Find Your Best UK Mobile Poker App for Real Money

Top UK Poker Apps

Let’s see who among poker brands have the best bonuses and services for British players.

• GGPoker
• 888poker
• Partypoker
• Unibet Poker
• Sky Poker
• Betfair Poker
• William Hill
• PokerStars

Poker Apps with Best Welcome Bonus for UK Players

5 Best Real Money Poker Apps: Our Choice

With mobile clients, residents of the Misty Albion can join players from other parts of the world in mere minutes, from any location. To do so, one should find a trusted poker provider with quality software to fit their device: Android or Apple iOS. Now you may ask: What are the best poker apps UK has to offer? After hours of research, comparisons and verbal sparring among the team, we eventually crowned the top five. In our eyes, the following operators have tried the hardest to leave their rivals behind.

GG Poker App

For starters, GGPoker has seen meteoric success since its launch in 2017 and is now at the long-term peak of popularity. Unrivalled traffic 24/7 in both MTTs and ring games allows British players to choose the most suitable time for them to plug in crazy action. Great news: desktop and mobile poker goers share the same player pool, promos and events so you won’t miss anything while on the move. Multiple positive updates brought the GG app to the top of the pack – it has a litany of premier features that other brands aren't even close to having.

Powerful software with PokerCraft database rightfully makes it the best poker app in the UK market. With this stat tool, you can replay and analyse each of your hands played at the GG tables, whatever discipline or limit. And flexible, user-friendly settings secure more comfortable play and enjoyable experience. You can adjust sound effects or change table theme to match your today’s mood, inter alia.

Additional Pros & Cons

• Safe poker app with fast real money transactions and strong encryption.
• Great looking design, second-to-none animation.
• Splash – a fun feature for interacting with your rivals.
• Regular third-party audits (by eCOGRA or similar) result in fair play for all UK punters.
• Available for download on iPhone, iPad and Android from the official website.

• Cluttered with banners of ongoing promos.

Party Poker App

As one of the longest-running sites, PartyPoker can understand players' needs. They actively monitor industry trends and promptly adjust to them. One of the bright examples is PP’s software with good functionality for handheld device users. Therefore UK residents looking for solid mobile poker experience should pay attention to this operator.

Its iOS and Android apps are well-optimised and almost identical. Simple user interface allows quickly find a desired cash table or tourney and join the action in both cases. Portrait layout adds to the convenience of controlling gameplay with one hand.

Additional Pros & Cons

• Best real money poker app for diehard fans of quick-fire action. (Look for ‘fasforward’ tables.)
• Access to big-guarantee tournaments from flagship series.
• Hassle-free deposit and withdrawal transactions.
• Multi-tabling up to 4 tables on a single screen, you can mix formats.

• One should visit the App Store to download and then install Party Poker app on an iPhone or iPad. (The official webpage serves no relevant link.)

888 Poker App

The next excellent option to relish premium poker games on the run is 888poker. This is a Hold’em and Omaha focused site with an appealing, super-friendly mobile client. Sorting tourneys here is breezy thanks to a special filter, while cash tables are neatly organised by limit. We believe 888 is the best online poker app for recreational players, rather than seasoned pros. Since traffic here is drastically lower, professionals may feel lonely at times (especially at Omaha tables).

Differences between Android and iOS counterparts are minimal. Relevant download links can be found on 888 website.

Additional Pros & Cons

• 888 client is among the best poker apps UK offers for its stable functionality.
• Simple to use and navigate; classy yet unobtrusive design.
• Web cashbox with a good choice of payment options.
• NLH and PLO tournaments for all bankroll sizes.
• Access to the same bonuses and promos as on your desktop.

• Slightly limited features compared to the desktop counterpart.

Unibet Poker App

Novices from Great Britain will appreciate Unibet Poker for its caring attitude. Let us explain why we are confident about that. The selling point of its PC/mobile software is protection for inexperienced punters. To heighten anonymity, you can change your account avatar and alias every day.

Navigating around the Unibet mobile poker app on iPhone will be pleasant and easy, and so it will be on Android. Note that the official site transfers to the App Store or Google Play for further download and installation steps.

Additional Pros & Cons

• Only poker room offering ‘change identity’. (No savvy shark will catch you here!)
• Designed with users in mind, this real money poker app is fully kitted out for playing on the move.
• Top-quality picture allows for long game sessions – no blurry elements, no eye discomfort.
• Smart button layout for quick actions and over 100 original avatars for your choice.

• Mobile gaming catalogue reduced to two disciplines: Omaha and Hold'em.

Sky Poker App

Inexperienced and low-stakes players will feel comfortable at Sky Poker. Here, one can play cheap poker tourneys and ring games in local currency (GBP) without any conversion fee, against UK citizens. Its soft field would help to sharpen your skills and swell your bankroll. A downloadable poker app for real money is at hand only for iPhone and iPad users, as of now.

Brits can be sure: this poker provider is highly reliable and provides a safe environment. It is part of the popular Sky empire which also runs bingo, casino and sports betting platforms.

