Editor's Opinion
888Poker NJ is one of the most trusted brands in online poker. Its site is well-executed with a lot to offer. Its games range from Texas hold’em to Omaha and stud, and it is easy to find both cash games and tournaments on the platform.
Pros:
- Easy to Navigate Platform
- 24/7 Cash Games
- Juicy Guaranteed Prize Pools
COns:
- Not Available Nationwide
- Occasional Wait Times
888poker QUICK FACTS
Website:
Established:
2002
Banking Options:
PayPal, Visa, MasterCard, Play+
Services:
Online Poker
Game Types:
Cash Games, Tournaments, Sit-and-Gos, Satellites, Freerolls
Customer Service:
Supportnj@888.com, 855-218-6234, Online Help Center
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888Poker NJ Review
Thanks to the internet, poker doesn’t have to be played at a brick-and-mortar casino. 888Poker New Jersey raises the stakes with a top-tier product offering cash games, tournaments, sit-and-gos, and satellites for poker players of all experience levels.
Whether you play low stakes or high stakes, 888Poker NJ has plenty of options. The lowest stakes on 888Poker are much more affordable than an in-person poker room, so if you are brand new to poker, playing online is a great way to learn the ins and outs for free.
Established in 2002, 888Poker is one of the most established operators in online poker globally.
Should You Play at 888Poker?
With 20 years of experience in the online poker space, 888Poker NJ is an operator that is recommended. However, it is only currently available in New Jersey. We do recommend the poker site for New Jersey residents.
The poker company powers the product belonging to Caesars and the World Series of Poker, though these are separate platforms. That said, the partnership with Caesars gives 888Poker even more credibility as a great poker site.
888Poker Signup Offers For 2024
There is no better time to join an online gaming site due to the lucrative signup bonus offers available. 888Poker is no exception in the online poker industry. New players will get a big bankroll boost at 888.
No Deposit Bonus
888Poker offers a free $20 bonus when you register. No deposit is required to claim this popular bonus credit.
Players can use this bonus right away to buy into their favorite tournaments and other games.
Deposit Bonus
In addition to the 888Poker no deposit bonus, the brand also offers a deposit match bonus for new players.
When you make your first deposit onto the platform, 888Poker will match 100% of your deposit, up to $1,500. This will let you start your poker play on 888 with more money than you initially bought in for.
Bonus Wagering Requirements
The deposit bonus funds are released into your player account incrementally. Players must earn Bonus Points to steadily unlock their deposit bonus money. Every 10 Bonus Points unlocks $1 of the bonus.
Players earn 2 Bonus Points for every dollar they contribute toward the rake. Tournament players earn 2 Bonus Points for every dollar they contribute toward tournament fees.
As you accrue these points, the deposit bonus is released in $10 increments. Players who play frequently should have no trouble unlocking their funds and acquiring a significant boost to their bankrolls.
Promos Worth Considering
888Poker NJ is still a relatively new product, so the promotions are a bit lacking at the moment. That could soon change.
In Europe, 888Poker has a couple of very popular promos that we wouldn’t be surprised to eventually hit the U.S. market.
Refer a Friend: For getting a friend to join 888Poker, the site will give you $15 for free. Your friend gets a generous welcome bonus.
The welcome package for your friend includes the $20 free no-deposit bonus (like you received), in addition to a 100% deposit match up to $400 on their 1st deposit. That’s not all. Your friend gets a ticket to a $1,200 prize pool tournament for joining.
The Winner Spinner: Simply register at 888Poker for a free spin, and if you make a deposit, you get a second free spin. Each spin can win you cash, free bets, tournament tickets, bonuses, and more.
Once you have made your first deposit at 888poker, you’ll get two free spins — one on the 888Poker mobile app and one on PC — every day.
888Poker Rakeback Bonus
888poker does not currently include a rakeback promotion but offers a quality welcome deal. Sign up for a new player account and earn a $20 no-deposit bonus plus a welcome deal featuring up to $1,500 in bonus cash.
The no-deposit bonus is a great way to test the site and play cash games and multi-table tournaments. Explore all that 888poker has to offer before depositing funds.
Once you are ready to deposit, add $10 or more to activate the welcome deal. The online poker room will give you a 100% match to your deposit amount, up to $1,500. After the bonus is added, you will have a larger bankroll for gaming.
How To Join 888Poker
Signing up at 888Poker is stress-free. To register, follow these steps:
- Click the Get Bonus button on this page and you’ll be taken to a legal gaming site in your area
- While on the 888Poker, you will see the signup button located at the top (right side) of the home page highlighted in yellow
- Click sign up and fill out the form that will appear with accurate information
- You will be awarded the no deposit bonus, and you can also make a deposit and start betting
Can You Win Real Money at 888Poker?
