Millions of players play online poker across the world every day! Do you want to join them?
Here you will learn all about playing poker online for real money in India, in𒅌cluding how to play legally, and our highest rated sites to play poker online!
Poker online, as well as gambling online, in India is a complicated situatio𝔍n with many states🧔 moving towards regulating it and awarding licences to operators, and many other rigid in their opposition.
Playing online poker is also confusing as the debate rages on about whether poker is a game of skill – and therefore permitted – or is a game of chance, and as a result not allowed. This is despite various Indian court judgements ruling poker as a game of skill.
Still, the best thing to remember is that no-one has ever been prosecuted for gambling online as no law exists to prohibit it explicitly.
Online gambling, of course, covers playing poker for real money, and positive news is that many states have begun explicating allowing and licensing online poker sites.
Most states now allow some operatorsꦑ to offer poker online to their residents, and online poker giant PokerStars.in has operated in India since 2018. Under Section 194B of the Income Tax Act, 1961, winnings above ₹10,000 are subject to a 30% Tax Deducted at Source (TDS). It is norm𒊎ally the responsibility of the online operator to deduct TDS before it releases the winnings.
Residents of Assam, Nagaland, Odisha, Gujarat and Telangana will find they are unable to play with any Indian-registered poker sites online as they have specific legislation against games withꦉ cash stakes.
But these players can still access play money games and can find online poker action hosted by sites outside Indian jur🅘isdiction.
Here ar𒁃e the best three online poker sites for Indian pla𓃲yers!
★ India’s large🅰st poker site with no download necessary
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★ Great promotions and interesting game vಞariants including Pineapple Poker and Omaha Hi/Lo
★ Free🐽 entry tournaments with 30 Lac worth of prizes ever🧔y month!
★ Earn reward points and swap them for c♑ash, tourney tickets, gadgets, and even supercars!
★ Various tournament formats including Knockout, Progressive Knockouꦓt and W💦in the Button
★ The world’s biggest and most famous poker site
★ Get up to ₹1,500 for free with you🌸r first deposit!
★ Win entry and packages to live tournament♔s in locations around the world
The main poker game played online is Texas Hold’em Poker, and more specifically, the No-Limit version.
We’ll run through the rules here quickly. If you are not a fan of Texas Ho💜ld’em, there are many other poker versions too.
Up to eight players can sit at the poker table. The aim of the game is to make the best five-card hand using any of your two hole cards – hidden from the other players a🐬t the table – and the five communal cards dealt face up.
Betting rounds take place after each player has been dealt their hole cards, then after the flop (the first three communal cards dealt, the turn (the fourth communal card dealt), and the river (the fifth and final communal card dealt).
Of course, you only need to hold the best hand if you make it to a showdown with another player or players. Poker is all about bluf🙈fing and playi🅠ng your opponents, rather than just the cards.
Give the impression you are holding a strong hand, and your opponent is more likely to fold (throw down their 💯hand and give up their stakes bet).
With no-limit poker variants, players can bet their whole stake in one go at any betting round meaniꦫng the stakes are always high!
Pot-lim💧it versions restrict the༺ maximum bet to the size of the pot (the combined stakes already bet).
A♦ |
High card |
The highes🍨t card in your hand. Ace is highest down to 2 |
10♥ 10♠ |
Pair |
Two cards of the same rank |
K♣ K♦ 8♦ 8♠ |
Two Pair |
Two different pairs in the same hand |
Q ♠ Q♦ Q♥ |
Three-of-a-Kind |
Three cards of the same rank |
A♦ 2♣ 3♦ 4♠ 5 ♥ |
Straight |
F🍸ive cards of any suit i🤡n order – aces can be high or low |
K♠ 10♠ 7♠ 6♠ 2♠ |
Flush |
Five cards of the same suit |
9♥ 9♠ 9♣ J♥ J♦ |
Full House |
Three-of-a-kind and a pair in the same hand |
6♣ 6♥ 6♦ 6♠ |
Four-of-a-Kind |
Four cards of the same rank |
7♣ 8♣ 9♣ 10♣ J♣ |
Straight Flush |
A straight with all cards from the same suit |
10♥ J♥ Q♥ K♥ A♥ |
Royal Flush |
The best possible straight flush – 10 to Ace |