Online Poker in Michigan

Online poker in Michigan was legalized in late December 2019, with the Wolverine State’s first poker room opening in January 2021. Here are the best poker rooms available to play at right now offering online poker gambling, cash games and tournaments and some great deals for new players!

The latest poker site to launch in Michigan is rapidly becoming the state’s largest. With the brand like World Series of Poker (WSOP), that’s no surprise. Focused on poker and poker players, WSOP delivers to its players what they want: great bonuses, great games, and a top-of-the-line rewards program. Cash games abound, and tournament players can even win WSOP championship bracelets from the comfort of their own home! With an easy-to-use app and top-notch software, everything runs smoothly here. WSOP may soon be the only stop Michigan poker players need to make.

The costs of operating online poker in Michigan include a $50,000 fee for the application and a $100,000 fee for the five-year license itself, followed by annual fees of $50,000. The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) must also evaluate the licensee’s reputation, character, integrity and financial ability, to ensure only the most reputable, secure and stable operators receive a license. Strict rules around fair play, transparency and player ID are in place, and licenses may be lost if these rules are broken. Players must be aged 21 or over, and must be physically located in the state of Michigan for the entirety of their playtime.

At GambleOnlineMichigan we review all the options you have for legal online poker in the state. We focus on the type of things that matter for regular users, so you have all the relevant information you need to make an informed decision about where to play.

Some of the questions we aim to answer include: · What online poker bonuses can you get? You want to get maximum value when you deposit with a poker site, so make sure to choose one that rewards you for playing there!

• What type of promotions does the site run?
  It’s not a good Michigan online poker site if it runs a lot of promos but none of them involves the kind of games or prizes you’re interested in. When it comes to promos, we want to see great value available for all players who take part.
• Which payment methods are available, and how quick are withdrawals?
  We check how easy and fast is to get funds in the site when you play poker as well as moving your winnings off it.
• Does the site have an app?
  These days there’s no excuse for not offering a first-class mobile experience, letting you choose exactly when and where you want to play.
• Which different games are available?
  Fans of Texas Hold’em poker won’t ever be disappointed, but not every Michigan online poker room will have enough players to offer other variants like Omaha or Stud. We know it’s important for some players to have that variety available.
• How safe and secure is the site for its users?
  A high priority for obvious reasons, the security of your money, data and identity at any online poker room is something we always investigate thoroughly.

If you’re located within the state of Michigan and aged 21 or over, you’re eligible to open an online poker account. Here’s how to do it:

Download the software

This may be a mobile app from the App Store, or downloadable computer software from the poker room’s website (it may be the case that you need to first register using a computer before being able to play on the app).

Create your account

Make sure you have all your relevant personal information to hand. Proof of address, social security number and more are likely to be required. Now’s the time to think of a great username, too!

Fund your account

Different sites will accept different payment methods, but you’re sure to find an easy option very quickly.

Don’t forget to claim any bonuses!

As a new player you’re likely to be offered some great rewards when making your first deposit, so take full advantage. Finally, once you’re all set, find the game you want to play and get going!

A high-quality mobile poker app should aim to offer users everything they can access from the more traditional downloadable desktop software. This includes the ability to browse and play cash games and tournaments of all formats, as well as to manage your account, deposit, withdraw and change gameplay settings or preferences. Multi-tabling (i.e. playing more than one ring game and/or tournament table at once) should be available as standard – although you may be restricted to a smaller number of simultaneous tables. If a poker room also offers other activities, such as sports betting or casino play using a shared wallet, you should also be able to access these instantly via the same app.

What type of bonuses can you expect to receive at a Michigan online poker room?

No deposit bonus

This type of bonus doesn’t require a deposit, but usually pays out after a certain amount of play or if a challenge is completed (for example, winning a hand holding specific cards, or recording a high score on a leader board).

First deposit bonus

The rewards you get for making your first deposit are usually the most generous available and you may be offered a choice of several. For example, PokerStars MI lets you choose either $30 free play on a deposit of $20+, or a 100% matched deposit of up to $600.

Deposit bonus

Bonuses on further deposits, or ‘Reload Bonuses’, tend to be made available from time to time rather than being ‘always-on’ promotions. Keep an eye on your emails as these may be offered to you directly rather than advertised on the site itself.

Loyalty programs reward players for regular play, either through a fixed return on rake or fees paid (sometimes known as ‘rakeback’) or on a sliding scale which awards bigger prizes to players at higher levels. Here are a few perks you might expect to receive when you play online poker in Michigan.

Cashback rewards

Get extra funds in your account – either as no-strings-attached cash, or as tickets or credit for specific games.

Express comps

Michigan online poker rooms will often run freeroll tournaments which award real cash prizes, or award cash-value tournament tickets which can be used to win even bigger prizes.

