We're deep into lockdown and we don't know when it it's going to end. There's a chance this might be going on for a long time, so it's best to make contingency plans. One of the best ways to make Saturday night really feel like Saturday night is to play online poker with friends online.

You would think in the age of 3-D printers and instant communication that playing poker with friends over the internet would be easy. But it is surprisingly difficult, thanks in large part to America shutting down the bulk of the online poker industry a few years ago. We've just about hacked it, and here's our tips on playing online poker with your friends.

Before we get into it, let us just establish that this post is intended for casual players looking for a bit of poker and a bit of conversation, who want to play in the easiest and quickest format. We're pointing you towards online poker options that are free and next to no cash outlay. Poker is fun game when played amongst friends and we don't at all advise getting involved in the murky world on 'online poker'. All of these games are perfect with Zoom/Skype/Google Hangouts on a second screen.

Players in US states with access to PokerStars for regulated real money online poker, which include Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Michigan, can meet up with friends online to play poker in private cash. Pokerface is a Group Video Chat Poker Game that lets you play with your friends and meet new ones. Join Pokerface, see your friends, and chat with them live! Have a real poker night from anywhere. Play Free Poker on Vegas World. Play free Poker with friends and win big! Have a winning poker hand? Win tons of Coins. Use your Gems to get Good Luck Charms, which boost your coin winnings from playing free Poker in Vegas World. Play multiple rounds of Poker. The real beautiful game. It’s even more beautiful when you play it with Full Tilt. Sit down in the presence of the greats, like Texas Hold’em and Omaha.Play at lightning speed with Zoom, the fastest poker game in the world, or mix it up with one of our many other poker variants.Whatever way you like to play, be like thousands of other poker players all over the world and play. Historical roots of poker are in New Orleans. Since invention of this game it has conquered world and became both a way to earn money and to spend spare time with friends. It has many fans from each.

Poker Stars

Game notes: Poker Stars is one of the biggest online poker sites in the world. After downloading their software, you set up a 'home game' via a league that can host your private game and invite mates. Here's a step-by-step guide to that process.

Set up difficulty: Easy to medium. You'll have to install the PokerStars software in order to play, and that involves creating logins, verifying emails etc. I know people have had varying degrees of success creating the home game/private game. Many Balls.ie readers recommend it, this humble writer and his friends couldn't get it to work. If you do get it working, it's brilliant online poker software.

PokerNow.Club

Game notes: The perfect resource for casual players. This is no frills poker. Game play is easy and minimal and there's a chat function.

Set up difficulty: Piss easy. Nothing is required to get this off the ground. You don't have to download anything. You get a table and send an invite link to friends and the game takes care of itself. Because of its simplicity the game has seen a massive spike in popularity over the last month, to the point that it can be very hard to get a table on a weekend evening. Make this your first port of call.

Blockchain.Poker

Game notes: Basically a crypto version of the Pokernow game. You start with some crytpo coinage and have the option to play at private tables or with strangers.

Set up difficulty: Easy to medium. There's nothing to download, which is great. However, the front design isn't mindblowing and connecting via the private table proved tricky for me and my mates. Maybe you'll have better luck. It definitely doesn't have the popularity issues of PokerNow. If you do spend your free money, you'll have to purchase crypto currency to top up again.

Poker Face

Game notes: This is a fun app that mixes video and poker in the one place.

Set up difficulty: Easy to medium. It's a tablet or app version, which takes the desktop element out of it.

Can You Play Poker With Friends For Money

Prominence Poker

Game notes: Prominence Poker is an old Xbox game that you can download for free over the gaming network Steam. You create a character and can play with your friends in private games. To play with friends, just set up a private game and invite your Steam buddies.

Set up difficulty: Medium to hard. First you need to download Steam, then you need to download the game, then you need to create you character and do a few demos to build cash. You'd want to really enjoy gaming to opt for this set-up. While the graphics are cool and the poker venues are enjoyable, it's perhaps needlessly complicated for a casual Saturday night game. Also, you need to put €5 in your Steam account to connect to friends and this game is not compliant with Macs, which might rule your cool friends out.

