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| Bonus | Not available |
| Rakeback | Not available |
| Room type | Agent |
| License | Not required |
| Payments | |
| Platforms |
- Play money app
- Video tables with chat
- Cash games and MTTs
- Available worldwide
| Reliability | 3.0 |
| Game selection | 3.0 |
| Bonuses and promotions | 2.0 |
| Casual players | 4.0 |
| Deposits and withdrawals | 3.0 |
| Convenience of the software | 3.0 |
Poker Now app review
Poker Now (pokernow.club) is a free social poker platform launched in 2017, developed by the Brazilian Samuel Simões. It allows players from any country to play with friends, although the app is viral in the United States. Their official Discord channel features almost 50,000 members with about 10%-15% of them active throughout the day.
PokerNow does not offer any real-money games or gambling services; the platform is developed to play poker with friends for free. All games run in play money. No download or registration is required.
If you are looking for real-money poker games in the United States or Canada, we invite you to check out the following clubs and rooms:
Top poker unions PokerBros, PPPoker, Upoker, X-poker (2022 updated)
In this short review, we will study Poker Now:
- Is it a good platform to learn and play?
- Are games fair?
- Can Poker Now be hacked?
- How good is the PokerNow software?
Games and traffic
Poker Now doesn't feature a lobby like other rooms, but in our tests, we faced no problem seating at tables at any time, being faster during American prime time.
Formats available for cash games, MTT; and Sit & Go are:
- No Limit Texas Hold'em
- Pot Limit Omaha Hi
- Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo (8 or better)
The gameplay can be called a precursor of the club-based app model: it consists of hosts creating private games and inviting friends via unique links. You can also join public Sit & Go via Discord.
How to join a game?
You'll need to link your Discord account to join a new game with random players. The process is automatic; just click the "Join with your Discord" button and follow the instructions. After that, you'll return to the same page, and you will be able to join a new Sit & Go.
Reference: Discord is a popular messaging platform across the gaming community. In 2021 it reported almost 400 million registered users and more than 150 million active users per month.
How to create a new cash game or MTT?
- Click on the "Start a New Game"
- Choose a nickname and choose how many chips you want
- A unique link will be generated. Share it with your friends so they can join the table
- You'll have the following setup options: Format, Rabbit hunting, straddle, Allow guests or spectator mode, Change the blind structure.
Similarly, you can create multi-table tournaments (MTT) for up to 200 players. If you run out of chips just click on the settings and add more.
Poker Now is fully integrated with Discord and offers a user-friendly bot to add it to your server and manage your games (member wallets, chips, etc.)
Software
Poker Now features only a web browser client. The platform is easy to use, featuring large buttons, clear fonts, and user-friendly options to bet, raise, or fold. A sound alarm will draw your attention to the game if you get distracted. You can change your nickname every 15 days.
The developer has a roadmap where users can report bugs, request features, or just track the progress of the software development process.
According to the software developer, Poker Now uses the "Mersenne Twister algorithm" to shuffle cards. There is no RNG (Random Number Generator), although there are no reasons to doubt the game's fairness.
No multitabling is possible.
One of the most famous Poker Now features is the possibility to turn on your microphone and camera, making the games even closer for friends. A software developer posted an open-source Poker Now HUD on the Chrome Web Store, although the last update was in July 2021.
Mobile app
PokerNow doesn't have a mobile app, but its web browser client is compatible across all mobile devices. We have tested games with several devices and found the app very friendly without any noticeable lag.
You don't need to install any software, and the client is compatible with iOS, Android, and any modern operating system.
Skill level
Don't expect a high level at Poker Now. Most players join to learn and have fun, so they don't play following any advanced rules. Expect crazy all-ins, many "draw hunters," and several multi-way pots. We invite you to have fun too at the tables
Customer service
Poker Now relies on its community for customer service. The team uses GitLab as a forum to share issues and works as a service desk. As we see, the community is very active, and the forums have several thousands of messages.
A comprehensive Wiki is also posted with useful information to create or join games.
You can also follow the room via social networks or write an email to [email protected] or:
- Twitter: @poker_now_club
- Discord: https://discord.com/invite/EqPx5Pe
Reliability
Poker Now is just a free online platform to play poker with friends, and it doesn't provide any real-money service. Hence this room doesn't need to hold any gambling license, and there is no RNG either.
Beware of popular scams like Card Swap Elite or Pocket Aces, tools that claim to be able to change your hole cards, something impossible. We have no reasons to believe Poker Now can be hacked or that it has a back door for scammers.
Bonuses and promotions
You guessed it right. There is no better promotion than having endless free chips, although those have no value.
As Poker Now offers only play money games, there are no bonuses for registering or any rakeback (actually, there is no rake, not even with fake chips).
You can support the PokerNow development by donating via cryptos, Patreon, or Ko-fi.
Pros and cons
We highlight the following benefits of the site:
- Free and user-friendly poker platform
- Available worldwide
The dark side of the room:
- No real-money games
- Developed by only one person
As a final word, we think that PokerNow is a great platform to improve your skills and play with friends. For real-money games, we definitely recommend another platform, even if you can find private games here.
If you are looking to join real money private poker games, we invite you to check out more options with our team:
