Play Poker Online No Downloads

The best no download poker rooms.

RoomReviewRatingNetworkJavaFlash
888 PokerA+-
Ignition PokerA+PWL
Betcoin.agB
Sky PokerB-
Poker HeavenCIPN

What are no-download / in-browser poker sites?

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No download poker sites are poker rooms that allow you to play online poker for free or for real money in your browser.

So instead of having to download and install the standard poker software, you can just sign in and start playing online poker from within your browser window. It really is that straightforward.

Why play online poker in your browser?

Because it's quicker and easier.

Plus, there may be times where you'd prefer not to install a poker room client on your computer. For example; if you're using a shared computer, or if you're trying to get a few hands in whilst you're at work. For situations like these, no download poker sites are perfect.

A screenshot of the Party Poker instant play version being played in the Chrome browser on a Mac.

Furthermore, these in-browser poker rooms are also handy for Mac and Linux users (e.g. Ubuntu poker players) that can't install the .exe files of the standard poker clients offered by poker rooms. There are sites that offer Mac poker apps that you can be installed on Macs (through .dmg files), but the no-download poker rooms are always a handy alternative.

How do they work?

Browser-based poker rooms are delivered in one of two ways:

  1. Flash

Java and Flash are simply two different programming languages that allow poker rooms to develop web-based poker software. You may have heard of these two languages before, as they are commonly used for games on free games websites. For example, ArmorGames.com (my fave) offers flash based games.

Surprisingly, one programming language isn't more popular than another when it comes to providing web-based poker software -- it's pretty much an even split. I guess that's a good indication that both methods are on par with each other for this sort of stuff. When playing at these no download rooms you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the two types anyway.

So if you're playing online poker from within your browser, it's running on either Java or Flash, and they're both as good as each other.

Will these work in my browser?

Should do. It's not necessarily your browser that's the issue though; it's whether you've got (or an up to date) version of Java or Flash. If you haven't, you can always grab the latest version of Java or the latest version of Flash for free.

Note: The poker room will usually prompt you beforehand if you're not up to date, so I'd just go ahead and try them out first and see what happens.

Nonetheless, I went ahead and tried all the instant play poker rooms in the table above, and they all worked well in these browsers:

  • Chrome (my favourite browser)

What's the difference between download and no-download poker sites?

Seeing as the no download poker rooms have to load up and run from within your browser, they need to be lightweight and fast. As a result, these 'instant play' rooms often have fewer features and simpler graphics than their downloadable counterparts.

Common features that may be missing/different from an instant play poker room are:

  • Table resizing.
  • Maximum number of tables open at one time is smaller.
  • Instant hand replay feature.

These are just examples though of course. Some no download rooms are almost identical to the full version.

On the whole though, I've always been impressed with the browser-based poker sites. It's not like you're getting a completely stripped down service -- it's more like a 'lite' alternative to the full-version.

The pros and cons.

I'm guessing that you've already figured out whether or not an instant play poker site is the ideal option for you. If not, here's a quick summary of the good stuff and the not-so-good stuff.

Pros.

  • No need to download or install anything. Play from within your browser.

Cons.

  • Fewer features than the full version.
  • There aren't as many options out there for browser-based poker sites.

If you're a serious poker player, I'd recommend looking in to a downloading a full poker room client. The extra features and stability that comes with the full poker software more than makes up for the time it takes to download and install the program.

There's no harm in trying out an in-browser poker room first though to see how it works out -- you can switch around whenever you like.

No download poker rooms FAQ.

Will these poker rooms leave any evidence that I've been playing poker on my computer?

Yes, they'll leave evidence in your browser history.

Playing at a poker room in your browser will leave the same sort of history as any other website that you may want to keep hidden. You can clean up the evidence by either deleting your history, or using the 'incognito' mode (or the equivalent of that) in your browser.

Some poker rooms require that you download a tiny .jnlp file to get the browser-version up and running, so you'll want to delete that from your downloads folder too. You'll know if you've downloaded one of these though.

Which no-download poker room is the best?

Poker

Honestly, they're all very good. It all depends on what you want from your poker room, so check out the reviews and go for the one that looks the most ideal.

