We love this game, and we want you to enjoy it for a long time. Poker rewards skill, but in the short run luck decides a lot, and even winning players go through long losing stretches. Playing responsibly means keeping poker a game, not a way to pay the bills or to escape them.
Only for adults
You must be 18 or over to play for real money, or the legal gambling age where you live if that is higher. Licensed poker rooms check your age and identity before you can withdraw. If children use your computer or phone, keep your accounts logged out and consider filtering software that blocks gambling sites.
Keep it fun
- Set a bankroll and stick to it. Only play with money you can afford to lose, kept separate from rent, bills and savings.
- Play within your bankroll. Choose stakes your bankroll can handle, and move down when it shrinks.
- Set a time limit. Decide how long you will play before you sit down, and take regular breaks.
- Never chase losses. Moving up in stakes to win it back is how a bad day becomes a bad month.
- Don’t play on tilt. Stop when you are angry, tired, upset, or have been drinking.
- Never borrow to play. If you need credit to keep playing, it is time to stop.
Warning signs
Gambling problems can creep up on anyone, including experienced players. Be honest with yourself if any of these sound familiar:
- You spend more money or time playing than you planned to
- You play to win back what you lost
- You hide how much you play from family or friends
- You borrow money, sell things or miss payments to keep playing
- Poker is affecting your sleep, work, studies or relationships
- You feel restless or irritable when you try to cut down
If you recognise yourself here, you are not alone, and help is free and confidential. The organisations below are a good place to start.
Tools that help you stay in control
Licensed poker rooms and sportsbooks give you tools to manage your play, usually under responsible gaming in your account settings or through customer support:
- Deposit limits per day, week or month
- Loss and session limits, with reminders of how long you have been playing
- Time-outs that lock your account for a day, a week or longer
- Self-exclusion for six months or more, which the operator cannot lift early
- Account history showing exactly what you have deposited and withdrawn
Some countries run national self-exclusion schemes that cover every licensed site at once, such as GAMSTOP in the UK and Spelpaus in Sweden. Blocking software such as Gamban and BetBlocker stops gambling sites loading on your devices.
Our commitment
We only list licensed operators that offer these tools, and every offer on poker.pro is for adults only, with its terms. If you think a site we list isn’t treating players fairly, tell us and we will look into it.