Online Poker Tournaments Australia
The poker boom is now in full swing in Australia. With the explosion of televised poker events and live poker tournaments being held Down Under, the boom is not likely to end any time soon.
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Fortunately for Australian poker players, most of the best internet poker sites accept players from Australia. All of these Australian poker sites offer both a play money version and a real money version. This means that players from Australia can play for fun or they can play real money online poker. The best sites that are accepting players from Australia are 888Poker and PokerStars. All of these sites have exclusive bonuses for players that sign up through PokerNews.
BEST ONLINE POKER ROOMS IN AUSTRALIA
Australian tournaments revolve around certain leagues such as the Australian Online Poker League, or operate as satellites for qualification into land based tournaments such as the Aussie Millions Poker. World Poker Tour is the premier name in internationally televised gaming and entertainment with brand presence in land-based tournaments, television, online, and mobile.
888Poker For Australian Players:
888poker, the world's second largest real-money online poker room, is our top choice of for internet poker sites that are currently accepting players from Australia. Our Australian poker players love 888poker due to its great software, amazing games, great welcome package, and amazing promotions all-year long. You can get an exclusive sign up bonus by opening an account through PokerNews.
Thanks to the special relationship PokerNews enjoys with 888poker, you can check out this amazing poker room with some cash compliments of the house without even making a deposit. Simply sign-up to 888poker through PokerNews and you will instantly receive $88 ($8 in instant cash & $80 bonus).
If looking for even more free value, for a limited time you can take advantage of our exclusive offer of a free $20 with a deposit of just $10. All you need to do is deposit $10 using our special bonus code 'POKERNEWS10' to instantly transform $10 into $30.
From there, new players in Australia can take advantage of our regular deposit bonus of 100% of up to $888.
Australian Players Can Play At PokerStars
PokerStars is the largest poker site on the internet, and PokerStars does accept players from Australia. Our Australian online poker players can receive a bonus of up to $600 plus freeroll entries. Simply download PokerStars through PokerNews, enter the 'POKERNEWS' and use the bonus code 'STARS600' when making your first deposit. While this offer is available for all Australian players, it is only valid if you do not already have an account with PokerStars.
New PokerStars players can instead opt into a separate first deposit bonus of $20 when using the bonus code 'FREE20'. While this might be smaller than the other bonus described above, the advantage here is that you will receive $20 for free into your account with no bonus to work off within 36 hours of your first deposit. In addition to the free cash, you will also receive up to 124 entries to the $100K Privilege Freeroll that run four times per day.
PokerStars is one of the best sites at putting together country-specific promotions. You can oftentimes find freeroll tournaments that are geared towards Australian players, or even deposit bonus offers only available for Australian players. In addition, the site is the online partner for the annual Aussie Millions with plenty of satellites to qualify in for pennies on the dollar.
Australian Online Poker Information:
One of the things that players wonder about is the currency that is used by the online poker sites. All of the sites listed on this page will accept your Australian dollar deposits. When you sit at the tables the poker sites will convert the funds into US dollars for play on the site. When you decide to cashout they will convert your available funds back into Australian dollars for you prior to cashing out.
Many Australian players are also interested in qualifying for the Aussie Millions tournament through a satellite. The only sites for Aussie Millions satellites is PokerStars. They hold lots of qualifiers ranging from freerolls to buyins of a few hundred dollars. Many Australian poker players also ask about playing on a poker site that is based in Australia. It is against Australian law to have a poker site that is based in Australia, so you aren’t going to find that. All of the sites listed on this page are great alternatives, and they all provide easy deposits and fast cashouts in addition to tremendous game selection.
Make no mistake for Australia is a land where people love to take chances, and this undoubtedly includes the exciting game of poker. To understand the state of the game, let’s first focus on the recent developments. The Parliament of Australia ousted many of the international brands with a decision dated March 21, 2017, making online poker in Australia illegal.
This new law had heavyweights such as PokerStars and 888poker pack up and leave, but despite the retreat, Australians haven’t lost their zest for the game. In fact, some 2.3 million Aussies enjoy card games and while the ban has made it difficult for online card rooms to exist, the provision hasn’t restricted players’ ability to join online poker portals.
This brings the question: what exactly are the available opportunities to enjoy licensed online poker in Australia for real money in 2020?
Here are the best online poker rooms in Australia for 2020:
- Generous Welcome Bonus
- Huge Playerbase
- Amazing Platform Software
- Mobile Friendly Platform
- Large New Player Bonus
- Great User Interface
Is Playing Online Poker in Australia Legal in 2020?
