Play money poker: where to practice free and 5 signs it's time for real money
Updated on October 30, 2026.
Play money poker is poker played with play chips that have no value and can’t be withdrawn. It’s useful for learning the rules, the hand rankings and the poker room software without spending a cent. For learning strategy, though, it helps very little, and the next step is freerolls and the lowest stakes.
Quick summary
- Play money is free, but the chips never turn into real money.
- It’s great for learning the rules, the hand rankings and the buttons in the poker room software.
- The play is much looser than in real games: players who risk nothing call almost everything.
- A freeroll is different: entry is free and the prize is real money.
- Move to real money with a separate bankroll, low stakes and rakeback from the first hand.
What is play money poker?
Play money poker is the version of the game where you bet chips with no value, given away for free by the poker room or the app. The rules, tables and tournaments are the same as in the real-money game. The difference is that nothing you win can be withdrawn.
Some rooms put these tables in a separate tab of the lobby. Others offer a separate app with play chips only.
According to PokerNews, play money helps you understand how poker works, but doing well with it doesn’t guarantee you’ll do well when real money is on the line.
Where to find play money poker: mobile and desktop
One example is the PokerStars play money app. According to the app’s App Store page, you get 35,000 chips when you join and can reload 15,000 free chips every 4 hours. The app has Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Spin & Go and tournaments, and it’s not allowed for anyone under 18.
The same page shows chip packs sold for real money, starting at $2.99. Don’t fall for it: purchased chips are still worthless and don’t come back to you.
Many poker rooms also have play money tables inside their own software. Look in the lobby for a tab like “play money” or “play chips”. If you can’t find one, the room probably doesn’t offer it.
Here’s how play money compares with the other ways to get started:
Way to play | Cost | Prize | What the game is like | What it's for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Play money | Nothing | Chips with no value | Very loose, lots of all-ins | Learning the rules and the software |
Freeroll | Nothing | Real money, almost always small | Loose early on, serious near the prizes | Winning a first balance without depositing |
Micro stakes | Penny-stakes cash game or low buy-in tournament | Real money | Similar to higher stakes | Learning real strategy |
Does play money poker help you get better?
It helps at the start, but it hurts if you stay on it too long. In the first few weeks, play money teaches what few books teach as quickly: reading the board, knowing who acts first, using the time bank and not clicking the wrong button.
The problem is how opponents behave. Since the chips are worth nothing, lots of players call with any hand and go all-in for no reason. If you learn to win that way, you’ll carry bad habits to the real-money tables, where opponents usually only bet big when they have a hand.
Use play money for three things:
- Rules and hand rankings. Check any term that comes up at the table in the RakebackPokerWorld poker dictionary.
- The poker room software. Try tournament registration, chat, notes and the bet slider.
- Multiple tables at once. Practice opening two tables before doing it for real money, as we explain in our guide to multi-tabling in online poker.
When should you move from play money to real money?
Move over once you’ve spent a few weeks playing with no rules questions and no misclicks. These are the 5 signs:
- You know the hand rankings without looking them up.
- You understand blinds, position and what an all-in is.
- You can use the poker room software, on mobile or desktop, without getting tangled up.
- You’ve set aside an amount you can afford to lose, kept apart from the money for your bills. The guide to poker bankroll shows how many buy-ins to keep.
- You accept that you’ll probably lose at the start, like most players.
The cheapest route is to begin with online poker freerolls and then move to the lowest stakes. At the real-money tables, rakeback gives back part of the rake the room charges, which matters for players who don’t play much. Learn what rakeback is and how it’s calculated.
How to play from your country
To play with play money, you don’t need to deposit or send any documents. To play for real money, pick a room that accepts players from your country, with deposits by crypto, card or e-wallet, and proven withdrawals.
- Compare the best online poker sites, with stakes, freerolls, payment methods and each room’s rakeback.
- If you prefer your phone, check the guide to real money poker apps before installing.
- Be wary of anyone who sells play chips or promises to swap them for cash. See how to spot a trustworthy room in our guide to safe online poker.
When you open your real-money account, use the room’s link in our ranking to get rakeback from the first hand.
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Freerolls, room promotions and tips for beginners are posted on our channel first. Join the RakebackPokerWorld Telegram and ask your rakeback questions.
Frequently asked questions
Can you win real money with play money poker?
No. Play chips have no cash value and can't be withdrawn. To play for real prizes without depositing, freerolls are the way to go: free tournaments that pay real cash prizes.
Which play money poker app should I use?
One example is the PokerStars play money app, which, according to its App Store page, gives you 35,000 chips when you join and 15,000 free chips every 4 hours. Many poker rooms also have play money tables in their own software; look for the play money tab in the lobby.
Does playing poker with play money help you get better?
It helps you learn the rules, the hand rankings and the poker room software. It helps little with strategy, because players who risk nothing call almost everything and go all-in for no reason.
What is the difference between play money and a freeroll?
With play money you play for chips that have no value. In a freeroll the entry is free, but the prize is real money, which is why the play is more serious.
Sources
- App Store: PokerStars Play Money Poker
- PokerNews: Free Poker Sites & Apps: Where to Play Free Online Poker
- Wikimedia Commons: Laptop with poker cards and poker chips
Play responsibly. 18+ only, and check the legal age where you live.
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Who writes this
The RakebackPokerWorld team: professional poker affiliates since 2017, more than 20,000 players helped. We test rooms, payments and rakeback before recommending them.