888Poker is a real money online poker site. You deposit with real money and you play with real money.
Consequently, you also withdraw real money. There are no virtual currencies in play here.
Is 888Poker Legal?
Yes. The poker platform is totally legit due to its licensing from world-class gaming regulators. 888Poker operates within the confines of state gaming laws and regulations.
Who Can Play on 888poker?
You must be at least 21 years old to play on 888poker. You must also be in the state of New Jersey. You do not need to have a residence in the state, but you must be physically present there.
Where Can You Play 888Poker?
888Poker is live and legal within the state of New Jersey. That’s the only state in the country where 888 operates.
My 888Poker Experience
The time I spent playing on 888Poker was a great experience overall. 888Poker is a well-known poker destination that offers many different games for players to enjoy. It has a host of great features, including its customer service and the diversity of games available.
There really is something for every poker player here. Games are offered in a variety of styles and at a variety of limits. Small buy-in tournaments are available around the clock, and the ring games even come in micro-stakes limits for players for casual players and those who are starting to build their bankroll.
More risk-averse players can start with the free play mode, which is perfect for beginners who want to learn how to play poker without any risk or commitment. There are also daily freeroll tournaments for users who want a taste of playing for real money without risking any of their own.
Speaking of tournaments, I was impressed by the sheer selection of tournaments available at 888Poker on any given day.
My tournament tastes can change from day to day; some days, I want to focus on SNGs, and other days I want to take a shot at a large multi-table tournament with an above-average buy-in.
888 was accommodating to whatever kind of poker I was in the mood for, which is more than many other online poker sites can say.
Not only did I find the games I was looking for at 888Poker, but actually finding them on the platform was a breeze. I never once felt like I was fighting the interface to locate what I wanted to play. The platform itself has great functionality and cool aesthetics.
Table information is displayed in plain sight, making it easy to decide which ring game to jump into. Tournament schedules are easy to find, and the tournaments themselves are easy to enter.
There is also a solid player population on the platform. Cash game tables are regularly full. In fact, sometimes, I had to wait for a desired cash table to open up for a seat. This never took an inordinate amount of time, though. Even if it did, there is no dearth of other activities to keep players busy in the meantime.
While more impatient players may take issue with mild waiting times, experienced online poker players probably won’t see this as a bad thing. Having played in online rooms with a much smaller player populace than 888, I would much rather have ring games so busy that I have to wait for them. This beats a sparsely populated poker lobby, hands down.
xxIn fact, if poker laws allow cross-state player liquidity to become possible, populated rooms like 888Poker will be a boon to all online poker players.
888Poker Games
There’s only poker on 888Poker, with casino games such as slots and blackjack available via the sister platform, 888Casino. House-banked poker games are on the casino side, with 888Poker only offering peer-to-peer games.
Peer-to-peer is a fancy way of saying player-versus-player. You only compete against other humans at 888Poker.
Cash Tables
888Poker has a variety of games and limits for cash game players seeking legal real-money online poker. Whether you’re a cash game grinder or you only dabble in ring games while waiting for the next tournament to start, 888Poker has exactly what you’re looking for.
Below are the types of cash games you’ll find in 888’s game lobby.
Texas Hold’em
Texas Hold’em is the most popular poker variant by far. The game of Texas Hold ‘Em is played with two cards dealt face down to each player and five community cards.
The game is played across multiple rounds of betting, with each player deciding whether to bet, check (stay in the hand but not bet), or fold (neither betting nor staying in the hand).
In Texas hold’em, the gameplay goes as follows:
- The small blind and big Blind are forced bets collected before cards are dealt
- In pre-flop betting round, each player is dealt two cards face down
- One player acts at a time, with the player to the left of big blind acting first
- The player is considered “under-the-gun." This player has three options: fold, call, or raise
- Play then revolves clockwise around the table
- The betting round concludes when all players have acted
- This continues across multiple betting stages as the cards in the middle of the table, called community cards, are slowly revealed. If a player bets and no one else calls or raises this bet, the player takes the entire pot, and the next hand commences.
- If players continually call all bets until after the last card is revealed, something called “The Showdown" takes place
- If at least two players remain, the winner must show hand to win the pot. The winner is the player who has the best five-card hand.
Texas hold’em has three betting structures you should be aware of: No Limit, Fixed Limit, and Pot Limit. Let’s delve a little deeper into each of these:
- No-Limit: Players can bet or raise their chips (known as going all-in) at any given moment during their turn. This variety of Texas Hold ‘Em is the most commonly played betting structure.
- Fixed-Limit: Poker games, a player can only bet a certain amount at a time. A player can only raise a certain number of times per street (flop, turn, and river). Typically, the raises are limited to three per street.
