Any Good Social Poker Apps for Amateurs?

Best poker room apps for social gamers to develop skills.

Everyone who’s ever won a big pot in a poker game has uttered a paraphrasal of these words; “I should go pro!” Jokingly or not, it’s a fanciful concept, kind of like day-dreaming about winning the lottery. Sadly, the results are analogous too. Those who dream of becoming poker pros are like those who buy a ticket with a dream of winning millions. Success is incredibly rare.

So, how do you find out if you’ve got what it takes to turn from amateur poker player to successful pro? Better yet, how do you do it without risking any real cash? There are plenty of social poker apps on the market that would love to claim they can get you there, but to revert back to the lottery dreamer analogy once more… truth in advertising is also incredibly rare.

Best Poker Room Apps to Develop Skill for Free

There is only so much knowledge you can ascertain from a free-to-play poker app. The most beneficial part aspect will usually be learning how to play the various types of games. But you can learn that from any poker app that supports the games you want to learn.

Texas Holdem and Omaha are the most common, of course. Some of the name-brand apps will also feature pro-favorite games like PLO and maybe Stud games, Razz, Low Ball, Draw Poker, etc. Just look up the game you want to learn in Google Play (Android) or Apple iTunes (iOS) to learn those. But if you want real skills – the kind of skills you’ll need to beat real players, when there’s real money on the line – only the best free poker apps will do.

Please bear in mind that the social experience will never compare to the real deal. The fact that no real money can be won makes it very difficult for players to follow a direct strategy. Most will take unnecessary risks, which means you’re not competing in a realistic environment. But still, there are some valuable lessons to be learned, which brings me to my first pick…

Webcam Poker by GC Tech

This mobile poker room has one very unique feature, capable of teaching players one very important skill-set. It’s all in the name – Webcam Poker. The webcam aspect makes it possible to see each player you’re competing against in real time. Just understand that you’re going to need a high-quality phone capable of processing all those real-time videos with crystal-clarity, or the whole point of the exercise will be moot.

There are two skills you can hone here. First is your ability to read the poker tells of others. Watch their faces, read their emotions, and try to predict what message they are conveying. The second is your own ability to maintain a strict poker face. A pro poker player will never let their features betray their underlying emotions. You can even adapt to trickery by attempting to convey messages that will throw your opponents off. Try out new things, see what happens – you have nothing to lose.

Learn more and get the game here:

• Webcam Poker for Android
• Webcam Poker for Apple iOS

Zynga Poker – The Original

Zynga Poker is the original social poker app. It’s been around so long that it started as a social media poker game, rather than a mobile app. You won’t learn any side games here, as it’s always been a “Texas Hold’em only” model, but there is one perk for amateurs looking to turn pro. Zynga has a small group of long-time free-play members that have built massive bankrolls, and are very proud of the skills they unwaveringly portray to acquire and sustain them. These are the players you want to compete against.

The problem is, you’ll need quite a bankroll to compete against them. They only play the highest stakes ring games tournaments. Then again, if you’re really serious about being a pro poker player, you should also be able to achieve the patience and discipline necessary to beat the low-stakes, maniac-style players who stand between you and a more sizeable bankroll.

Once you get there, you’ll learn what it’s really like to play against opponents who value their chips enough play a good, tight game that’s worthy of skill adaptation. In this way, Zynga has earned its place among the best poker room apps for skill development, without the risk.

Learn more and get the game here:

• Zynga Poker for Android
• Zynga Poker for Apple iOS