The lockdown and stay-at-home orders caused by the pandemic have resulted in businesses closing around the world — including entertainment establishments like casinos. With more time at home, more people are turning to online poker. This increase in players means bigger pots and higher revenues. Case in point: New Jersey took in $3,629,112 in March 2020, which is more than twice February of the same year’s revenue. Meanwhile, the WSOP.com Super Circuit Series increased its prize money from $1.24 million to $4 million because of the high turnout of players.
But there’s also something for casual players who don’t necessarily want to join competitions: mobile poker apps. Mobile apps have made our lives more connected and convenient. An example of this is how mobile apps have allowed people who don’t live near a casino to play competitive poker. So whether you’re a completely new player or you just want to play casually, below are poker apps for both Android and iOS users:
SnapShove
SnapShove is more a tool than an actual game. Created by professional poker player Max Silver, this app is a calculator that can show you the best moves by helping you improve your push or fold ranges. Also called the shove/fold, this is a strategy where you either go all-in preflop or fold. It can be useful for stealing chips, but pushing too often can backfire. SnapShove has a very simple and uncluttered interface that provides you with information you can use to make good decisions on whether or not you should push or fold.
Governor of Poker 3
Governor of Poker 3 is a fun app for beginners where you start out with a cowboy rookie rank and work your way to becoming a high roller. The relaxing atmosphere allows you to easily learn the basic rules of poker, from the poker hand rankings to getting used to the fundamentals of betting. You’ll also become familiar with the most important poker terms like chips and betting limits. You’ll slowly be able to raise the stakes and win more as you learn new strategies. Governor of Poker 3 has several poker game formats, including Royal Poker and Party Poker. You can even play with friends or challenge new players.
World Poker Club
At first glance, World Poker Club seems pretty standard, and it’s admittedly one of the poker apps with lesser downloads — but this is definitely worth a try if you want an immersive experience. While other poker apps have buttons for checking, betting, and folding, World Poker Club has an innovative touch-based gesture system. Double-tapping the screen lets you call or check, swiping up folds, and holding the screen brings out the raise slider. It also has one of the cleanest interfaces for poker apps, making it one of the most underrated games out there.
PokerStars
PokerStars is one of the world’s biggest privately owned gaming businesses and online poker sites. The company also released a real money poker app not too long ago. The PokerStars app offers Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and Omaha hi-lo, and there are multi-table tournaments, sit-and-gos, and ring games. There’s also a built-in hand reviewer that lets you study previous games, which can help you play better and develop more sophisticated strategies. Since PokerStars is a real money app, the company has in-house developers that ensure the safety of players from fraud. There’s even a dedicated department for handling deposit and withdrawal requests, so these processes are secure and seamless.