Getting started with free live casino poker
As with roulette or live craps online USA, playing free live casino poker is very similar to the real world poker experience, but there are a few things to be aware of:
- You’re not playing for real money –
when you play an online poker live dealer game at sweepstakes casinos, you’re not playing with real money. Instead you’re playing with platform specific virtual currencies called
Gold Coins
(or similar, as sites may have their own names for their individual token) and
Sweepstakes Coins. Gold Coins act as tokens to let you play games but are purely for fun and have no prizes attached.
- There is the chance to redeem real money prizes –
In contrast to Gold Coins, Sweepstakes Coins provide players with the chance to redeem real world prizes. There are minimum requirements to be able to do this but, once you’ve met these, you can redeem your Sweepstakes Coins for prizes such as gift vouchers, and even real cash.
- Sweeps casinos are not legal in every state –
Sweeps casinos are not currently open to players in every single US state. Players who are resident in Washington, Idaho, and Nevada for example, are not able to sign up to High 5. Before joining a platform, it’s a good idea to have a read through our complete reviews of the best
free live casinos
to make sure that your choice is legal in your region.
The best was to get free coins to play live casino games
$55 Stake Cash + 260K Gold Coins + 5% Rakeback
Get 5 SC FREE+ 250 Gold Coins and 600 Diamonds!
Types of free live poker
Playing free live sweepstakes poker is a very similar experience to being on a real life casino floor. And just like the casino floor, the possibilities are endless. Texas Hold’em, seven card stud, Omaha, pai gow, five card draw, the list of poker variations goes on and on! Here’s a quick guide to the most common types of free live sweepstakes poker you’re likely to come across:
The most popular variety of poker by far. To start, players are dealt two cards, and a further three cards are drawn and laid in the middle of the table in stages. The aim is to create the highest winning hand from the cards in your hand and the cards on the table.
In this version of poker, you’re not playing the other players, but the house. Therefore it doesn’t matter how many other people are playing, all that matters is that your hand is better than the dealer’s.
Five card poker is the most basic variation of the game. To start, each player is dealt five cards. Players can choose to keep these or exchange any or all of their cards.
Video poker follows the same basic rules as the five card game but, instead of playing against other people, you’ll be playing against a computer. At the beginning of the game, you’ll receive five cards and have to decide whether to exchange any. Gameplay is quite fast paced and easy to pick up, making this a good option for beginners.
Looking for free live poker? Check out our picks
Despite being one of, if not the most popular games at casinos, live dealer poker has not yet found a significant home at sweeps casinos. Below, you’ll find our up to the minute list of the top free live poker sites.
| Site |
Bonus offer
|
Game selection |
| Stake.us |
250, 000 Gold Coins plus $25 no deposit and 5% rakeback using the exclusive code TGTSOCIAL |
No live poker games at the moment but you can play Stake originals video poker.
|
| High 5 Casino |
250 Game Coins, 5 Sweeps Coins, and 600 Diamonds. |
Live dealer Casino Hold’em. |
Stake.us
Stake.us: Pros & Cons
- Hundreds of slots, table and live dealer games
- 24/7 customer support
- Fantastic welcome bonus with our code
- Daily bonuses, tournament and leaderboard prizes
Stake.us have quickly become one of the very top
free live dealer casinos
on offer. Their easy to use platform has an amazing range of slots from Pragmatic Play and Hacksaw, as well as in house slots developed by Stake.us especially for their players. There’s also a range of live dealer and table games, although unfortunately at the moment this doesn’t extend to live poker. We wouldn’t be surprised to see this in the future though.
As well as their first rate game selection, Stake.us make sure that players keep coming back with their selection of promos and deals. This kicks off with an exclusive welcome promo when you use our code TGTSOCIAL, but continues with a daily login bonus, refer a friend schemes, tournaments and competitions.
$55 Stake Cash + 260K Gold Coins + 5% Rakeback
Stake.us Highlights
- Exclusive promo code:
TGTSOCIAL
- Play Plinko, Hilo, Crash and more!
- Get Stake Cash bonuses every day!
High 5 Casino
High 5 Casino: Pros & Cons
- Award winning platform
- VIP program provides extra rewards
- Comprehensive welcome bonus
- High 5 Casino app for iOS and Android
- Not available to players in Washington, Idaho, and Nevada
High 5 are another top sweeps casino choice. They were the recipient of a ‘Top Social Casino’ award in 2023 which goes some way to showing you how warmly they’re regarded by the igaming community. Their game selection is second to none and features hundreds of slots, alongside a collection of
free live casino games. This includes the recently added live dealer Casino Hold’em poker game.
High 5 also have a stellar welcome bonus to greet new players and allow them to start playing. These bonuses keep on coming thanks to a daily reload, a regular prize wheel, and social media competitions.
Our verdict on free live casino poker
In this guide we’ve taken a dip into the warm waters of free live sweepstakes poker to bring up some absolute pearls of wisdom. We’ve had a look at the most common varieties of poker played at sweeps casinos and brought to the surface the best platforms offering free poker right now. Things move quickly in the world of sweeps casinos though, and we don’t think it will be long before other sweeps casinos add live dealer poker to their platforms. We keep our finger on the pulse here at The Gruelling Truth so check back in with us regularly for updates.
Free live casino poker FAQs
♥️ What’s the best sweeps casino to play live poker online for free?
In this guide, we’ve given you a very quick tour of the world of free live casino poker, including the sites currently offering games. The best one for you as an individual depends on a number of factors, from their game selection to whether they have an app. You can read complete reviews of all of the
sweepstakes casinos
mentioned here on our site to find out more.
🃏 Can I win real cash playing free live poker?
It’s not possible to play a online poker live dealer game for real cash at a sweeps casino but, if you’re playing in sweeps mode, it’s certainly possible to redeem your Coins as real world prizes which can include cash.
🧐 Do all sweeps casinos work in the same way?
All sweeps casinos have a very similar model and offer completely free gameplay, with no purchases ever required to play games. Some of them have slight variations in their terminology, for example in the names of their virtual currencies, but they all give players a chance to enjoy their favorite casino games absolutely free. Some, such as High 5 Casino, also offer an app to bring you maximum convenience. Check out The Gruelling Truth reviews for the lowdown on the best
free live casino apps.