Can I play for real money?

Yep, just make a deposit through the web cashier and you can play real money cash games and tournaments as normal. You'll be playing against both the real money players using the no download room and the players using the downloadable client.

Can I play for free?

Yes. Playing for cash is more exciting though. Get some NLHE strategy under your belt and you might win some money.

Are they safe?

Yes.

Security is of the utmost importance when it comes to playing poker online, so the poker rooms have ensured that everything is safe and secure. I've been playing at web-based poker rooms for a while and I've never had any problems.

Will these rooms work on my mobile?

Probably not.

Although these no-download poker sites allow you to play within a browser, it doesn't mean that they're also going to work on your mobile's browser. It's worth a try, but these rooms aren't the answer just yet.

If you have more general questions about playing poker online, check out my Texas Hold'em FAQ.

Go back to the Texas Hold'em rooms.

As the name suggests, no download Texas holdem is playing a
game online or on a mobile device without being forced to
download a software package first.

This may seem a bit strange if you’re fairly new to online
and / or mobile poker, but some poker rooms still have download
solutions and when poker was first available to online players
your only option was to download a poker room client.

Keep reading to learn the other names that players call no
download solutions, how to get started, the differences between
download and no download, and how your choice of software
solutions need to be considered when you think about your long
term holdem goals.

Other Names

No download Texas holdem refers to any way you can play
without downloading the poker room client. You can find many
different names for this that are used now and have been used
over the years. Here’s a list of common names used for no
download poker options:

Play Free Poker For Fun No Download

  • Flash
  • Mac
  • Instant or Instant Play
  • Browser Based

Many players also consider mobile Texas holdem solutions as
no download. It’s usually played using an app on a mobile
device which isn’t the same technology as traditional no
download games on a desk top or lap top computer, but it doesn’t
really matter if you understand the technology. As long as it
works it doesn’t matter if you know how it works.

One issue is you generally can’t use apps designed for mobile
devices on your regular computer. If the mobile tablet or phone
accesses the game through a browser you can usually do so as
well on a regular computer, but an app is designed for mobile
use, not computers.

If you include mobile devices, here are a few more common
names that may be used:

The first no download Texas holdem solutions were created
because people who owned Macintosh computers were having a hard
time playing online poker. Their only option was to run a
special software program called an emulator that acted like a
Windows based system.

These programs didn’t work well so most Mac owners simply
didn’t play. The early online poker rooms didn’t like missing
out on the extra profit that this group of owners represented so
the companies started looking for solutions.

The software solutions designed to be downloaded on Windows
based computers wouldn’t work on Macintosh computers and
couldn’t be adapted to work either. But if they designed a flash
based product the Mac users could play on their computers. This
created the entire no download poker section of the industry and
Mac players have had poker options ever since.

How to Get Started

Getting started with a no download Texas holdem option is
easy. When you decide to sign up at a poker room that offers
this option you need to either set up an account and log into
the instant play poker section of the site or access the poker
room first and then sign up for an account.

Because everything happens in your browser it doesn’t matter
which order you have to use to get started. Once you sign up for
an account the first time all you have to do from then on is log
in and start playing:

  • Once you have an account and load the poker client
    either find the free money section and join a table or make
    a deposit in the cashier area.

    **It’s always a good idea to try at least a few
    hands at the free money tables to make sure the software
    doesn’t have any glitches and so you can learn where all
    of the controls are located.

  • Click the link to the cashier area and look for the
    options available to players where you live to make
    deposits.
  • Pick one of the options that you have access to, make a
    deposit, and start playing.

    **If you have trouble making a deposit, check with
    someone in the support department.

  • Also keep an eye out for promotional bonus codes before
    you make a deposit.
  • Often you can get matching deposit bonuses that can
    double your starting bankroll. Always read all of the terms
    and conditions before you play for a poker bonus.

Where to Play

Not every online poker room offers a no download Texas holdem
solution. You can feel safe using any of the poker rooms listed
on this web site because we never list a poker room where we
don’t trust our own money, but not every room we list has an
instant play option.

