Play Poker Online With Friends

Online poker has been around since the late ’90s. In fact, the first real-money hand was dealt on 1st January 1998 on the online poker website Planet Poker. That would be the start of the online poker boom which continued throughout the next decade with numerous poker sites emerging such as UltimateBet, Party Poker, and PokerStars.

Playing poker online is a serious game for many with some players reporting several millions of pounds profit in a matter of months. However, more casual players can play at low stakes tables and enjoy the game without having to risk large sums of money.

But what about those who simply enjoy a game of poker with friends? Can you play poker online with friends on a private table?

Thankfully, the answer is yes and we’ll be showing you which poker sites allow private cash tables for you and your friends to play at. For additional information on pros and cons of different poker sites, this website reviews online poker rooms in great detail.

Live poker with friends can be fun but it’s not always easy to get everyone together for one reason or another. Commitments and travel are sometimes an issue and so playing online together means that you can still enjoy a game of poker with your friends without having to leave the house.

CLICK HERE TO Set up a Private Poker Game with your Friends At 888Poker

Which Poker Sites Allow Private Tables?

If you’re looking to set up a private cash game or tournament then online poker site 888Poker allow you to do just this. Below, we’ll show you exactly how to set up a private game and invite your friends to play at a time which suits everyone. Pokerstars also allows this via the ‘Pokerstars Home Games‘ feature which we will take a look at further down the article.

888Poker Play With Friends

888Poker allows you to set up private poker tournaments and cash games and invite your friends to join.

Step 1: Create An Account

Each player who wishes to play in your private poker game must be registered with 888Poker. Registration is free and takes only a couple of minutes.

Click here to create an account with 888Poker

Step 2: Download The 888Poker Software

888Poker provides a web version, downloadable version and an app to allow players to play poker online. However, the ‘Play With Friends’ feature is only available on the download version. You can download the 888Poker software from the 888Poker homepage and it is quick and easy to set up.

Step 3: Set Up A Private Game

Once you have downloaded the 888Poker software, to create a private game, click on ‘Extra Games’ in the top nav menu. From here, click on ‘Play With Friends’

Once you have done that, a pop-up screen will appear.

On this screen, you are given two options.

1. Join a game
2. Create a new game

If a friend has already created a game, click on this option and you will be asked to enter the name of the game and the password to join.

If you want to create a new private game for you and your friends, click on ‘Create New Game’.

You then have two options.

1. Create a new tournament
2. Create a new cash game

First, let’s take a look at the private tournament option.

888Poker Private Tournaments

In order to create a new private tournament, you must first enter a name for the tournament and a password. Keep note of these details as they will be used by other players to enter the tournament which you set up.

Other fields which you can edit include:

• Tournament Date: The date which the tournament will take place
• Starting Time: The time which the tournament will start
• Buy-In: The amount of money each player will put into the prize pot
• Number of Seats: Enter the number of players which will be playing in the tournament
• Prize Pool Structure: How you want the prize pool to be shared between 1st/2nd/3rd place.

There are also additional options which can be accessed by clicking on the ‘More Options’ link on the right-hand side. These include:

• 2nd Chance: Rebuys are available in case you lose all your chips during late registration
• Rebuy/Add-on: Click to enable rebuys & add-ons for your tournament
• Reoccurrence: You have the option to repeat your tournament on a daily or weekly basis or just as a one-off game
• Blinds Increase: How fast you want the blinds to increase. Select either Slow, Normal or Turbo
• Action Time: The amount of time players get to decide actions. Select either normal or fast.

Once you have decided on all of the above, click the green ‘Create’ button.

Step 4: Invite Friends To Your Tournament

After creating your tournament, you have two ways to invite your friends to join.

The first option is to simply send them the name and password of your tournament. They can then enter these details after clicking on ‘Join a Game’ (see step 3) and they will be assigned a seat at the table.

The other option is to email your friends using the template which appears after you have created your tournament.

You simply need to enter your email address in the field provided and click the green ‘Send’ button. This will then send you an email with all of the details of your newly created poker tournament which you can forward to your friends. It contains details on how to set up 888Poker along with how they can join your private game.

If you’d rather play a cash game with your friends than a tournament, 888Poker also provide this option.

888Poker Private Cash Games

Setting up a private cash game on 888Poker is just as easy as creating a tournament. Instead of clicking on ‘Create a new tournament’, simply click on the ‘Create a new cash game’ button.

