# Where to play online poker for free w/ no download **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 25, 2004, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-play-online-poker-for-free-w-no-download/276572 "2004-11-25T00:56:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PecanSandy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@PecanSandy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PecanSandy)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2004, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-play-online-poker-for-free-w-no-download/276572/1 "2004-11-25T00:56:37Z")
I’d like to learn to play online poker for free (no betting of real $$$) but I don’t want to download any software. I’m afraid of spyware. Any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2004, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-play-online-poker-for-free-w-no-download/276572/2 "2004-11-25T01:22:12Z")
I don’t think its possible. If nothing else…download the software then run one of the many programs for cleaning out software. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2004, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-play-online-poker-for-free-w-no-download/276572/3 "2004-11-25T01:26:34Z")
Yahoo has online poker that I believe is web based. I looked but you have to sign up for a yahoo account I don’t think it costs but I am not sure. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2004, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-play-online-poker-for-free-w-no-download/276572/4 "2004-11-25T02:54:58Z")
IRC - Internet Relay Chat - has a number of poker channels, and some very good players play there, honing their skills. It’s also used by the University of Alberta to test their (very good) AI poker 'bots. ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2004, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-play-online-poker-for-free-w-no-download/276572/5 "2004-11-25T03:09:53Z")
> [@gazpacho](#): > > Yahoo has online poker that I believe is web based. I looked but you have to sign up for a yahoo account I don’t think it costs but I am not sure. True. A basic Yahoo account is free. Games are included. One of the free games is Hold 'em poker. I can’t give a review of this particular feature of Yahoo. I play for money. The graphics are, of course, very basic. It is a Java application, so if you don;t have java enabled you won’t be able to play. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2004, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-play-online-poker-for-free-w-no-download/276572/6 "2004-11-25T14:10:43Z")
I found Hoyle Casino at Target a few months ago for $3.99. I like playing 3 card poker and win quite often. I would like to try 3 card poker at a casino but none of the local Indian casino’s offer it. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2004, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-play-online-poker-for-free-w-no-download/276572/7 "2004-11-25T17:57:48Z")
Both [Pokerroom.com](http://Pokerroom.com) and [Hollywoodpoker.com](http://Hollywoodpoker.com) allow you to play a variety of games (hold 'em limit and NL, Omaha and Omaha 8, 7-stud plus some casino games) with no download. The sites are compatible with both PCs and Macs. In fact they use the same servers (and may be owned by the same people; the PR folks have been a little avoidy on that subject). Note to Mods: I have no affiliation with either site beyond playing at PR. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2004, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-play-online-poker-for-free-w-no-download/276572/8 "2004-11-25T18:08:20Z")
As long as you download from one of the bigger and more reputable sites, like Paradise Poker or Party Poker, I don’t think spyware should be an issue. At least, I haven’t heard of any problems. ---
**Author:** ![chinbender](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c77e96/32.png) [@chinbender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chinbender)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-play-online-poker-for-free-w-no-download/276572/9 "2004-11-26T04:57:51Z")
The problem with yahoo and other free sites is that you’ll be playing with a lot of people who just want to waste time/anger others. They don’t really play well at all, they’re often not trying to win. Poker is a wonderfully complicated game, the beauty (vs other casino games like blackjack) is that you are playing against real people. To really learn to play you must play people that are trying to play their best. Maybe this is available somewhere in yahoo, but I didn’t stick around long enough to find out. I went to party poker, where I could play in their free tables (download is required, CC number is not). Although not as competitive as the real money tables, it was a **much** more worthwhile experience than yahoo. I had no problems with spyware over several months, but it has been a while. Remember these sites make money by taking a very small (relative to brick and mortar casinos) piece of the action from real money games, and doing bad things (spyware) would discourage some of the thousands of customers they need to be really profitable. addtl info 1-(The hands at PartyPoker go EXTREMELY fast, so you may want to learn the ropes at yahoo first). addtl info 2-After you learn the basics and think you understand strategy, check out _The Theory of Poker_ by David Sklansky. It’ll open your eyes to new ways to win. ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-play-online-poker-for-free-w-no-download/276572/10 "2004-11-27T05:12:19Z")
> [@chinbender](#): > > The problem with yahoo and other free sites is that you’ll be playing with a lot of people who just want to waste time/anger others. They don’t really play well at all, they’re often not trying to win. Poker is a wonderfully complicated game, the beauty (vs other casino games like blackjack) is that you are playing against real people. To really learn to play you must play people that are trying to play their best. Maybe this is available somewhere in yahoo, but I didn’t stick around long enough to find out. Good point. A couple of things: They have different tables like “Beginner’s Lounge” and “Advanced Lounge” – I don’t know for sure, but possibly people are more serious in the Advanced Lounge? You could also get 3 or 4 friends to play with you. I don’t play poker much, but I find it much more fun to play chess against people I already know.