Australia has courted online poker options for a long while now. While there is no law that criminalises the participation in online gambling communities, poker included, anyone willing to run a poker room in the country would face a slew of legal challenges.
Take for example the 2001 Internet Gambling Act which was hammered in with the 2017 ruling of the Parliament of Australia. Senator Mitchel Fifield brought up the issue of legalising poker not so long ago, but no significant progress has been done since then. Today, the following rules apply to online poker in Australia:
- Licensed brands aren’t allowed to offer products
- Reputed offshore companies continue to extend poker opportunities
- Player participation in online poker in the country isn’t criminalised
- Respected offshore operators have pooled U.S. and Australian players
- Over AUS$21 million is distributed in tournament prizes each weekend to poker fans
Still, despite the lack of mainstream gaming operators, a lot of the more daring offshore poker card rooms with years of experience under their belt have been happy to take all amongst you who are eager to join the poker action in Australia.
The good news is that even though you cannot run your own card room, you are free to participate in any sort of gambling activity. Not all operators are worth it though, as their licenses are usually issued by jurisdictions that the Australian government cannot sanction.
This is why you will need to pick the ones that can be trusted. One way to research online poker in Australia, other than trusting our expert judgement, is to go to discussion forums such as Reddit, which will offer genuine opinions by fellow players.
Games and Traffic at Poker Websites in Australia
With the Australian poker population growing, the country’s player base is definitely enough to provide opportunities for big cash prizes and multi-million weekend tournaments. Australians are pooled in a global poker network which allows them instant access to great cash games, Sit & Go’s, and all sorts of tournaments played at a normal and turbo pace.
As an Australian online poker player, you will have access to a number of games, including:
- No Limit Hold’em
- Texas Hold’em
- Omaha Hi/Lo & quite a few others.
With traffic not being an issue to Aussie poker aficionados, life feels a little better, especially when you are in pursuit of grinding opportunities to finance a bankroll that will come handy at an offline tournament.
Online Poker Tournaments
Speaking of tournaments, you will find yourself in quite the rich choice of options. We have examined the full offer of all trustworthy Aussie-friendly poker card rooms online, and the variety of tournaments there is quite staggering, including:
- Monster Stack Poker Tournament
- AUS$140K Guaranteed Poker Tournament
- AUS$21.6M Guaranteed Every Week
- AUS$107K Guaranteed High Roller
Tournaments are a staple product of all poker websites, and it is no surprise that Aussie-facing ones also have quite a few viable options when it comes to the choice of tournaments. Meanwhile, you will want to drop by the Sit & Go Tournaments and see what they have to offer:
- Hold’em NL: $1 + $0.05/ $200 + $14
- Omaha PL: $1 + $0.05/ $100 + $8
- Omaha Hi/Lo PL: $1 + $0.05 /$100 + $9
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The Sit & Go’s are often a favourite mode of play among Aussie poker players, as they offer quick and reliable opportunities to turn a profit. Some card rooms will still display all values in US$, so make sure to double check with that and account for conversion rates.
In the meantime, Aussie players will find themselves playing alongside an international crowd for pretty decent overall prize pools.
The Poker Bonuses and Loyalty Rewards in Aussie Poker
Aussie poker players cannot complain when it comes to bonuses as they will be showered with respectable awards. This being poker, you can expect a sign-up offer that is released in increments, allowing you to gradually grow your bankroll.
You can also benefit from the loyalty program available at every recommended and tested website we have had the pleasure to review. Reload bonuses will help you top off your bankroll at any point and they come with the same fair playthrough requirements that all respected poker card rooms offer.
Lastly, you have the VIP & Loyalty Reward programs that have been designed to help you get better cashback and redemption rate as you level though regular play.
Online Poker Tournaments Australia 2020
Is it worth focusing on the Loyalty & Reward programs as an Australian poker player? Absolutely! All loyalty programs have been designed to incrementally help you consolidate your funds and presence at a particular platform.
So far as long-term bonuses and promotions for online poker in Australia go, you should certainly check these out.