Again, you will be asked to decide on certain details of your cash game which include:

• Game name
• Game Password
• Starting date
• Starting Time
• Stakes
• Number of seats at the table
• Action time
• Maximum buy-in

Once you have entered all of the required details, click on the green ‘Create’ button and your private cash game will be created. You can then share the game details with friends in the same way as described above for private tournaments.

888Poker Welcome Bonus

If you are new to 888Poker, you and all your friends can receive a £20 bonus simply for registering! No deposit is required to claim your £20 bonus and so it’s worth taking advantage of.

To claim the 888Poker no deposit bonus, simply click on any of the links on this page to be directed to the 888Poker welcome bonus landing page and follow the on-screen instructions to register and claim your bonus.

New players only • £20 free bonus: includes $1 immediate bonus & $31 in tournament tickets • Bonus will be granted gradually throughout 7 days after claiming • Each part of the bonus expires after 24 hrs • Immediate bonus may be withdrawn after a player has accumulated 2.5 bonus points for every $1 of the received bonus amount •This offer may not be combined with any other offer • Wagering requirements vary by game • Withdrawal restrictions & T&Cs apply

Pokerstars Home Games

Pokerstars Home Games work in a similar way to 888Poker Play With Friends except with a few additional features.

As well as being able to set up private poker games and tournaments for you and your friends, you’re able to set up a Poker Club!

The benefits of a poker club include:

• Club Management Tools – You can appoint club administrators, accept/remove members, customise game tables & your clubs lobby, set length of club seasons & more.
• Player Statistics – View results of games and tournaments, the number of points earned, top finishes, leader boards & more.
• Game Management Tools – Schedule games and tournaments, including Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Stud, HORSE and others
• Save Favorite Game Setups – reuse your preferred customised game configurations
• Private Games – Organise private games and tournaments for members of your club

How To Set Up A Poker Club With Pokerstars Home Games

Setting up a new poker club on Pokerstars Home Games is easy and requires just a few steps.

First, you need to download the Pokerstars software. You can find the link to do so from the Pokerstars homepage. Home Games is only available on the desktop download version and not through the web version or the Pokerstars App.

Next, load the Pokerstars software and select ‘More’ from the side menu and then ‘Home Games’.

To start a new Poker Club, click ‘Create a Poker Club’ or if you’ve been invited to join a club, click ‘Join a Poker Club’.

If you are setting up a new poker club, simply enter a name (8-30 characters) and an invitation code (8-16 characters) for the club. Pokerstars will email you this information afterwards so that you can pass it onto your friends so that they can join.

Once set up, your poker club will be added to the Home Games lobby. Click on the ‘Club Lobby’ button and from here you’ll be able to accept new members, create and schedule new games and tournaments, and manage your club.

Your poker club can contain up to 501 members although larger poker clubs are possible by contacting Pokerstars support. Each Pokerstars customer can create a maximum of 2 poker clubs and join a maximum of 10.

Pokerstars Welcome Offer

As well as accumulating points every time you play at Pokerstars, you’ll be able to claim £20 of free play when you register as a new customer and make your first deposit of £10 or more.

To claim £20 of free play at Pokerstars, simply enter the promo code TWENTY when registering and make a first deposit of £10+.

Free play given as tournament tickets and cash, released over 6 days. 

Offer available to players who have never made a real money deposit. Minimum deposit of £10. Use code TWENTY. Free play given as tournament tickets and cash, released over 6 days. Unused tickets subject to expiry. Restrictions may apply to bonus (excl. withdrawal of bonus winnings). 18+. BeGambleAware.org. Please play responsibly.

Summary

Playing poker with friends for real cash is easy thanks to both 888Poker and Pokerstars. Set up is quick and easy and you’re able to create private cash games and tournaments for you and your friends within minutes.

888Poker is one of the biggest online poker sites and process deposits and withdraws fast meaning that when you come to withdraw any winnings, they should reach your bank account within a few days.

Pokerstars Home Games is an excellent addition to the site and being able to track members’ performances, results and league positions over time is a very nice feature.

Both 888Poker Play With Friends and Pokerstars Home Games work extremely well and perfect if you want to set up a private poker game or tournament with friends and family.

Click below to create an account at 888Poker today and play poker online with friends for real cash.

CLICK HERE TO Set up a Private Poker Game with your Friends At 888Poker

Or below to register at Pokerstars and set up a private poker club.

CLICK HERE TO Set up a Private Poker Club with your Friends At Pokerstars