How to try poker for free

Poker on social media

VKontakte offers dozens of apps for playing poker. Among them: World Poker Club, Pokerist and Poker Bongo. To find an app on the social network, you need to:

1. Log into your VKontakte account.

2. Open the “Games” tab.

3. Type “Покер” or “Poker” in the search bar.

World Poker Club leads by number of users. 11,000,000 people play it. Pokerist comes second with 1,000,000 users. 

You can't change the appearance of the tables in WPC

World Poker Club. Gives you a chance to play No-Limit Texas Hold'em and Pot-Limit Omaha. There are no exotic poker variants on WPC. The selection of disciplines includes: cash and Sit&Go. Once a week the World Poker Tour organizes a tournament. The number of players at the tables contrasts with the total number of users. At the time of writing, the cash tab had gathered 300 people. A modest figure against the backdrop of 11,000,000. 

The developers overloaded the WPC interface with details. The table design is outdated. There are almost no settings. When a player enters the app, they are given 10,000 gold coins. 

Pokerist. The platform offers only No-Limit Texas Hold'em. You can play cash and Sit&Go tournaments. Pokerist also runs a big weekly tournament. The online counter speaks in the app's favor. At the time of writing, 25,000 people were playing on Pokerist. Among the platform's downsides we'll note technical problems. We managed to launch Pokerist on the 4th-5th attempt. There were also connection difficulties. The app's interface can't be called modern. The tables and lobby elements look outdated.

Poker in mobile apps

Poker apps are popular on smartphones too. In the Google Play and App Store catalogs you can find dozens of platforms for free play. Zynga Poker is downloaded more often than the rest: the app has been downloaded more than 50,000,000 times. The mobile versions of World Poker Club and Pokerist have each been downloaded 10,000,000 times. To find an app in the catalog, go to Google Play and type “Poker” in the search bar.

Zynga Poker. The platform has: NL Holdem, PLO and Short Deck. The list of disciplines includes: cash, tournaments, Sit&Go and Spin&Go. The app's huge number of users lets you find opponents at any time of day. Compared to its competitors, Zynga Poker stands out thanks to the appearance of its tables and lobby. The interface is no worse than real poker rooms. On entering, newcomers are given free chips. You can increase their number by logging into Zynga every day.

Zynga Poker diligently recreates the experience of playing in a real poker room. The app even has its own loyalty program

PPPoker. Offers a chance to play: Hold'em, Omaha and Chinese poker. The tab with cash, Spin&Go and tournaments was placed at the bottom of the app. The platform also has fast poker. The settings let you convert stacks into big blinds and set standard bet sizes. You can also change the appearance of the table and cards. Interest in the game is boosted with the help of competitive rankings between countries and players. For each level the user is rewarded with in-game currency: when moving from the first to the second, the player is credited 1,000,000 gold coins.

Poker on PC

The leading free project on computers is Governor of Poker 3. The game supports: No-Limit and Limit Texas Hold'em. Blackjack adds variety to the poker selection. At users' disposal: cash, tournaments, Spin&Go, Sit&Go and Heads Up. The Governor of Poker 3 interface recreates the days of the Wild West. The goal of the game is to make your way from local saloons to the casinos of Las Vegas. At the start, a newcomer is handed 30,000 chips. For daily logins Governor of Poker rewards you with additional virtual currency. The game can be downloaded to PC from Steam. There's also the option to play in the browser.

The app's interface was overloaded with details

Governor of Poker supports Russian and takes up 500 MB on your hard drive. We'll note the app's modest system requirements. To play normally, you need a computer with 1 GB of RAM and the Windows 7 operating system. 

Among other free games we'll note Vegas Infinite. It was originally developed to promote poker in VR. Later Vegas Infinite was adapted for regular computers. It offers play in: cash, tournaments, Spin&Go and Sit&Go. Vegas Infinite creates the atmosphere of a real casino. To get the full immersion effect, you need a VR headset. The cartoonish style won't impress users of regular computers. The game can be downloaded from Steam. 

Vegas Infinite's graphics can't be called cutting-edge. On the other hand, the app supports voice chat

Vegas Infinite's system requirements look like this:

• 8 GB of RAM or more;

• 7 GB or more on the hard drive;

• a graphics card NVIDIA GTX 1060 or AMD Radeon RX 480 or better.

Poker as a mini-game can be found in large-scale projects. For example, in Red Dead Redemption 2 or GTA 5.

Free play in real poker rooms

Several real poker rooms let you play poker for free. Among them: PokerOK, PokerStars and 888Poker. Poker for play chips attracts newcomers to the platforms. Later many of them start playing for real money. 

PokerOK. The industry leader added play-chip games in 2023. To download the room's software, open the official website and click Download. You can try poker risk-free in various cash variations. Play-chip tables are offered in the sections: All-in or Fold, Rush & Cash, Holdem, PLO, Short Deck. You can also play Spin&Go for play chips. Poker for virtual currency was placed in a single list with play for real money. The free tables were separated by a horizontal bar. At the start, users are credited 10,000 chips each. 

PokerOK placed the free-play tables at the bottom of the list and separated them with a bar

PokerStars. Poker for virtual currency has been in the room since its launch in 2001. Download the PokerStars client from the official website. To switch the software to free play, you need to click one button in the lobby. You can play both cash and tournaments for play chips. PokerStars newcomers receive 35,000 play chips each.

