NZ Best Online Poker Casinos 2024
Online poker has been enjoyed by gambling fanatics from the time it entered the online world. As this classic card game is continuously in such high demand, online poker casinos are constantly improving their casino experience for players to ensure they have a competitive edge within the industry.
Considering there is a sea of top-quality poker casinos available in New Zealand, how do you know which one is best suited for you? Well, our team of experts here at Casino Martini is here to provide you with a helping hand. Continue reading to uncover the best poker sites where you can not only have fun but also win big along the way!
Have you been searching for the best poker sites in New Zealand? Well, you have can to the right place. Here at Casino Martini, we test, rate, and review real money poker sites to ensure our readers have an abundance of top sites to choose from.
Poker has been one of the most popular table games at brick-and-mortar casinos since day one. As gambling became available to players online, the surge of new players has created a huge demand for top-quality sites and games. Playing poker solely for the love of the game has come and gone. Now online players require convenience, high-quality graphics, quick payouts, variety within payment methods, bonuses, and tournaments.
The online casino industry over the years has answered with new and innovative sites popping up left, right, and centre. Although there is now a plethora of top online poker casinos in New Zealand, new players often fall into the trap of wagering at illegitimate casinos. We are here to prevent this occurrence and ensure you wager at safe and secure online poker casinos.
Join us here as we not only provide you with world-class new online casinos with a variety of poker rooms but also dive into the ins and outs of how to choose the perfect site for you!
How We Rate the Top Poker Sites in New Zealand
There are a variety of vital factors we take into consideration while reviewing and rating the best poker sites. Our goal is to lighten the load for our readers and give them first-hand data to aid in their decision process.
The safety of any online casino is always of top priority to us. We ensure all gambling sites we promote are fully licensed and regulated by leading governing bodies. As well as this, we review and ensure the casino is trusted by punters to guarantee the casino provides a top-notch experience from player feedback.
Next, analysing the casino itself, we ensure the sign-up process is effortless, and the bonuses are worth claiming. Depositing and reviewing payment methods, we then check out the game selection. The quality and variety of poker rooms are vital. The live casino department and pork tournament are next on the agenda. It is all well and good to have RNG games, but high-quality options are king!
Lastly, it is all well and good for a poker site to lure me, players, in with a huge welcome bonus but once enjoyed what the casino offers its loyal punters? The VIP and weekly promotions are often the answer, and we make sure they fit the bill before a poker site takes its place upon our online casino top list.
How to Choose the Perfect Poker Site
Our analyses take place over the entirety of an online poker site, but as you sieve through the many gambling sites, not all areas may be relevant. Starting with the casino bonus, consider how you wish to spend your opening week at the casino. If you are free solely for poker, then there isn’t much point in claim a huge free spins offer on arrival.
The most popular are deposit bonuses, in which the casino will match your opening deposit with a set percentage. The bonus funds can then be enjoyed with the many poker rooms available. Altenrvaly, if you are lucky enough to source out a no deposit bonus, you will have the opportunity to wager for free and even go on enjoying the deposit bonus then after.
Although the welcome bonus is a great way to kick things off, it is not the be-all and end-all. The poker site itself is more important. Ensure the poker variants are to your fancy, and check out the UX of the site itself. Every player will have different preferences while choosing the best online poker site for them. Don’t base your decision on one criterion but rather a list of factors that will create the ultimate experience and rewards for your gameplay.
How to Play Online Poker Games
Playing online poker is now easier than ever, and with an abundance of top-rated online poker sites in New Zealand, there have never been so many options to choose from. Once you have chosen an online poker site, it’s time to get registered and start playing. Follow this simple process, and you will be able to take your seat at a poker table in a matter of minutes.
Sign Up
Hit the “Grab Bonus” button next to the online poker site of your choice. We will then redirect you to the gambling site to fill out all essential registration information. These required fields include name, email address, phone number, and password creation. Verify your identity, and you are good to go.
Deposit
Now that your account is up and running, you will have to secure your first deposit in order to unlock the welcome bonus funds. Navigate to the “cashier” section and select one of the many deposit methods. The deposit method you choose can then be saved and will benefit you with further speedy top-ups.
Pick a Game
There is a huge variety of real money poker games available at the best online poker casinos in New Zealand. Whether you enjoy Texas Hold’em, 7 Card Stud, or Omaha, you can be sure to find it and with countless variations of each to suit all player bankrolls and playing styles.
