PokerStars are well known across the globe as one of the biggest and best online poker providers. But did you know you can also play online poker for free with their PokerStars Play App?
The PokerStars Play platform brings all the thrills of online poker into your hands and includes Texas Hold’em and Omaha Poker options, as well as a great selection of casino games, all for free.
PokerStars Play is available worldwide, including in the United States and Australia. Still, you should know that real-money gambling isn’t included, and there’s no opportunity to win real money or prizes.
How to get started with free poker at PokerStars Play
There are two main poker games available when you download PokerStars Play. These are Texas Hold’Em and Omaha Poker. If you’re already an online poker player, you’ll be familiar with these games, but it’s worth taking a moment to look at them individually and how to play them on the PokerStars Play app.
Playing Texas Hold’em at PokerStars Play
Texas Hold ’em is the most popular poker variant, so it’s no surprise to see this game on the PokerStars Play app. For beginners or those who need to become more familiar with the game. Texas Hold ’em is extremely easy to learn and start playing (hence its popularity).
The aim when playing Texas Hold’em game is to make the best possible five-card poker hand using a combination of hold cards and community cards. Hold cards are two cards dealt face down to every player, whereas community cards are a further five cards dealt face up throughout several betting rounds. Each player uses hold cards and community cards to build a five-card poker hand.
You can read more about how to play Texas Hold’em with our full Texas Hold’em poker guide.
Playing Texas Hold’em with PokerStars is easy and once you’ve downloaded the app and signed up, you’ll be playing in no time. Once you log in to the app and reach the Featured Menu, you’ll see Texas Hold’Em as one of the main options. You can also find this game (and other poker options) by selecting the poker menu on the left-hand side of the app. Once you’ve chosen your game, you’ll be able to choose your buy-in amount and stake.
Playing Omaha Poker at PokerStars Play
Omaha Poker is also an extremely popular version of poker and is often the next game that players learn after Texas Hold’em. Like other poker games, a hand in Omaha Poker consists of several rounds of betting and a combination of hole and community cards. The main differences you’ll see when playing Omaha Poker is the different phases that make up a hand, such as the pre-flop, the flop, the turn, the river, and the showdown. These phases make up the different betting rounds and the subsequent actions that the players can take.
If you’re interested in learning more about Omaha Poker, then take a look at our full Omaha Poker guide.
Just like Texas Hold’em, it’s super easy to get into a game of Omaha Poker on the PokerStars app. Once you have downloaded the app and logged in, you’ll see Omaha Poker as an option in the Poker menu. You’ll just need to select a buy-in amount, and your stake and PokerStars will transport you straight to your table!
Can I play online poker legally with PokerStars Play?
Yes, you can 100% legally play online poker for free with PokerStars Play! Their Play product is sometimes called a ‘social casino’, which means that you aren’t betting using real money and can play for free with no financial risk. This makes PokerStars Play an excellent option for beginner poker players or anyone wishing to improve their poker skills with no risk to their wallets!
Currently, PokerStars Play is available in 81 countries across North & South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, so if you’re lucky enough to be a resident of one of these countries, you can download the PokerStars Play app and get started on honing those bluffing skills.
How to Download and Use the PokerStars Play App
PokerStars Play is available as an app for both tablet and mobile devices on both Play Store for Android and the AppStore for iOs. In our experience, the apps on both platforms download very quickly and don’t take up significant storage space on your device, so after you’re all set up, you can concentrate on your first poker hand.
Once you load up PokerStars Play, you’ll see that the app is laid out for easy navigation by the user. You’ll first see the Featured Menu, which allows you to select Texas Hold’em but also 2-3 slot titles which are included with the app as part of the PokerStars Play casino experience. You’ll also have the option to take the Big Spin, which is another way to get chips to use on poker and other games.
From the Featured Menu, you can also select the Poker Menu and Slots Menu on the lobby tabs to the left of the screen. The Poker Menu allows players to choose either Texas Hold’em or Omaha Poker games, in addition to the poker tournaments, which are based in different locations around the world.
How to get free chips with PokerStars Play
If you’re playing online poker, you might be ok the lookout for free chips. Well at PokerStars Play, you have the option to earn and win chips to use on poker games.
When playing on the app, you’ll have access to the Ad Wheel in the main lobby. You can spin the wheel every 4 hours and win free chips to use on the poker tables. Complete 5 spins and you’ll get a Bonus Spin with a jackpot reward!
Want to know more – check out this video from PokerStars to convince you!
In addition to the Ad Wheel, you’ve also got a few more options to get free chips. These include following PokerStars Play on Facebook and looking out for their weekly Free Chips posts. For those keen-eyed social types there are also opportunities to earn more chips through the PokerStars social channels, with quizzes and competitions. You can also become a YouTube subscriber, where as well as earning chips, you’ll have access to some helpful guide videos and promos.
Other free games available with PokerStars Play
We’ve already covered the poker games you can play, but there are also a number of free games that are included with PokerStars Play. Here we’ve listed some of our favorite extras:
- Quizzes
You can access quizzes directly from the main screen in the app, and these allow you to earn chips by answering a few simple questions. - Scratchers
Scratchers are available in either free or premium versions, and can unlock more rewards for players. You’ll get access to a free scratcher every day, and you can purchase premium scratchers that offer higher rewards. - Challenges
Challenges are a way to earn extra chips just by playing your regular games. You’ll receive challenges on a daily and weekly basis, and by completing these challenges, you’ll unlock more chips.
So are you convinced? If you’re ready to start playing online poker for free, download the PokerStars Play app right now!