Are you looking for a great new way to play poker with friends from the comfort of your own home? Enter Clubs Poker, a new poker product from founder Taylor Crane.
Poker enthusiasts from around the globe can use Clubs Poker to create private poker tables and invite their friends to play. Don’t want to play? Non-players can simply hang out on the live feed (with audio).
Clubs Poker is also a great way for companies to host team-building experiences for their employees. Managers can choose from a few different packages, some of which include a live presentation containing tips and advice on playing poker.
Read on for more information about the features offered by Clubs Poker and how you can jump into the action.
How does Clubs Poker work?
Clubs Poker is an ideal destination to play casual poker with friends, family, or co-workers. The platform allows players to get together and play cards via a video and audio call. This feature sets Clubs Poker apart from its competitors. Of course, players can use the chat feature to communicate via typing as well.
The best thing about Clubs Poker is that it is completely free to utilize. One player sets up the game and acts as the “host.” They then receive an invite link that they can forward to friends and family to join the game. We loved the fact that players who are invited to the game are not required to create an account with Clubs Poker in order to join. They simply click the link, which takes them to the custom-made digital table.
Furthermore, companies can use Clubs Poker to create a fun team-building event for employees. Although the corporate options do have an associated cost, additional features apply. We will discuss the “paid” options in a later section. For the majority of players, however, Clubs Poker is free to play.
Games available at Clubs Poker
There are only two kinds of games at Clubs Poker: ring games and tournaments. Here is a brief breakdown of each.
Ring games
Ring games, also known as cash games, are the most common game type at Clubs Poker. Players can drop in and out of games as they like, and there is no time limit on playing. The host creates the game and invites people they know to join the table. Players who join the table can choose how many chips they want, but the host can recommend a chip stack based on the blinds.
The host sets blinds, which can range from 0.25/0.50 up to 50/100. The host has the power to change a player’s chip stack or boot them from the table entirely. You can also choose to require an ante at the table or just stick with the classic small and big blind setup.
We should note that Texas Hold’em is the only poker variant available to play right now on Clubs Poker, although there are two different types of Hold’em. The first is the classic 52-card No Limit Hold’em game. The second is called Short Deck Hold’em. This variant removes all the cards below 6 but is the same in every other way. Removing the low-value cards creates extra excitement in the game because the odds of making a strong hand increase exponentially. Of course, this means your opponent’s hands will likely be better as well, so play smart!
Tournaments
Clubs Poker also offers great options for customizing a tournament for your friends and family. Although these typically take longer than cash games and require more attention, the prize pools can be large, and players tend to be more engaged because there usually is one ultimate winner.
When creating the tournament, the host first selects how many people will be playing. Secondly, the host selects how long the tournament will last. This can range from a minimum of 30 minutes all the way up to four hours. Our biggest issue is that you cannot choose to play until one person is left standing, which is typically how poker tournaments are operated.
Hosts have access to a wide variety of customization tools when setting up tournaments. They can set the starting chip stack size, choose whether there will be rebuys or antes, set the level duration for the blinds, and put a decision timer in place to keep the action moving along.
We like the flexibility of the tournament setup, and this is a fun option for people who want to play cards while not having to worry about the unstructured nature of a ring game.
Is Clubs Poker free?
Yes, Clubs Poker is totally free to most players. The only time when the services cost money is when a company wants to use Clubs Poker for a corporate event. There are two pricing tiers for companies: “Let’s Just Play” and “Hosted Event.” The pricing for “Let’s Just Play” begins at $50 and includes access to a customized ring game or tournament, a dedicated account manager to support your events, and custom branding on the table. This means you can put your company logo right on the center of the poker table for everyone to see.
A “Hosted Event” is the next step up for companies. You receive everything you get for the “Let’s Just Play” tier, plus a live “Poker Tips 101” presentation from a Clubs Poker employee. This person will give your employees tips, tricks, and strategies if they are newcomers to poker. Clubs Poker Hosted Events start at $250 for all of these features.
The last area where you could potentially exchange money with Clubs Poker is its “tip the dealer” feature. This feature allows players to donate money to Clubs Poker to thank them for providing a fun, free service. This money ostensibly goes toward paying for server time to keep the site running. You can donate whatever amount you like, with the minimum suggested “tip” being $1.78 for two hours of server time. The payment is processed through Google Pay or any major credit card.
Clubs Poker software review
One of Clubs Poker’s main selling points is its easy-to-use software. Players can set up and join a poker game in seconds. The navigation is simple and clear, and there are very few distractions on the site once you log in.
The post-game summary is concise and easily accessible from your account page. This summary is well laid out, easy to read, and very helpful when it comes to analyzing your play. Simply click on the report to jump into the top hands of the game and see how you could have played it differently.
The cards themselves are easy to see against the color of the felt, and they are certainly large enough to read. We would appreciate an option to change the color of the cards or the design on the back of the deck. Perhaps a future upgrade to Clubs Poker will include this feature since other competing poker sites already offer it.
All told, Clubs Poker is a great platform that could use a few additional features to push it to the next level. The interface is attractive and easy to use but a bit bare-bones. Although the host can fully customize the game, the features for players joining the table are minimal.
Playing at Clubs Poker on mobile
Currently, Clubs Poker does not have a dedicated mobile app. We hope that it will eventually develop one, although it may need some substantial “tip the dealer” funds to make that happen. On mobile browsers, the experience is not the best. In fact, when you register for an account, the welcome email expressly states that it is best to stick to desktops and laptops when playing at Clubs Poker. Although it is technically possible to access the software on your mobile phone, Clubs Poker does not recommend it.
With all that said, we were very happy with the desktop experience at Clubs Poker. It is smooth, fast, and very easy to navigate. Even when playing on a large tablet, we did not encounter too many issues. When playing on a phone, we did run into some responsiveness and sizing issues, which could affect your playing experience negatively. Hence, as Clubs Poker itself recommends, stick to desktops and laptops for the premiere experience.
Creating an account at Clubs Poker
Creating an account at Clubs Poker could not be simpler. You do not need to fill out any long forms or provide any sensitive personal information like other poker sites require. All that you need to create an account are a nickname and an email address.
Fill in these two fields, and a login code will arrive in your email inbox. Enter that code on the Clubs Poker site, and you are in! You can now create ring games and tournaments and invite players to join your customized games.
Clubs Poker customer support options
If you find yourself in need of assistance, there are sadly only a few options available. The primary method of contact is a dedicated customer support email address. Shoot them an email, and you should hear a response back within one or two business days. If your issue is more urgent, you can always try to reach out via Clubs Poker’s social media profiles. Clubs Poker has a presence on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Send a direct message, and a representative should get back to you shortly.
Unfortunately, that is the extent of the customer support options. There is no dedicated phone number or live chat on the site. That said, the product is free of charge and relatively bare-bones, so there should be minimal issues.
Clubs Poker FAQ
Can you win real money at Clubs Poker?
No, Clubs Poker is merely the vehicle for playing poker. It provides the table, chips, and virtual venue. How players choose their stakes and run their games is up to them.
Is Clubs Poker legal in my state?
Yes, Clubs Poker is legal and accessible in all 50 states due to the free nature of the product.
Is there a mobile app?
No, Clubs Poker does not currently have a mobile app. In fact, the site does not recommend accessing the software from mobile devices. For the best experience, use Clubs Poker on a desktop or laptop.
Does Clubs Poker have an age minimum?
Clubs Poker is for players who are 18 years of age and older. Persons under the age of 18 are not permitted to use the site or register for an account.