How to Play!
Finally, the fun begins! The game of poker is straightforward and accessible for all new players to learn quickly and easily. Let’s give you a quick run-through of Texas Hold’em before we get into the various winning hands within a poker game.
The game begins with one player with the dealer button on the poker table. Each player will have a turn to be the dealer as the rounds of the game progress. To the left of the dealer is the small blind and to the left again on the table is the big blind which is twice the amount of the small blind. The blinds are forced bets on the poker table, so players begin contributing to the pot before the cards are dealt.
All poker players are dealt two face-down cards each and can look at their cards as they please. Since the small blind and the big blind have been placed, continuing clockwise around the table, the next player can take one of three actions depending on their hand.
The first option is to fold and opt out of the game if the gambler feels their hand is too weak. Secondly is to call and match the previous bet on the table, which in this case is the big blind. The player’s last option is to raise the bet, which at least doubles the previous bet. This continues around the table until every player has the same bet on the table and the betting round ends.
The dealer then draws 3 cards facing up, and the table called the “flop”. The gambler then to the left of the dealer again is the first to act, and the game continues around the table. Here as there are no forced bets played, the gambler can bet at their own leisure or check staying put if they do not want to add to make a bet. The game continues around the table and players can bet, fold, or raise until all hand remains the same.
The dealer then draws a 4th card, and the game continues around the table; this is called “the turn”. Finally, a 5th card is drawn called “the river”, and the game continues one last time around the table. Then the players reveal their cards to see who has the winning hand and wins the pot.
Winning Poker Hands
Now that you have the game’s functionality down, it is essential to know the winning hands that may determine how you bet through the game.
Memorise these combinations before entering into a poker room, or keep this open section open in a tab for reference.
High Card – The high card is played if you are still within the poker game and don’t have any other combinations.
One Pair – One pair of the same cards.
Two Pair – Two pairs within the hand.
Three of a Kind – Three of the same card within one hand.
Straight – Five cards in numerical order but not of the same suit.
Flush – Five cards of the same suit but not within a sequence.
Full House – A hand containing three of a kind plus a pair.
Four of a Kind – Four of the same card in all four suits.
Straight Flush – A sequence of cards all of the same suit.
Royal Flush – A hand containing 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace all of the same suit.
Playing within online poker rooms is beneficial to new players that can’t contain their excitement with a winning hand. Virtual online Poker tables allow you to sit back and relax, not worrying about how you are perceived within the game.
If you are searching for a real-life poker experience, download poker software that creates an overall better online poker UX. This will allow you to embrace poker rooms like the pros.
Poker Variants
Internet poker sites offer a variety of games to choose from, suiting all playing styles. These poker rooms differ from one another through the rules of the game, but all have the same underlying goal of gaining the strongest hand or bluffing your way through the game in the hope all other players will fold.
Here are the four most common games plays can enjoy within poker websites. Check them out below and get comfortable within on game before jumping between poker rooms.
Texas Hold’em
Within the last two decades, Texas Hold’em has been the most popular poker variant enjoyed by amateurs and pros. As we have previously examined a run-through of this game, we recommend commencing your poker journey and progressing your skill levels here.
The popularity of Texas Hold’em within the online casino industry has resulted in top software providers producing innovative new games and tournaments with huge prize pools for all poker players to enjoy. There is also an abundance of free Texas Hold’em games which can be useful if you are testing out a betting strategy before putting your money where your mouth is.
Omaha
Omaha poker is similar to Texas Hold’em, differing as players are dealt four hole cards from the dealer. There are still five community cards on the table in which poker players have to combine two of their cards with three community cards to gain the strongest hand.
There are also serval variations of Omaha poker that poker players can wager in. These include Pot Limit Omaha Poker, No Limit Omaha Poker, and Fix Limit Omaha Poker.
7 Card Stud
Until the rise of Texa Hold’em, 7 Card Stud Poker, also known as “Down The River”, was one of the most popular poker games within the Stud Poker family. Within this game, players are dealt private cards and have to have to create a 5 card winning hand using any of the 5 community cards on the table.