- Pot-Limit: Players to bet or raise any amount greater than the minimum raise, up to the current pot size. A pot raise amount is equal to your call of that bet amount plus your bet amount for placing a bet.
Omaha
There are two types of Omaha, the classic high card version and Omaha hi-lo. In most poker rooms, Omaha is played with the pot-limit betting structure. This is often displayed in virtual game lobbies as Pot Limit Omaha (PLO).
Omaha is played identically to Texas Hold ‘Em, with the distinction that players are each dealt four hole cards instead of two. Players must use only two cards from their hands to make the best 5-card poker hand.
Because of these additional cards, Omaha is known for featuring large hands and even larger draws. Because of the pot-limit betting structure, devastating pre-flop all-ins are impossible (unless a player is low on chips).
On the other hand, Omaha hi-lo has four rounds of betting and a pot that is split 50/50. The low and high hands both earn an equal portion. With two methods to win, in addition to receiving four starting hole cards (rather than the usual two), players have a plethora of opportunities to make hands and win large pots.
Seven-Card Stud
Seven Card Stud has often been regarded as one of the purest types of poker, and it has a long and illustrious history among poker players. Players need to pay close attention in this game, just as they would in Gin or Bridge.
Like in other stud poker games, in Seven Card Stud, some of your cards will be dealt face down and visible only to you, while the rest of your cards will be dealt face up and seen by every player.
One of the trickiest aspects of Seven Card Stud is learning how to disguise your hand while most of your cards are visible to everyone at the table. If you are able to do this successfully, you might be able to take down some seriously sizeable pots in this exciting, strategic card game.
Seven Card Stud isn’t always offered in poker rooms, so it is great to see that it has a home at 888Poker.
Guaranteed Tournaments
In addition to large guaranteed tournaments like the weekly $130K, smaller ones are also commonly available on 888. Depending on the time of year, players can usually find guaranteed tournaments that take place daily. Players across a variety of limits can enter these for a chance at the guaranteed prize pool.
888Poker has a mix of desirable tournament options for poker players. In terms of fan-favorite types of tournaments, guaranteed tournaments are near the top of every tournament poker player’s list.
Every other kind of poker tournament has a prize pool that is based on the number of entrants. Naturally, the more players who buy into a tournament, the higher the prize pool. Of course, the opposite is also true; the smaller a tournament’s number of entrants, the smaller the prize pool.
Guaranteed poker tournaments eschew this norm by offering a guaranteed minimum prize pool, no matter how many players enter. Poker rooms provide an overlay to ensure the players who do enter the tournament are playing for a prize that is worthwhile.
An overlay is the amount of money added to the prize pool to reach the guarantee when there are not enough entrants to complete the prize pool. If more players show up and enter the tournament, the prize pool will grow, but it will not shrink below the guaranteed amount. This gives players a safeguard from low prize money and goes a long way toward increasing tournament turnout.
Bounty Tournaments
Bounty tournaments and Sit and Go’s do offer their own safeguards, but they aren’t on even footing with tournaments that have overlays. In a bounty tournament, players receive “bounties" for knocking other players out of the match.
Players can accrue this money even before the tournament has crossed the threshold into cash prize territory. So, a player can lose early and still take home a tidy sum in a bounty tournament.
SNGs have a set prize pool based upon the buy-in and the number of players, so everyone in the game knows precisely what the winners will earn. But these aren’t actual guarantees because there is no guarantee a player will knock out another player to receive their bounty. There is also no guarantee if and when a sit-and-go will even start, so its prize money is merely hypothetical until the tournament gets underway.
Multi-table tournaments are scheduled in advance, and players can count on them to occur. Furthermore, players know ahead of time the bare minimum of what they will be playing for.
Sit-and-Gos
Sit-and-go (SNG) poker tournaments have a set number of entrants and begin once that number is met. SNGs can contain anywhere from 2 to 360 players, but the most common varieties are single-table tournaments (STTs) with a maximum of 6 or 9 players.
Larger SNGs operate closer to MTTs (multi-table tournaments) than STTs, in terms of strategy and prize pool. They do bear some resemblances to the classic single-table SNGs, though, such as the non-scheduled start time and the top-heavy distribution of prize money.
When it comes to STTs, the top two players in 6-Max SNGs are eligible for the cash prize, while the top three finishers in 9-Max SNGs can lay claim to prize money.
Sit-and-go Tournaments in 888poker are beginner-friendly, don’t last very long, and typically last 30-60 minutes, depending on the SNG type. This is an easy tournament type to multi-table, as they are pretty straightforward. If you are able to win consistently, SNGs can be a great way to build up your bankroll.
BLAST Sit-and-Gos
888Poker offers something called a BLAST Sit-N-Go tournament that is a lot of fun. In these types of SNGs, 4 players compete for a randomly drawn prize.
