Discover the Best Poker Apps with Friends
Finding the right platform is the first step to enjoying online poker with friends. Leading online poker sites and dedicated free apps now offer features to create private clubs and home games. This allows you to play exclusively with people you know, replicating the fun of a home game in a digital format. Let's explore the top options available.
888poker: How To Play Online Poker with Friends
888poker is one of our top picks for its user-friendly interface. Setting up private games to play online poker with friends is a simple process. First, download the 888poker software for your computer or mobile device and create a free account.
Once your account is ready, navigate to the “Play with Friends” section. Here, you can either “Join a Game” if you have an invite or “Create New Game” to host one yourself.
888poker Private Tournaments vs. Cash Games
You have the flexibility to create either a tournament or a cash game. For a private tournament, you'll need to configure:
- Game name and password
- Start date and time
- Buy-in amount
- Number of seats per table
- Prize pool structure
For a private cash game, the setup options include:
- Game name and password
- Start date and time
- Number of seats
- Action time (time to act)
- Maximum buy-in
After creating the game, you'll get an invitation message to share with your friends so they can join the action.
PokerStars: Setting Up Private Home Games
As one of the world's largest poker rooms, PokerStars makes it incredibly easy to set up private poker games. Start by downloading the PokerStars client or app and signing up for a free account. Once logged in, head to the “Home Games” section.
How to Create a Poker Club on PokerStars
In the Home Games tab, you can either “Create a Poker Club” or “Join a Poker Club.” As a host, you'll create a club and then set up tables within it. You can schedule both cash games and tournaments.
Cash Game setup requires:
- Name of the game
- Game type (e.g., No-Limit Hold'em)
- Table format (e.g., 6-max)
- Number of players
- Currency (real money or play money)
Tournament setup options include:
- Game type and format
- Currency and buy-in
- Game speed and blind intervals
- Payout structure
- Starting chip stack
Note that some game variations, like Omaha cash games, may only be available for play money. Once your club is created, you receive a club ID and password to share with friends.
GGPoker: Private Games via ClubGG
GGPoker is another industry giant that lets you host private games through its ClubGG platform. This dedicated app offers many of the great features that made GGPoker a top destination for online poker.
To begin, download the ClubGG Poker app from your device's app store. Create an account by signing up and verifying your email. From there, you can create your own poker club or join an existing one, similar to other platforms. ClubGG supports several poker variants for your private games, including:
- Texas Hold’em
- Omaha
- Short Deck
- Open-Face Chinese Poker
WSOP Poker App: Social Poker Experience
The official app of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) is a fantastic free-to-play option. It's backed by one of the most trusted brands in poker and is available almost everywhere, including the United States.
The games on the WSOP app are free to play and provide an immersive experience, making you feel like you're competing in a real WSOP event.
The app offers Hold’em and Omaha cash games around the clock. To start, simply create an account using your email, Google, or Facebook profile. New players receive 1,000,000 free chips to get started. While you can't create truly private home games, the app allows you to invite friends via Facebook to join you at the same public tables.
PartyPoker: Classic Home Game Experience
PartyPoker is a long-standing and reputable platform perfect for hosting home games. It supports both real money and play money games, giving you plenty of flexibility for your friendly competitions.
How to Create a Private Game on PartyPoker
After creating a PartyPoker account, you can use the private online poker club feature to set up a cash game. You can customize several parameters:
- Table size: 2, 6, or 8 players
- Stakes: From $0.01/$0.02 up to $1.00/$2.00
- Buy-in: 10, 50, 100, or 200 big blinds
An important detail for PartyPoker is that you must set up the home game using the desktop client. However, once created, you and your friends can join and play from any device, including smartphones and tablets.