There's free play on other platforms too. Among them: TigerGaming, PokerPlanets, Winamax Poker.

Play-chip games aren't the only way to try poker risk-free. Most rooms in the industry organize free tournaments with real prizes. They give away money or tickets to other events. Such tournaments are called “freerolls”. To take part in free tournaments, you need to register an account on the room's website. The most expensive freerolls are run by:

• PokerOK. Once a week the brand gives away $100,000.

• MTT Sports. On Sundays the room runs a tournament with a 1 Bitcoin prize pool. At the time of writing 1 BTC equals $90,000.

• Stake Poker. Every day the platform organizes 3-4 freerolls with a $300-$400 guarantee.

We covered free tournaments in more detail in a separate article on FunFarm. 

Why it's better to get to know poker in real poker rooms

Poker on social media, in mobile apps and in standalone games is united by the option to buy play chips for real money. Usually users are offered mountains of virtual currency for a modest fee. However, players aren't allowed to make the reverse exchange. In-game currency cannot be converted into real money. 

For real money the player will be sold: in-game currency, table designs, an additional time bank, exclusive emojis 

Most real poker rooms don't trade in play chips. They make money on the rake from real-money tables. Other advantages of poker platforms:

• A higher level of opponents. Many newcomers come to poker to have fun. That's why on social media and in mobile apps there are plenty of fans of the “all-in every hand” strategy. The recreational player isn't risking money and gets in everyone else's way. In real poker rooms people play a little more seriously, which brings play-chip poker closer to real conditions.

• Quality software. PokerOK, PokerStars and other brands constantly improve their software. That's why their lobbies and tables are significantly superior to the equivalents in free apps. Professional poker rooms let users customize the software “to their own taste”. On social media and in mobile apps there are significantly fewer options.

• Adaptation. If a poker player plans to move to playing for real money, it's better to start in a full-fledged room. Take PokerOK as an example. After depositing, the user continues playing from the same account on the same software. The player won't have to get used to a new table design or lobby.

• The chance to start from scratch. Many online poker rooms give away money in free tournaments. They allow you to start a career without a deposit. Viktor “Limitless” Malinovskiy, Aleksey “Avr0ra” Borovkov and other industry stars started out from freerolls. 

After getting to know poker, people realize just how complex and many-sided the game is. To win, you need to study systematically.

How to learn to play poker

You'll be taught to play poker by: books, videos, training in software, sessions with a coach, watching professionals play live. Let's discuss each method.

Books. A good fit for getting acquainted with the rules, types and disciplines of poker. At the start of your career we recommend reading Roy Rounder's “Easy Poker Math” and Jared Tendler's “The Mental Game of Poker”. The first book will teach you to quickly count outs and pot odds, the second will tell you about the psychology of the game and the danger of tilt. We reviewed more useful materials in the article “Top 5 poker books for beginners”.

Videos. YouTube offers a huge number of clips about poker. In a few minutes you can find a suitable video on any topic. The progress of technology has removed the language barrier: modern browsers translate clips in real time. We regularly post useful content on the FunFarm channel. Subscribe so you don't miss interesting videos.

Software. Reviewing your own mistakes is one of the best learning methods. At players' disposal: calculators, trackers, solvers, trainers, multitabling programs and other tools. Each helps find gaps in strategy or increases playing comfort. Read more about software in the guide.

Try each of the learning methods to choose the most effective one

Discussion with other players. Self-analysis helps find gross mistakes. Less obvious gaps in strategy are harder to detect. That's why it's useful to hear an outside opinion. You can review hands both in a chat with colleagues and on a specialized poker forum. 

Streams. Top players often stream their sessions on Twitch or Kick. Many don't just press buttons but comment on their actions and answer questions. Getting free advice from a strong player is worth a lot. FunFarm coaches also run live streams. Subscribe to our channel.

Private coaching. Many professionals teach other players. A coach will review a student's hand history, find gaps in strategy and give advice on fixing them. Choosing a suitable mentor isn't always easy. During the search a number of questions come up:

• how to assess the coach's skill level;

• whether they teach current techniques;

• whether their teaching style will suit you.

The high cost of lessons makes the task harder too. Nobody wants to trade hundreds of dollars for outdated knowledge. The problem of finding a coach and paying for lessons will be solved by the FF Start program. Our free course will introduce you to the basics of poker.

FAQ

How can I exchange play chips for real money in a mobile app?

You can't. Apps sell virtual currency for real money but don't let you make the reverse exchange. That's why there's no point in buying play chips.  

Which poker rooms offer poker for play chips?

You can play for virtual currency on: PokerStars, PokerOK, PokerPlanets, 888Poker, Winamax Poker.

How can I start a poker career from scratch?

Many online poker brands run free tournaments with real prize money. With enough persistence they let you build up starting capital. There's also an alternative solution: complete the FF Start training, pass the exam and get the chance to become a player at our school.  

What is a freeroll?

A freeroll is a free tournament with cash prizes. Sometimes freerolls give away not money but tickets to other tournaments. To take part in a freeroll, you need to register an account in a poker room. Some platforms set additional conditions: make a deposit, enter a password, subscribe to a group on social media.