Pokrrrr/Zynga/Pokerbros/etc

Game notes: There are hundreds of online poker apps run by gambling companies that claim to let you play poker with friends. In our experience, these were all painful to navigate and involved a cash outlay at some stage

Set up difficulty: Hard to impossible.

There are lots of different apps out there nowadays that allow you to play online poker with your friends while in the comfort of your home.

The best online poker websites provide you with the opportunity to enjoy these games through the best poker apps – both for iOS and Android, on Smartphones and on tablets. These apps allow you to create or join a poker club, invite your friends to join, and play your favorite poker game at a real money casino or for free.

Here are the five of the best apps on which you can play online poker and games with your friends:

1. Appeak Poker App

Appeak Poker has long been among the best free apps for playing online poker games, and it comes with a simple interface that makes online gaming a snap. The app has a Play Now option that allows you to join a quick poker game, in addition to Bingo Bango, sit & gos, MTTs, and Double-Ups.

Appeak also provides several unique features like the Duel functionality, a feature that lets you have a face-off with your friends.

Key features:

• Size: 27 MB
• Platforms: Android, iOS
• Type: Casual Poker Game
• Spam Level: Low
• Pro: Simple Interface

2. World Series of Poker App

The World Series of Poker (WSOP) has an excellent app that provides real money poker games, including sit & gos, cash games, and scheduled tournaments. Funding and cashing out are comfortable and secure, and you can use PayNearMe, Neteller, PayPal, e-Check, and cards.

There lots of prizes you can win with your friends while playing at WSOP, such as cash prizes and tickets to live WSOP events. Note that you can only play for real money if you live in licensed, regulated jurisdictions.

Key features:

• Size: 75 MB
• Platforms: Android, iOS
• Type: Casual Poker Game
• Spam Level: Medium
• Pro: Great Prizes on Offer

3. Pineapple App

The Pineapple App looks great, is free, and is entirely secure (it was the first RNG-certified app for mobile). The app hosts several top poker games like Pineapple, regular OFC games, and others.

It is a secure platform where you can enjoy online games with your friends without evening logging in or registering with your Facebook account. Pineapple is the ideal app for people who do not want to share their personal information while playing online games.

Key features:

• Size: 20 MB
• Platforms: iOS
• Type: Open-Face Chinese Poker
• Spam Level: Low
• Pro: Right Way to Pass Time with Pals

4. Zynga Poker App

From casual to competitive poker, you can get a table at Zynga App anytime you want to experience online poker right at home. The app offers you an opportunity to collect up to 100,000 playing chips every day.

You can also buy Play Money when you run out of chips and play several poker titles, including Jump Poker, and sit & gos. You can deposit money using secure methods that keep your data safe.

Key features:

• Size: 97 MB
• Platforms: Windows, Android, iOS
• Type: Casual Poker Game
• Spam Level: Slightly High
• Pro: Some Great Titles

5. Politaire App

Politaire is the app for all poker lovers looking for a way to relax with friends playing a mindless poker game. It is an app that provides the best poker and solitaire games, making it the place to be if you love that combination.

The app has a stylish theme with a minimal color scheme to avoid the distractions common in most poker sites and apps. It is free to play, but you can purchase the double-deck version for $1.99.

Key features:

• Size: 51.1 MB
• Platforms: Android, iOS
• Type: Casual Poker Game
• Spam Level: Low
• Pro: Simple and Stylish

Play Amazing Poker Games with Friends

Playing online poker games with friends can be a blast if you do it the right way. If you have friends who are keen on poker games, it can fuel a healthy rivalry.

As seen above, there are plenty of poker apps that can allow you to play right at home. We have only looked at some of the very best of these applications to help you have an easy time when choosing one.

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