Additional Pros & Cons

• Fine no deposit bonus for new sign-ups
• Best poker app in the UK to play in £s.
• Good rakeback deal: up to 20% monthly.
• Possibility to get on TV (the brand has its own portal).

• No Android client to download. British punters have to visit the room’s official site and play via mobile browser.

How We Rank Best Poker Apps for UK Players

A big deal of poker operators offer their mobile services to British people, so it can take time to pick a good one. The best online poker app is the one that best fits your gaming habits and skill level. But it’s always wise to get an expert opinion before investing your money into ‘seems like a nice’ room.

Cardmates reviews poker sites and their mobile software to identify the most brilliant options for UK residents. We show the bits that really matter, focusing on the following things:

• Licensing is the primary criterion when analysing real money poker apps. Only brands approved by the UK Gambling Commission make our recommended list (we check each name in the registry). This is the official watchdog for online poker and other forms of gambling in the country. It's the strictest and most demanding regulator in the whole world, by the way.
• iOS and Android software. Mobile poker clients that are intuitive, customisable, fast and stable in operation get the highest scores from Cardmates. We check how easy it is to move between tabs to find the desired table or tourney, how smart the button layout is to avoid misclics, as well as overall performance. Unique features that cannot be found elsewhere deserve extra points.
• Games on offer. The best poker apps in the UK will secure real money games across all stakes and regular tourneys for all budgets. Additional points go to brands that deliver Stud and Draw on top of classic PLO/NLH. Desktop and mobile software must share the same cash lobby and tournament schedule.
• Banking in poker apps. Our experts personally ensure there is a good choice of locally relevant payment options. Debit cards and electronic wallets are the go-to solutions in Great Britain. Moving your funds on and off the account must be done without hurdlers, too.
• Server security. There’s nothing worse than your PII falling into the wrong hands. Each online poker app we recommend boasts strong SSL encryption to shield users from cyber threats. So your personal and financial data won't suffer. The UKGC has rigid standards in this respect and doesn’t license rooms that fail security tests.
• Reward system. Bonuses and promotions are inevitable parts of a worthy online room. The best poker app real money operators greet new clients with a valuable welcome bonus and launch regular and seasonal promos for existing players. Sound rakeback program and personal bonuses raise the brand’s score.

Selecting the best poker sites in the UK and their mobile poker clients is sometimes an uphill battle. But we love what we do as this allows us to share first-hand experience with you, our readers. To know more about this vetting process and what apps raise red flags with us, visit our ‘How We Rate’ page.

Mobile Poker Apps vs Desktop Clients

Desktop or mobile poker is better – that is the question. The digital era brought a skew towards handheld devices, and UKGC’s recent studies on British players confirm this. The research shows that people prefer to use tablets and smartphones over traditional PCs. Not surprising, as playing on real money poker apps secures many benefits:

• They enable people to play from the convenience of their whereabouts, at any suitable time. (If you have reliable Wi-Fi or mobile internet, of course.)
• UK residents have all the fun at their fingertips; joining action takes just two or three clicks.
• Mobile working frameworks tend to have better security.
• iOS and Android poker applications help build a sense of community among players.
• Top operators reward mobile users with exclusive bonuses which desktop fanciers cannot access.

No Download Poker on Mobile

Let’s not forget that some online rooms have an ‘Instant Play’ option. In this case, punters enjoy poker for real in a mobile browser, without any installation. They normally get a similar choice of poker disciplines and functionality and battle against the same adversaries. For us, mobile sites are less comfortable than downloadable applications, but here are good rooms to play with no download: 

Best Online Poker Apps to Host Home Games

UK citizens don't necessarily have to compete in poker skills with strangers. You and your buddies, colleagues or family can unite and have fun battling against each other. For the UK’s best poker apps for home games, don’t skim over PokerStars, 888poker and Partypoker. These top operators allow you to play poker with friends or anybody you want for free and real money at exclusive private tables. Setting up home games slightly differs in each application but is generally fast and easy:

1. Install the mobile poker app of your choice.
2. Ensure all people you want to invite have a profile in this room.
3. Access the relevant section to register your private club.
4. Create a poker tourney or ring table.
5. Send a unique invite code to your future rivals to get started.

Remember to pick a game type as you and your buddies agreed or surprise them. Specify blinds, min/max buy-in size and all the rest.

Best Free Poker Apps

For those who play for fun, we know some good free-to-play platforms. Using them, you will quickly get how poker hands are formed (+ their seniority), how betting works and how victors are defined. In our view, PokerStars.net is the best free poker mobile app for novices craving to turn into sharks. You should visit the ".net" skin and download it from there. Alternatively, pay attention to PokerStars Lite which is available in the App Store and Play Market. Both versions come without a cashier, people use virtual bankrolls with no monetary value.

The next best poker apps for iPhone and Android that are free are WSOP Poker, World Poker Club and Zynga Poker. British players can find these applications in the mobile app stores we mentioned above.

Guide for Downloading Android Poker Apps

As of writing, Android has 55% of the market share of mobile OS in Great Britain according to statcounter.com. This explains why most poker providers have mobile software for this popular platform. It’s perfect for playing on a tablet or smartphone, regardless of your brand (Samsung, OnePlus, Xiaomi or other).