As the game begins, players are initially dealt 2 hidden hole cards and one face-up card. The player with the lowest face-up card must start first. Players then bet around the table, and a fourth card is dealt with every player facing up. Again bets are placed around their poker table, starting with the player with the highest showing value cards, then a final card facing up is dealt around the table. Players bet one last time, starting with the player with the highest total card value.
Finally, players are dealt the last card, a face-down card known as “The River”, after a final betting round, if more than one player is remaining, there is a “Showdown”. Players reveal their cards, and the player with the best 5 card poker hand wins the pot.
Be aware that 7 card poker is usually played with fixed increments. There two limits in which the first two betting rounds must be placed with the lower amount and the last 3 with the higher amount.
5 Card Draw
5 Card Draw is one of the easier games of poker to learn offered at all online poker sites. This game starts as every player contributes to the pot with the Ante. The dealer then deals each player with 5 hole cards, and once all players check their cards, a betting round commences. Players can then discard up to 3 cards face down or 4 if their final card is an Ace and receive the exact amount of cards back from the dealer.
Another round of betting commences, and once all players still in the game have reached the same betting amount, all cards are revealed, and the best hand wins the game.
Live Casino Games
The best online poker sites all offer live dealer games for all players up for the real-life gaming challenge. These games operate at a slower pace as the dealer must shuffle the cards in between games and deal to players within the game.
Although live real money online poker is a tad slower, these poker games certainly make up for this fault with the experience as a whole. Battling it out against a live croupier and having the opportunity to read hands is a huge benefit within live games. Live cash games also have set buy-ins, and all players wager with a similar bankroll.
If you are new to online poker casinos, we suggest you practice within the RNG games as you can select smaller stakes and speed through games to get a quick understanding of the rules and winning hands. If you desire to immediately opt for live online poker games, utilise the customer service team and the live croupier chat if you have any questions within the game.
Poker Site Bonuses
At first glance through our online poker sites’ top list, you will notice the many welcome bonuses up for grabs. There is a variety of casino bonuses available to poker fanatics in New Zealand. Keep in mind how you desire to wager within the first few weeks of your chosen online casino. If you are planning to play poker cash games, then 100 free spins aren’t going to be of much value to you.
Deposit match bonuses and no deposit sign up bonuses are the ideal bonus offer if you are joining an online poker site in New Zealand. This will allow you to double or even triple your opening deposit which can be used within your favourite poker games.
Another area to be aware of are the VIP clubs presented at the best poker sites. Joining a loyalty program from the get-go will be rewarding as you progress with your gameplay. Online poker casinos take care of their loyal punters with cashback bonuses, reload bonuses, chips towards poker tournaments, and even bonus money.
Mobile Poker Games
Luckily, all players have access to online poker rooms from their mobile devices within the day and age. Software providers produce new and innovative games regularly using the latest HTML5, ensuring all games are mobile-friendly on all devices from Android to Apple.
Whether you prefer to download online poker apps or wager through the casinos fully optimised mobile site, you can expect quick logins and easily accessible deposit options from both platforms.
Free Online Games (Freerolls)
Starting to play online poker is a treat for all new gamblers. This beloved game will provide you with endless entertainment and hopefully some big wins. While we all love winning, losing is often inevitable for naive players to the poker sites. To combat this and ensure you start on the right foot, make the most of free online games, and enter into freeroll tournaments.
Freeroll tournaments are real money tournaments with no buy-in fees. These can uncover significant prizes if you land a strong hand.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are online poker casinos safe?
All online casinos that we promote here at Casino Martini have been strictly reviewed and are fully licensed and regulated by leading governing bodies such as the UKGC and the MGA.
Where can I find the best online casinos to play Texas Hold’em?
Right here! Check out our casino top list and feast your eyes on the best online poker sites NZ has to offer. Texas Hold’em is one of the most popular games to play and is available at all online casinos we provide.
What is speed poker?
Speed poker is a faster style of Texas Hold’em in which players only have 15 seconds to take action on their hand. This allows players to wager through rounds quickly, which can boost your bankroll with a few rapid wins.
What beats a “straight” in poker?
A “straight” in poker is a hand where all cards are within numerical order but not if the same suit. If you have a flush, full house, four of a kind, straight flush, or royal flush, you will beat a straight within the game.
Do New Zealand poker sites offer other table games?
Yes, poker sites offer a variety of other table games in which players can use their account funds. Expect games live dealer games and RNG games for roulette, blackjack, sic bo, baccarat, and craps.