When you visit a site where you want to play look for a link
or button advertising a no download, flash, or browser based
option. If you don’t find one you can contact support and ask
them if they have a solution, or simply download the main client
and get started that way.

If a site advertises a Mac solution you can probably use it
on your computer. But if it has an Apple solution this usually
means it’s for the iPads and iPhones. This type of solution
usually won’t work for regular PC users.

Differences Between Download and No Download

Once you join a table and start playing you probably won’t
notice much difference between a download and a no download
option. It’s possible that you won’t be able to see any
difference between the two options.

You need an internet connection to play using either
solution, but the framework is already on your computer with a
download client, so it may be a bit faster doing everything
before you start playing. But as long as you don’t have any
problems you probably will soon forget if you’re playing
download or no download Texas holdem poker.

Your Location

Players in certain locations aren’t allowed to play at some
poker rooms. Some players get the bright idea that they can get
around this by using no download and / or mobile solutions. They
combine these options with IP cloaking or spoofing to try to
fool the online poker rooms into thinking they’re located
somewhere else.

So players have been trying for years to figure out a way
around this.

The problem is that even if you can fool the software into
letting you sign up and play how are you going to handle the
account details and the banking details? You have to be able to
move money into the poker room and get it out and to do this you
have to have a bank account in a country the poker room accepts
players from.

You need to simply find a poker room that accepts players
where you live instead of trying to game the system. In the long
run you’ll be much better off.

For the most part if you find a poker room that lets you make
a deposit you can feel fairly safe about playing there. You need
to research the site and make sure they have a history of taking
care of players and you should never play with more money than
you can afford to lose, but most of the better known poker rooms
are safe and have a solid track record.

Of course you also need to be aware of the legal issues
concerning playing online Texas holdem where you live. Many
countries and jurisdictions have licensed and regulated online
poker, making it safe and easy for their citizens to play. But
other countries force you to play in a gray area, not knowing
for sure how legal playing actually is.

If you have any concerns or questions you should research the
government supplied details about online poker on the web sites
they run in your location and / or speak to an attorney. You
probably need to find one that has some experience with online
gambling, because most lawyers don’t know anything about it.

Strategy Considerations

What could your choice of download or no download Texas
holdem software solutions have to do with strategy?

This may sound a little silly, but if you want to be the
absolute best Texas holdem player that you can be you need to
analyze even the smallest part of your game. This includes
things as seemingly insignificant as your software choices. If
you’re not willing to do every single last thing needed to
maximize your poker profitability then you don’t need to worry
about whether you use a download or no download solution.

A large part of being a winning holdem player is mental.

You have to do everything you can to keep your mind in a
profitable place when you’re playing poker. This includes not
thinking about the software that you’re using to play online.
Anything that takes your attention away from the game can cost
you money.

Free Video Poker No Download

Depending on your internet connection and computer
capabilities, you may have trouble playing with a no download
solution. A slower internet connection speed and / or older
hardware can create lag times in no download Texas holdem games.

Because the framework of the game isn’t already downloaded on
your hard drive a no download solution can be resource
intensive. This can create issues while you’re trying to play.

Free Poker Online No Download

You need to find a solution that works well enough to give
you peace of mind while playing. The last thing you want to do
is be distracted by something like this and lose a big hand or
get knocked out of a tournament.

On the other hand, if you play in large tournaments that can
last for hours you may want to find a solution that offers the
chance to play across a wide range of devices. Some no download
solutions let you play on your regular computer and also on a
mobile tablet or phone.

If you find one of these solutions you can start a big
tournament on your home computer and if it lasts for 10 hours
and you need to run out for a minute you can switch over to your
mobile device until you get back.

Conclusion

Play 3 Card Poker Free Online No Downloads

Play Poker Online No Downloads

Poker Games Free Online Play

If you have a stable connection and your favorite poker room(s)
offer a no download solution it may be the best option for
you. But if your room offers both a download and no download
option you need to consider your options. You should try both
before making a final decision.

The bottom line is most online Texas holdem players can use
either type of software solution so you probably don’t need to
worry about it. Just follow these steps:

  1. Find a poker room that accepts players from where you
    live
  2. Sign up
  3. Follow the instructions
  4. Start playing!