The best poker game for a beginner depends on what you want tonight. To learn Texas Hold’em as you play, pick Poker Skill, which we make: coached hands against AI, with a reason after each decision. Poker Skill is free. Forever. To play many hands against people for play-money chips, pick WSOP, Zynga Poker or PokerStars Play Money.
The four poker games for beginners, in four lines
Free forever. Plus optional
Poker Skill.OursCoached Hold'em hands against AI that teach you as you play
Coached hands against AI. Pick this if you want to learn while you play.
Free chip packs $0.99 to $99.99
WSOP.Play-money Hold'em tournaments under the World Series of Poker name
Pick this if you want free tournaments against other players.
Free chip packs $0.99 to $99.99
Zynga Poker.A social Hold'em game at 9-player or 5-player tables
Pick this if you want a social game to play with friends.
Free chip packs $2.99 to $99.99
PokerStars Play Money.Play-money poker in many formats, with casino games in the same app
Pick this if you want Omaha and Stud as well as Hold’em.
Prices and features checked October 2026. If you want an app to study with, the best app to learn poker compares five beginner apps.
The comparison at a glance
| Game | Who you play against | Does it explain your decisions? | Free play | App Store age rating | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poker Skill Ours | AI opponents, with Coach Max | Yes, a grade and a reason after each decision | Every lesson, the Daily Puzzle and one Practice vs AI game a day | 4+ | iPhone, iPad, Android |
| WSOP | Other players | Its listing doesn’t say | Play-money chips, packs sold in the app | 17+ | iPhone, iPad, Android |
| Zynga Poker | Other players and friends | Its listing doesn’t say | 200 million free chips to start | 17+ | iPhone, iPad, Android, web |
| PokerStars Play Money | Other players | Its listing doesn’t say | 15,000 free chips every 4 hours | 17+ | iPhone, iPad, Android |
The four games in detail
Poker Skill
Coached Hold'em hands against AI that teach you as you play
Free forever. Plus optional
Best for Beginners who want to learn Texas Hold'em while they play and know why each decision was right or wrong.
Skip if You want to play many hands against other people. Free players get one Practice vs AI game a day, against AI opponents. Or you want Omaha, since Poker Skill teaches Texas Hold'em only.
Free version Every lesson, the Daily Puzzle and one Practice vs AI game a day. Plus is the only purchase.
Where it runs iPhone, iPad and Android
In Practice vs AI you play full hands against AI opponents, heads-up or three-player, and Coach Max grades each decision against the strategy of Showdown AI, the engine behind the table. When you face a bet, he gives you the price of the call. The lessons start with hand rankings. Nothing is played for real money, there are no chips to buy, and the App Store rates it 4+.
WSOP
Play-money Hold'em tournaments under the World Series of Poker name
Free chip packs $0.99 to $99.99
Best for Beginners who want lots of free tournament hands against other players.
Skip if You want the game to explain your decisions. Its listing describes tournaments, collectibles and daily rewards, and doesn't say it explains a decision.
Free version Free to play with play-money chips. Chip packs are sold in the app.
Where it runs iPhone, iPad and Android
WSOP is Playtika's free-to-play poker game under the World Series of Poker name. You play Texas Hold'em tables and tournaments against players from around the world for play-money chips, and win rings and bracelets for your profile. Its listing says it is meant for players 21 and older and offers no real-money gambling. The App Store rates it 17+.
Compared with Poker Skill: WSOP is the pick for free tournaments against other people, while Poker Skill explains each decision you make.
Zynga Poker
A social Hold'em game at 9-player or 5-player tables
Free chip packs $0.99 to $99.99
Best for Beginners who want a free social game to play with friends, with plenty of chips to start.
Skip if You want the game to explain your decisions. Its listing describes tables, tournaments and jackpots, and doesn't say it explains a decision.
Free version 200 million free chips when you download, plus daily bonuses. Chip packs are sold in the app.
Where it runs iPhone, iPad, Android and web
Zynga Poker plays casual Texas Hold'em or tournaments at the classic 9-player table or a faster 5-player one, and Pot-Limit Omaha is one of its game modes. You can challenge friends, and one account works on phones and the web. Its listing says it is meant for an adult audience and offers no real-money gambling. The App Store rates it 17+.
Compared with Poker Skill: Zynga Poker is the pick for a social game with friends, while Poker Skill coaches every decision in the hands you play.
PokerStars Play Money
Play-money poker in many formats, with casino games in the same app
Free chip packs $2.99 to $99.99
Best for Beginners who want to try Omaha and Stud as well as Hold'em, against a large pool of players.
Skip if You want a poker game with no slots or blackjack in it, or one that explains your decisions.
Free version Free to play, with 15,000 free chips every 4 hours. Chip packs are sold in the app.
Where it runs iPhone, iPad and Android
PokerStars Play Money, called PokerStars LITE in its own listing, puts Texas Hold'em, Omaha and Stud in one app, with tournaments and heads-up games, against a large pool of players. The same app also offers slots and blackjack. The App Store rates it 17+.
Compared with Poker Skill: PokerStars Play Money is the pick for Omaha and Stud, while Poker Skill keeps to Hold'em and explains every decision.
What playing costs
What to know before your first hand tonight
Each player gets two private cards, and up to five community cards are dealt face up in the middle. You make the best five-card hand you can from those seven, so learn the hand rankings first.
Before the cards come, the small blind and the big blind post forced bets from the two seats left of the button. Heads-up, the button posts the small blind. Preflop, the first player left of the big blind acts first. After the flop, the first player still in the hand left of the button acts first.
Acting late is your position advantage: you see what the others do before you decide. In your first game, fold more hands than you play.
Which game fits you?
To see how Poker Skill teaches the game from the first hand, start with the learn poker app page.
Where Poker Skill falls short
Free players get one Practice vs AI game a day, so for a long night of hands a play-money game gives you more. You play against AI opponents, not people. And Poker Skill teaches Texas Hold’em only, so a player who wants Omaha should look at Zynga Poker or PokerStars Play Money.
How we compared
- Who you play against
- Coaching on each decision
- What it sells
We read each game’s App Store and Google Play listings, including the chip packs each one sells, and looked at the screens in its listing. Who each game fits is our judgment.
The four in one line each
| Game | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Poker Skill | Learning Hold’em with a reason after every decision | Free forever. |
| WSOP | Free tournaments against other players | Free, chip packs $0.99 to $99.99 |
| Zynga Poker | A social game with friends | Free, chip packs $0.99 to $99.99 |
| PokerStars Play Money | Hold’em, Omaha and Stud in one app | Free, chip packs $2.99 to $99.99 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the best poker game for beginners on a phone?
To learn while you play, Poker Skill: you play hands against AI opponents, and Coach Max tells you why each decision was right or wrong. Poker Skill is free. Forever. To play many hands against other people for play-money chips, WSOP, Zynga Poker and PokerStars Play Money are all free to download.
What is the best poker game for beginners on Android?
All four run on Android phones from Google Play. Pick Poker Skill to learn as you play, or a play-money game such as WSOP or Zynga Poker to play against other people.
Do poker game apps cost money?
All four are free to download and play. WSOP, Zynga Poker and PokerStars Play Money sell chip packs in the app. Poker Skill sells no chips: every lesson, the Daily Puzzle and one Practice vs AI game a day are free, and Plus is optional.