How to play poker with friends online for free

Want a poker night but can't get everyone around the same table? You can play Texas Hold'em with friends online, free, with nothing to download. Everyone joins the same private table from their own phone or computer and plays with virtual chips, so no real money changes hands.

Here's how to set it up on All In in a couple of minutes, plus a few tips to make the game run smoothly.

What you need

• A free All In account for each player (everyone must be 18 or over).
• A phone, tablet or computer with a web browser. There is no app to install.
• A way to share a code or link with your friends, such as a group chat.

Set up a private poker room

1. Log in and open Live poker from the menu.
2. Under Make a private room, choose your stakes: Bronze (blinds 0.25 / 0.50), Silver (0.50 / 1.00) or Gold (2 / 4).
3. Tick Fill empty seats with computer players if you want a fuller table while friends join.
4. Press Make room. You get a 6-letter room code and a link.
5. Send the code or link to your friends. They open Live poker, type the code under Join a friend's room, and choose their buy-in.
6. Sit down with your own buy-in. A new hand is dealt automatically when two or more players are seated.

How the game works

It's no-limit Texas Hold'em for up to six players. Everyone gets two private cards, then five shared cards are dealt across the flop, turn and river. The best five-card hand wins the pot, or the last player left after everyone else folds.

Chips come from your free coin balance and go back to it when you leave the table. The server deals every card and decides every hand, so nobody can see anyone else's cards. You have 25 seconds to act on your turn.

Tips for a good poker night

• Pick stakes that suit the group. Bronze is great for beginners and long, relaxed games.
• Agree on a finish time. Anyone can leave between hands and their chips go straight back to their balance.
• If one or two friends drop out, the host can add computer players to keep the table going.
• New players can learn the hand rankings first, then practise against the computer in the Card Room.
• Keep it social. Coins have no cash value, so the point is the game and the bragging rights.

Common questions

Ready to deal?

Open Live poker, make a room and send the code to your mates. If nobody's free right now, sit at a public Bronze table and get some practice in first.