FREE and 100K Gold Coins
Players from United States of America accepted
💡 Quick tips for poker gaming
Even if you’re a super-experienced poker player, it’s always handy to have insights from fellow players. So here, I bring my personal social poker tips to the table.
Patience is crucial in poker. Wait for strong hands and good opportunities rather than forcing the action.
Take notes on your opponents
Some platforms allow you to make notes on your opponents. Use this feature to track their tendencies and styles of play, it might help you develop a strategy you can implement the next time you meet them at the table.
Familiarise yourself with your sweepstakes casino
Familiarise yourself with the sweepstake casino that you’re playing poker on. This will allow you to leverage any tools or gestures such as timers, betting options and playing limits.
The great thing about social poker is that it’s completely free to play. This means it’s the perfect opportunity to review your hands and decisions, learn what went well, and what you’d like to change, then go again with more free poker games to try and improve.
Be selective with the hands you play
Be selective with your starting hands. Playing fewer hands can help you focus on quality and improve your decision-making.
👀 What other poker games are there?
The great thing about poker is there are so many variations for you to try. Albeit, they are mostly very subtle changes to the traditional game, but changes that introduce new strategies, playing styles and ways to win. Some of my personal favourites include Omaha poker and Crazy Pineapple poker, but there’s literally dozens to pick from, especially so if you choose Global Poker as your platform.
Omaha poker
Free Omaha poker is a community card game, where each player is dealt four private cards and must use exactly two of them, in combination with three of the five community cards, to make the best possible five card hand. Thereafter, the game follows the typical four betting rounds (pre-flop, flop, turn and river).
Crazy Pineapple poker
Crazy Pineapple poker is a variant of Texas Hold’em poker, where players are dealt three hole cards instead of two. After the flop, each player must discard one of their hole cards, leaving them with two. The game will then proceed as normal, with the same goal, to make the best five card hand using any combination of the remaining hole and community cards.
💭 Final thoughts on social poker games
If you take one thing away from this social poker guide, let it be the endless hours of fun and entertainment that are provided through these games. Everyone should have a hobby and there’s no doubt this is one of my personal favourites. During this guide I also took the time to review several of the leading sweepstakes casinos. So hopefully, one or more stood out for you. If that’s the case, go right ahead and check it out today. Don’t forget to opt-in for a welcome bonus and enjoy the fun that social poker games can offer.
Our favorite social casino bonuses
1.
5 SC FREE + 250 Game Coins and 600 Diamonds
Players from United States of America accepted
Requirements (WR): 1x Bonus
2.
25 SC FREE and 57.5K Gold Coins
Players from United States of America accepted
3.
27.5 SC FREE and 57.5K Gold Coins
Players from United States of America accepted
Requirements (WR): 1x Bonus
4.
$55 Stake Cash + 260K Gold Coins + 5% Rakeback
Players from United States of America accepted
Requirements (WR): 3x
5.
Purchase Offer: 20 SC FREE and 100K Gold Coins
Players from United States of America accepted
Min. Deposit: 20
❓ Social poker FAQs
🃏 Do I need to pay to play social poker?
No, you do not need to pay to play social poker. While sweepstakes casinos give you the option to purchase Gold Coin packages, most social poker platforms offer plenty of ways to collect more virtual currency through welcome offers, daily bonuses, gameplay achievements, and other special promotions.
💰 Can I win real money in social poker?
No, not directly. However, many sweepstakes casinos allow you to redeem your Sweeps Coin winnings for cash prizes, vouchers or other rewards, subject to their individual T&Cs.
⚖ Is social poker legal?
Yes, social poker is legal in most US states, because it does not involve real-money gambling. Social poker is typically operated under a sweepstakes model, where virtual currencies are used to power the poker games. This makes it accessible in far more locations across the US than would otherwise be the case.
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