Learn to Play Poker Apps in 2025

While the poker boom really took off between 2001 and 2003, the game has continued to grow in popularity over the last decade, especially outside of the United States, where online poker came tragically crashing down. These days, the biggest difference in poker is that players are overall much better players than they were in the early 2000s. This is most likely due to the sheer volume of hands that a player can play online versus playing live. Also, there is far more information on how to improve your game than ever before, which means there are more reasons for players to practice.

To be a winning poker player, continuing to learn the game is crucial, and these days that can be accomplished right from your phone by using an app designed for learning poker. Our poker experts have come together to walk you through everything you need to know about these apps, and that way when you are ready to take your game to the next level, you can easily select an app either for your iOS or Android device with confidence.

Why Would People Use an App to Learn to Play Poker?

A question we hear all the time is “Why do people practice poker? Isn’t it mainly about the cards you have anyway?” Well, we are here to tell you that this couldn’t be further from the truth. The cards you are dealt are only a piece of the puzzle when trying to be profitable – there is so much more at play. Let’s look at the top 3 reasons that players would use an app to learn to play poker.

Learn New Games

Most people think about No Limit Texas Hold’em when they think about poker, but there are many more variants of the game that people play all over the world. Some of these have much smaller fields in major tournaments, as they are more complicated to play, so if you are looking to win a World Series of Poker bracelet, then you may want to learn a game like Omaha or Stud. The best way to learn games is by playing them, of course, so this is where these apps can come in handy.

Practice New Strategy

With all the books, blogs, podcasts, and videos on poker strategy these days, you can get overwhelmed trying to learn a new strategy. Then, once you select one or two to try out, you need a place to get some hands in without wasting money. A poker app for learning to play the game gives you a chance to put some of this theory into action before you hit the real money tables.

Convenience

Learning to play poker is important if you want to stop being a losing player, but the game is also a long grind. Having a chance to learn how to play the game with the convenience of having an app on your device means you are no longer shackled to your PC. You have the poker game with you in your pocket whenever you get a moment to learn, and within a couple of clicks, you can be playing hands! Also, as the game isn’t for real money, the length of your session isn’t important – you can close and reopen the app whenever you are so inclined.

The Best Apps for Learning to Play Poker

When we review apps for this site, we are in most cases looking at them with real-money players in mind. That is why it is so refreshing to have put together this page – while some attributes remain the same, there is a whole subset of criteria that matter to players who are learning rather than just trying to win big bucks.

We looked at each poker app we could find and reviewed it from a learning perspective to come up with the following list. A couple of these apps are very focused on learning the game, while others are excellent from a learning and practice perspective but also give you a chance to access real-money games in case you get the urge quickly. All of the sites are good enough in the eyes of our experts to have them on the recommended apps for learning to play poker list.

What We Look for in an App for Learning Poker

As we mentioned, some of the things we look for when reviewing the best apps for learning poker are different from that of a real money poker app. Here, we are giving you an overview of three of the top differences.

Integrated Odds Calculator

One of the best inventions in the history of poker was the graphic on the screen letting you know the percentage chances of a player winning a hand. That made it so much clearer to players that there was more than just luck in the game, and we look for sites that will show you that as you are playing the hands. Of course, this would be in a practice mode, but it still gives you a little more insight into what the odds are as the hand progresses. Not all sites offer this feature, so we let you know in each review which ones have this available for your use.

Combination of Strategy Pages and Tips Along with Gameplay

With so much information to digest, we like the poker learning apps that incorporate some of these details directly in the app. This can come from a feed of interesting strategy pieces in a section of the app or being able to watch a video followed by being directed to the table to try out new strategies. The fewer steps between taking in the information and putting it into action, the more likely the information will be remembered.

Multiplayer Modes

Playing and practicing against the computer is one thing, but being able to put your learning into action against other players is definitely the best way to see if you are able to take the theory and put it into practice. The best poker learning apps are those that have tables featuring other players, whether it is a play money game on a real money site or a pool of players on a training site.

How to Find and Use Learn to Play Poker Apps

There are several ways to find the best apps to learn to play poker. Of course, we have already given you a few to choose from above on our recommended list. While we are sure these provide you with all the tools you need, there are other places to look. Some of the training sites will have their own apps to download, or you can simply go to the app store of your Apple or Google device and search for “poker.” Bear in mind that when you search directly from the app store, you will find the most popular apps, which aren’t necessarily the best in our opinion.

Once you have selected the app, you can quickly download it to your phone or tablet, and then you will likely need to create an account. Even though you will be playing for free to start, the company still wants your information for future communication purposes. Once you have created your account, look for any in-app purchases you may want to make. Some sites will offer tutorials directly in the app that aren’t on a website, so they could be of value to you if you are interested.

Conclusion

As the game of poker continues to evolve, unless there are new games introduced, players will have no option but to continue to improve at the current variants. The good news is that 98% of players really only know how to play Texas Hold’em, and even then, the majority of players could use significant improvement. These apps designed for learning poker are perfect for anyone looking to take their game to the next level or who want to learn a new game without having to risk any cash.

The apps we have discussed and recommended on this page are the ones we feel are the best for players looking to learn more about the sport. However, we know our community of readers will have their own opinions. We encourage you to drop us a line and let us know what you think about any of the apps we have recommended, or if there are any poker learning apps that you swear by yourself. Also, if you are interested in reading more about the best real-money poker apps, then check out our poker app pages and our reviews section.