Honest poker site reviews, and the maths behind every call.
Poker rooms scored on the same weighted checks, rake and rakeback worked out in pounds, and strategy guides that show the numbers: pot odds, equity and which hands to play.
- 6
- weighted checks per room
- 25%
- of the score is rake and rewards
- 1 in 649,740
- odds of a royal flush
The rooms, compared
Traffic, rake, rakeback and payouts side by side. Sort by what matters to you; every room is scored on the same weighted checks.
| Room | Traffic | Rake | Rakeback | Games | Payouts | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EExample Poker RoomLicensed · UK players | 2,400 online | 5% · £3 cap | 25% | Hold'em · Omaha · MTTs | Withdrawal in 24 hrs | 7.4 | |
CCard Room BBiggest tournament schedule | 5,200 online | 4.5% · £2.50 cap | 20% | Hold'em · MTTs · Sit & gos | Withdrawal in 2 days | 7.1 | 18+ · New players only · T&Cs apply |
CCard Room CBest for Omaha | 1,600 online | 5% · £2 cap | 30% | Omaha · PLO Hi-Lo | Withdrawal in 24 hrs | 6.9 | 18+ · New players only · T&Cs apply |
CCard Room DFast-fold tables | 3,100 online | 5% · £3 cap | 15% | Hold'em · Fast-fold | Withdrawal in 3 days | 6.6 | 18+ · New players only · T&Cs apply |
Replace these example rooms with your partners: add your affiliate links in the page editor. Traffic figures are examples.
Six checks, weighted
Every room must hold a licence for your country before it is scored at all.
Should you call?
Enter the pot, the bet and your outs. If your chance of winning beats the price of the call, calling makes money over time.
- You need
- 25.0%
- You have
- 19.6%
- EV of calling
- −£4.35
Fold. You are being asked to pay more than your chance of winning is worth. Calling £20 to win £60.
Outs assume your draw is good when it hits. Equity from the turn uses 46 unseen cards.
What beats what
The ten poker hands from best to worst, with the chance of being dealt each in five cards.
- 1
Royal flush
A, K, Q, J and 10, all the same suit
0.000154%1 in 649,740
- 2
Straight flush
Five cards in sequence, all the same suit
0.00139%1 in 72,193
- 3
Four of a kind
Four cards of the same rank
0.0240%1 in 4,165
- 4
Full house
Three of a kind plus a pair
0.144%1 in 694
- 5
Flush
Five cards of the same suit, not in sequence
0.197%1 in 509
- 6
Straight
Five cards in sequence, mixed suits
0.392%1 in 255
- 7
Three of a kind
Three cards of the same rank
2.11%1 in 47
- 8
Two pair
Two different pairs
4.75%1 in 21
- 9
One pair
Two cards of the same rank
42.3%1 in 2.4
- 10
High card
None of the above: the highest card plays
50.1%1 in 2
Which hands to play
A starting chart for six-player Hold'em cash games. The later you act, the more hands you can play.
Five players still to act: play tight.
Four still to act: add suited aces and connectors.
Only the button and blinds behind you.
Last to act after the flop: play the widest range.
Out of position after the flop: raise or fold.
of starting hands played: 140 of 1,326 combinations
- Raise, and re-raise if raised
- Raise first in
- Sometimes: depends on the table
- Fold
Example chart for a six-player cash game, not solver output. Adjust for your table.
Improve your game
The rules, the hand rankings and the maths of calling, explained with worked examples.
Rakeback and freerolls
What rake costs you, what rakeback returns and which freerolls are worth a seat.
Welcome offers
Offers from our partner rooms, with the terms that matter pulled out. We may earn a commission if you sign up; it never changes a score.
| # | Room | Welcome offer | Best for | Rakeback | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | EExample Poker RoomNew player offerOur pick | 100% deposit match up to £400 | Low-stakes cash games | 25% | 4.5 | 18+ · New players only · T&Cs apply |
| 2 | CCard Room BNew player offer | £20 in tournament tickets | Tournaments | 20% | 4.3 | 18+ · New players only · T&Cs apply |
| 3 | CCard Room CNew player offer | 30% rakeback for 60 days | Omaha | 30% | 4.1 | 18+ · New players only · T&Cs apply |
Replace these example partners with your own offers: add your affiliate links in the page editor.
Straight answers
The questions we get most about poker sites and poker maths.
What is rake?⌄
The fee a poker room takes from each cash-game pot, usually around 5% up to a cap, or a fee added to a tournament buy-in. It is how the room makes money, since you play against other players, not the house.
What is rakeback?⌄
A share of the rake you pay, returned to you. At 25% rakeback, a player who pays £200 in rake in a month gets £50 back.
How do I work out pot odds?⌄
Divide the call by the final pot. If the pot is £40 and your opponent bets £20, you call £20 to win a pot of £80, so you need to win 25% of the time.
Where can I get help if poker stops being fun?⌄
Gambling Therapy offers free support worldwide at gamblingtherapy.org. In Great Britain, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, or block UK gambling sites with GAMSTOP.
With money you can afford to lose.
Poker is for adults aged 18 and over. Set a deposit limit before you sit down, take breaks, and talk to someone if it stops being fun: Gambling Therapy offers free support, and GAMSTOP blocks UK gambling sites.