Online Poker in Australia with Real Money: New Player Guide
If you are just walking into the world of online poker opportunities available to Aussie gamers, you will find yourself with a good choice. For all those among you looking to play for real money, grind up their bankroll and attend some offline events further down the road, Australia is the perfect place to do so. Let’s have a quick look at the available limits:
Game | Minimum Limit | Maximum Limit |
NL Texas Hold’em | $0.02/$0.05 | $10/20 |
FL Texas Hold’em | $0.05/$0.10 | $30/60 |
PL Omaha Hi | $0.02/$0.05 | $10/20 |
PL Omaha Hi/Lo | $0.02/$0.05 | $10/20 |
You don’t need a big budget to start playing online poker in Australia. All table limits are quite within the budget means of the majority of players, allowing you to play competitively whatever your current budget. Some of these card rooms are anonymous, meaning you won’t have to worry about being harassed by players with bigger pots, while the integrity of the competition will be guaranteed by the brand.
Banking Options Friendly to Aussie Players
When it comes to banking options, Australia is its own land of opportunity. You will find a number of Aussie-friendly payment solutions that have been designed to cater to the specific needs of local gamers. If you are looking to collect funds or deposit money, you will find the following payment options quite handy:
- PayPal
- Neteller
- POLi
- Skrill
Banking cards may not be an immediate go-to solution so long that some legal wrinkles remain to be smoothed out. On the plus side, Bitcoin and e-wallets provide you with swift payment options, not to mention the added level of player protection and anonymity, which is always a good thing.
When it comes to fees, some will be determined by the websites you play with, so that’s worth a closer look. Usually the fee can be a percentage of the sum or a flat rate. If you opt for Bitcoin, though, you can save yourself the trouble completely.
Staying Safe at Australia’s Top Card Rooms
The word “offshore” is not always thrown around in the kindest terms, but the good news is that the offshore card rooms we have had the pleasure to explore are pretty decent across the board. They have a very player-centric approach and the promotions that they run are very much as per the industry’s standards. So far as security measures go, these poker rooms are:
- Fully SSL encrypted
- Keep players funds in a separate account
Aussie websites tick all the right boxes as far as security is concerned, allowing you to enjoy a hassle-free experience around the clock. Yet, playing with unproven online poker portals in Australia also has its pitfalls and we recommend against it.
For your consideration, we have put together a list of blacklisted websites that have proved themselves to not meet the industry’s standards we hold good operators by.
Download or Instant Play?
Online Poker Tournaments Australia 2019
Australians can enjoy quite a few options when it comes to play modes, but for the most part, card rooms prefer to operate through a dedicated client. Instant play options are still there, but not as common. On the plus side, installing a dedicated client takes no effort at all. All you need to do to set yourself up and play online poker in Australia is:
- Go to the dedicated download page
- Choose your operating system (Mac or Windows)
- Install the package
- Register an account
- Login
- Deposit funds
- Start playing
It may seem like a little too much, but you can complete the entire process in the matter of two-three minutes. Even then, we advise you to pay particular attention to the depositing options. In most cases, the payment method that you pick to deposit with will also be the one you use to cash money out with.
Usually, Australians don’t have to deal with fees, but in some cases they will apply. This is why many poker players prefer to keep playing until they have more substantial sums for cashing out, such as $200, $300, and more.
The average Australian spends between AUS$1,300 and AUS$1,700 every year on gambling, which is quite a bit of money all things considered. It helps to know that there are sufficient banking options allowing the safe transfer of these funds.
Mobile Poker: Take the Experience with You
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Mobile poker is available to Australian players. The only pre-condition here is to have a portal which allows players to access their poker portfolio directly through the browser. This translates into mobile play, which is handy to say the least. Most poker pros admit that when they sit down for prolonged grinding sessions, they would much rather do it in front of a computer. Yet, a few quick hands on the way home is always a good way to break into your stride.
Are There Enough Poker Players for Aussies to Play With?
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While Australia-based card rooms may not be a thing still, Aussie players are not giving up on poker. The estimated 2 million players are joining various card rooms and it’s only a matter of time before they start converging on the best and most populous card rooms.
Our recommendations will also help you find great gaming options where the poker action continues around the clock thanks to a vibrant player base. You can realistically expect around 300 players in the low points and up to 1,000 and more during peak hours. Weekend tournaments get very busy very quickly, so you will definitely not lack action during your days off.
Playing Online Poker in Australia Is Fun
When all things about online poker in Australia have been considered, the natural conclusion is that the world’s most famous and challenging card game is quite fun to play in the country. There are still a lot that can be done to facilitate the access of players and streamline the banking process, but even today, Australia has a viable poker ecosystem.
The country is a perfect place for anyone who wants to pursue a career in poker seriously, as it allows plentiful grinding opportunities. Tournaments and well-budgeted games abound in Australia and there is no small number of opportunities to go on and become a great poker player yourself.