VIP Promotions

From sporting events to vacations, tournament packages or backstage concert access, being a VIP at an online poker room could see you receive some unusual and exotic treats!

Any Michigan online poker room will offer a choice of both cash games and tournaments, with a number of different tournament formats available. Let’s take a quick look at the types of poker game you’ll find online in Michigan.

Online poker cash games

The ‘classic’ poker format: sit down with a stack of chips, play for as long as you want and leave whenever you like. The house takes a tiny cut of each pot as payment for running the game, which is known as ‘rake’. Cash games are usually offered for different game types, as well as different table sizes from heads-up (2 players) to a full ring (9 players).

Online poker tournaments

In online poker tournaments the blinds continue to rise at predetermined intervals, e.g. every 5 minutes, meaning players need to keep building their stacks or risk being knocked out. Eventually, only one winner remains to take the biggest share of the prize pool, but usually the top 10-20% of the field will also receive a payout.

Sit & Go Tournaments

This type of tournament doesn’t have a fixed start time, but instead begins as soon as a set number of players have registered. This flexibility is great for online poker as it means less waiting around for tournaments to start.

Jackpot Tournaments/Spin & Go

These fast, fun tournaments see three players compete for a winner-take-all prize pool. The twist is that you don’t know when you sit down just how big the prize pool is going to be, meaning you could be playing for anything up to 1,000x your stake!

For fans of online poker Texas Hold’em is the best-known game around, but there are a number of different formats available online. If you want to know how to play online poker in Michigan, we recommend giving them all a try if you can. You never know – you might find your new favorite game!

Texas Hold’em

Usually played no limit, this is the most widely-known and played poker game in the world. If you’ve ever watched poker on TV, it was probably Texas Hold’em being played! Players receive two hole cards, with five community cards and four betting rounds to follow. The best 5-card hand wins.

Omaha

Omaha plays very similarly to Texas Hold’em, but players receive four hole cards and MUST use two of them to make their best 5-card hand. Omaha is usually played pot limit and allows for some interesting variations such as 5-Card Omaha and Courchevel, which is 5-Card Omaha with the first community card turned over pre-flop. What’s more, all Omaha variants can also be played hi/lo, making it a great game for big action!

Seven Card Stud

Usually played as a limit game, this game uses no community cards. To start, each player receives two hole cards and one face-up ‘door’ card, followed by three more up-cards and a final card in the hole, with betting rounds between each card. It’s a lot of fun when played as a hi/lo game, and when played for low-only is known as ‘Razz’.

Five Card Draw

Ever seen a movie with cowboys playing poker in a saloon? Odds are, they were playing Five Card Draw, one of the oldest poker variants. Players receive five hole cards, any of which they may exchange during a single re-draw. No up-cards and no community cards make this a great choice for bluffing and mind games.

Badugi

The ‘black sheep’ of online poker gambling, Badugi is unique on this list in that it does not use the standard hierarchy of poker hands to determine a winner. Playing somewhat similarly to Five Card Draw, but with only four cards, players aim to make a low hand of no pairs and of four different suits.

Mixed Games

A great choice for poker all-rounders, games such as HORSE or 8-Game Mix throw multiple variants at you in a fixed rotation (e.g. HORSE = Hold’em, Omaha, Razz, Seven Stud, Seven Stud Eight or Better). The stud rounds are always played as limit poker, while the Hold’em and Omaha rounds may be played no limit or pot limit.

As well as scheduled tournaments, sit & go’s, cash games and other poker formats, Michigan online poker sites often spread special tournament series with larger than usual prizes. You could even win a package to an international live poker event! A few highlights to watch out for:

The PokerStars Sunday Majors

Sundays have always been the biggest days for online poker, which is why PokerStars MI holds tournaments with the biggest guaranteed prize pools on that day. Check the Sunday schedules for your chance to win big!

MICOOP

The Michigan Championship of Online Poker (MICOOP) is PokerStars’ flagship tournament series for the state, with some truly eye-watering prizes awarded to those who emerge as champions.

Daily Highlights

Each daily schedule is packed with different types of tournament, including formats like KOs where prizes are awarded for each player you eliminate, or hyper-turbo tourneys which play out in super-quick time.

Once you have verified your account you will be eligible to play online poker in Michigan for real money. To fund your account, simply hit the ‘Deposit’ or ‘Cashier’ button in the software or app, then select the payment method that works for you.

Online poker sites in Michigan are likely to accept a wide range of methods to deposit, including MasterCard, Visa, Skrill, PayPal and bank transfers. Don’t forget to check for any bonuses you may be eligible to receive with your deposit!

Withdrawals to bank accounts, Skrill and PayPal should also be widely available. While withdrawals are unlikely to be instant, it shouldn’t take more than a few days for your money to arrive in your chosen account.