In BLAST SNGs, prize pools can go up to 10,000x your buy-in. This means you could be playing for $10k for a $1 buy-in, $50k for a $5 buy-in, or a whopping $300,000 for a $30 buy-in!
These games operate with a super-turbo structure and a timer. There are some key differences between BLAST Poker and other lottery-style SNGs that players should take note of:
The games have a duration of anywhere from 2 to 8 minutes, depending on the size of the prize. In the top left corner of each table, there is a large, red countdown timer displayed. At the end of the countdown, you will see an electricity effect, and everyone is all-in on every hand until the winners are determined.
Prize pools are selected at random and can get up to 10,000 times your buy-in. If you buy in for $1, you could be competing for anything from $2 through to $10,000.
BLAST SNGs are not always winner-take-all. Some prizes pay out to the top 2 finishers, some pay the top 3, and the other ones simply award the prize to the sole winner.
The buy-ins for these games range anywhere from 10 cents to $1, $5, $15, $30, or $100. With a little luck and the right strategy, you can turn a paltry buy-in into a truly gargantuan amount of money.
Satellites
888poker has numerous satellite tournaments. These allow players the opportunity to enter tournaments with high buy-ins at a fraction of the cost. Presently, 888Poker does not have any satellites to live events. However, this could change in the future, as 888 sponsors many live poker events around the world.
Satellites into these types of events include tournament entry, and they often include travel expenses as well. They are a great opportunity to play in live tournaments at exotic destinations, so keep your eyes peeled and check in often!
Banking Options at 888Poker
888Poker offers several convenient ways for players to fund their poker accounts. Below are some of their accepted payment methods.
Deposit Methods
- Visa
- MasterCard
- PayPal
- ACH
- PayNearMe
- Play+ Card (Prepaid)
- Online Bank Transfer
Each of these methods requires a $10 minimum deposit. Deposits typically reach the player’s account immediately but can take between 10 minutes and 24 hours in rare cases.
Withdraw Methods
888Poker makes it simple for players to withdraw their poker funds.
The accepted methods for withdrawing from 888Poker are:
- Visa
- MasterCard
- PayPal
- Bank transfer (ACH)
- Play+
- Casino Cage
The minimum withdrawal for ACH transfers is $10. For PayPal, Play+, and similar methods, the minimum withdrawal amount is $20. There is no minimum withdrawal amount for players using the option to withdraw at the Caesars Atlantic City cashier’s cage.
Bank transfer withdrawals typically take up to 6 days to reach a player’s bank account. PayPal and Play+ withdrawals typically take between 4 and 5 days to show up.
888Poker does have a Gold VIP Members option. These members can enjoy PayPal, and Play+ withdraws that are typically 1-2 days shorter than usual.
Customer Service
888 customer support services are solid and available to help you with your needs.
Email and phone help are available at 888, as well as round-the-clock help center assistance.
- Email: supportnj@888.com
- Phone: 855-218-6234
Self-Exclusion & Player Safety
There are plenty of tools available at 888 if you need some assistance with your play. These responsible gaming tools are a hallmark of regulated online gaming.
- Deposit Limit: Players can establish a deposit limit to restrict the amount of money he can deposit into his account over the course of a rolling period.
- Loss Limit: A player can create a loss limit to limit the amount of money lost.
- Playing Time Limit: Players can establish a daily playing time restriction to be notified of how much time is spent on the website on a given calendar day.
- Cooling off: If a player decides to take a vacation from gambling at any time, he can request a “cooling off" period of 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, or 5 months.
- Self-exclusion: Players may seek to be self-excluded from the platform for a term of one year or five years online at any time.
If you or anyone you know needs help with responsible gambling, the National Council on Problem Gambling has a 24/7 confidential number.
888Poker Player Sharing
Player liquidity refers to the practice of various online poker sites pooling players together. This practice can significantly increase the number of users that online poker players can compete against. Presently, the law does not allow this to be done across state lines due to something known as the Wire Act.
However, there are strong indicators that the laws around this are changing. If and when this happens, players across the various regulated gambling states will be able to play against each other, and the online poker operators in these states will be able to share their player pools. This will only lead to online poker becoming more accessible and even more popular.
Currently, in the state of New Jersey, 888Poker shares a player pool with the popular WSOP online poker platform. These two massive brands allow their users to compete against each other, no matter which platform a user is playing from. The end result of this is larger tournament turnouts and a much broader selection of active ring games at any given moment.
If this practice is allowed to be performed across state lines, players in New Jersey could find themselves being able to compete against players from Michigan, Pennsylvania, and other states that might move toward the legalization of online poker. This would allow the online poker community to grow even larger and produce bigger games and better player experiences as a result.