Linux Poker Sites.
| Site | US | Wine | Instant | Rating | Play | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Full Tilt Poker |  |
 |
 |
97% | Download Client |
 |
UB Poker | |
|
|
94% | Download Client Instant Play |
 |
Party Poker |  |
|
|
88% | Download Client Instant Play |
 |
PokerStars | |
|
|
80% | Download Client |
The poker rooms in the table above are the top "Linux poker sites".
For more information on the different methods of playing poker on Linux, check out the articles on how to play online poker on Linux and browser vs. download Linux poker.
Top Linux poker site using WineHQ.
Main article: Full Tilt Poker on Linux.
Full Tilt Poker works seamlessly when being run through WineHQ on Linux.
- Absolutely no bugs or glitches. The client is fast and responsive.
- One of the best online poker sites anyway (very high player traffic).
- Accepts US players.
I have tested many of the downloadable .exe poker room clients through Wine and Full Tilt Poker comfortably comes out on top.
Top instant play Linux poker site.
Main article: UB Poker on Linux.
UB Poker's browser-based instant play poker site is currently the most refined at the moment.
- The best Java poker site out there. Works great on Linux.
- Includes all of the most important poker room features.
- Great player traffic and soft competition.
Many online poker sites offer instant play versions of their software, but they are often unresponsive and lack many important features. UB Poker's instant play however is almost as good as the downloadable client.
You won't find a better browser based poker site for Linux on the Internet.
Playing online poker on Linux.
There are two main methods for playing online poker for fun or for real money on Linux.
- Using Wine.
- Instant play.
1) Linux poker using Wine HQ.
Main article: Online poker on Linux using Wine HQ.
This method is ideal for those of you that play online poker regularly. Using Wine HQ, the better poker sites work just as well on Linux as they would on Windows.
Running poker clients through Wine takes a little effort at the start to get it set up, but after you've got it sorted it's very straightforward from there on out.
If you intend on playing online poker regularly (or even just semi-regularly), downloading the poker site client and running it through Wine is a must. Overall, I prefer this method over the instant play alternative.
2) Instant play Linux poker.
Main article: Instant play linux poker sites.
The instant play method is the quickest and easiest way to get started playing poker online, but it has its limitations.
The biggest advantage with browser based linux poker sites is that you do not have to download or install any programs. Instead, you simply head to the poker room on your browser and start playing. Easy stuff.
However, the tradeoff is that these flash poker sites often have fewer features and are less robust than the installable poker clients.
Do these poker sites work on all Linux distros?
Yes, as far as I'm aware. I have tested all of these sites on all the major Linux distros, including:
Are there any downloadable poker clients for Linux?
Unfortunately not. There are a number of poker sites that have made clients that can be installed on Mac computers, but no sites have developed any specifically for Linux.
Linux is one of the biggest reasons behind the development of the browser-based poker sites, so don't feel as though the poker sites have forgotten about us completely.
If there are any updates in the world of Linux poker sites that can be installed on Linux distros I will let you know. Until then, we'll have to settle for the instant play versions and running the normal clients through Wine (which actually works very effectively).