UK citizens can download real money poker apps for Android devices for free from the official poker site (via apk file) or Google Play (easier and faster way). The process may differ from room to room, but even a fresher will install one in a tap or two. Kindly note the following:

• download times depend on your internet bandwidth and normally take up to a minute;
• poker apps have specific system requirements – check them in advance;
• remember to allow installations from sources other than Google (in the security settings);
• always update your mobile client once a new version becomes available;
• biometric authentication is key to faster access to favourite games.

The best poker apps for Android followers offer smooth and secure play, fast withdrawals and professional customer support. And you know what, these characteristics 100% align with the brands we highlight on this page.

Top Android Apps for UK Poker Players

Mobile Clients for iOS Devices: iPhone and iPad

Following the same statistical source, slightly over 43% of people in the United Kingdom use iOS-powered devices. The best poker app options for iPhone and iPad users from the Foggy Albion offer companies from our list. To get one, you’ll have to visit the App Store, find the brand of your choice and follow familiar instructions on the screen. We urge punters to keep both their OS and gaming apps up to date, at all times. Installing poker clients opens access to desired games and potential real prizes. But you can also handle deposits and withdrawals and use other services while on the go.

Top iOS Poker Apps for UK Players

What Games You Can Play on the Move

Real money poker apps included in our list have a variety of games that British people can play on Android or iOS. Most of them come in three different betting structures. These are no limit (you bet/raise as much as you like), pot limit (your bet/raise shall not exceed grand total in the pot) and fixed limit (your max bet/raise is pre-specified).

The most admired games that dominate the poker app scene in the UK are:

• Texas Hold’em – a classic card game where skill and luck go side by side. It’s highly popular in the country and beyond due to peasy rules. Two cards in your hands and five on the table, with the champ driven by the strongest 5-card hand.
• Omaha. The best poker app Android options have a few Omaha variations. It’s pretty much the same Hold’em with one notable dissimilarity: you are dealt 4 private cards, not 2. You can only use two of these to make the finest poker hand, combining them with 3 of the 5 pieces on the board. Hi-Lo variant is widely played as well.
• Stud. From the early 20th century to now this game has been in the top 3 favourites of poker app enthusiasts. The variation has no community board, which makes it unique. However, the main rule about the winning hand remains unchanged.

UK’s best poker apps for real money also have other game variations to make you never get bored. Enjoy Five-Card Draw, Lowball and Mixed games in the palm of your hand. Another important thing to consider is the poker format to play on the go: cash tables or tournaments.

Ring or Cash Games

Run 24/7 and are in high pursuit among mobile poker enthusiasts. They don’t have start or end times – people join and leave when they please. Betting is for cash currency, which means that chips have direct monetary value (unlike MTTs). You receive them in proportion to the sum of your buy-in, typically between 20 and 100 BB.

Top poker apps neatly group cash games by a fixed limit for quick and easy search. In most cases, tabs will be labelled as ‘Micro’, ‘Low’, ‘Medium’ and ‘High’. If you want to change your current table, you’ll have to ‘flee’, then find and join the comfortable one, with higher or lower stakes. They also differ in action pace (regular or fast-fold) and player count (2 to 10 max).

Poker App Tournaments

British players love multi-table poker tourneys for their buzz, thrill and huge warranties. MTTs have set start times with possible late registration periods and last down to a champ. As for the entry cost, buy-ins range from budget-friendly prices to real ‘rip-offs’ which high rollers adore to play. The best poker apps have diverse tournament schedules to suit every taste and wallet. Here are just some of the variants:

Real money poker app lobbies include Sit & Go’s (or SnGs) — fast, single-table poker tourneys. Unlike MTTs, they don’t have a fixed schedule and kick off once all seats, from 2 to 9 people, are taken. One can choose how swift they want their battle to be: turbo or hyper-turbo (called Spin & Go when in 3-max).

Dedicated Bonuses and Payment Methods

During checks, our team pays particular attention to what bonuses British players can claim on this or that site. Online poker app providers from our top sometimes bestow special bonuses to portable users. The great news is that such incentives normally come beyond all casual promotions. They can help improve your bankroll (take it to new heights) when you're on the upswing and offset your bad streak. For example, 888 used to giveaway 2 bonus spins on the fortune wheel upon daily login from their mobile poker app. Desktop players were given only one spin within the same promo campaign. (Trifling, albeit pleasant.)

The smartest operators know the best way to get you in the mobile door is to have a cashier that allows people to move funds on the go. Providing GPay and Apple Pay among payment options adds to the convenience of banking. Some of the best real money poker apps also support Boku, today’s popular mobile payment solution in the UK. As for the drawbacks, you will be unable to withdraw your prize money in the same way. All of the just-mentioned gateways are only for deposits.

References

1. UK Gambling Commission
2. eCOGRA
3. UKGC Statistics & Research
4. Statcounter (Global and UK Stats)
5. GambleAware
6. GamCare