The current online poker apps for NJ all do their best to mimic the desktop versions of NJ’s regulated online poker rooms. For the most part they succeed in this quite well, though the selection of available tables and tournaments is far more limited.
Playing on multiple tables simultaneously is now an option, but only on one poker application. The touch interface is perfectly useful for poker play, but if you intend to use any kind of chat options you will miss having a keyboard.
This page covers mobile poker apps. Get the rundown on NJ online casino mobile apps here. Check out NJ mobile sportsbook apps here.
Best NJ online poker apps
NJ mobile poker overview: iOS and Android
| Poker Apps | iOS | iOS size | iOS min. version | Android | Android size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WSOP | Yes | 74.3 | 6.0 | Yes | 23.9 |
| Party Poker | Yes | 46.5 | 8.0 | Yes | 61.1 |
| Borgata Poker | Yes | 51,8 | 8.0 | Yes | 20.7 |
| PokerStars | Yes | 148 | 8.0 | Yes | 80.2 |
| 888 Poker | Yes | 59.5 | 6.0 | Yes | 30 |
| Pala Poker | Yes | 78.5 | 8.0 | Yes | 38 |
NJ mobile poker apps: available games
Although all six apps allow for free money play, the only one that seems to get “fun” games off on a somewhat consistent basis is PokerStars. And even then, players will have much better luck finding a free play cash game than a tournament or sit & go.
As far as real-money games, No Limit Hold’em games are the bread and butter of all NJ online poker mobile apps. Other games are offered, but the selection is even sparser than it is on desktop clients.
PokerStars is the only app that offers Pot Limit Omaha games. Borgata/Party offers limit games but they rarely get off.
Other mixed games like Omaha Hi/Lo and Stud games do not appear to be fully integrated into NJ-based online poker apps.
Best mobile poker app for NJ players
Prior to PokerStars’ official launch in New Jersey, WSOP.com held a narrow edge over Borgata Poker for the state’s best online poker app. Now, it’s the PokerStars NJ app that wins out, by more than a little.
PokerStars has integrated its online casino and poker offerings into one comprehensive application, with poker taking center stage.
Not only does the app provide the most robust selection of account management features – which includes access to the cashier, VIP Store, and settings page – but the PokerStars NJ mobile app simply feels more polished than what the competition has to offer.
It’s also the only app that has integrated multi-tabling, non-hold’em variants and lottery sit & go’s. And thanks to the large lobby icons and sliders, finding a game of preference rarely takes more than a couple of swipes.
As for gameplay, PokerStars NJ comes closer than any other NJ operator to simulating the desktop experience on mobile. It also usually features the most traffic for non-guaranteed tournaments.
PokerStars is partnered with Resorts Casino in New Jersey.
NJ mobile poker app snapshots
WSOP poker app overview
Of all the poker apps this was probably the second most fun to play on, but mainly because WSOP/888 possesses inherent advantages in liquidity compared to Borgata/Party. This more than makes up for the missing features in the software, of which there are a few notables.
While mobile poker functions identically between 888 and WSOP, the WSOP app has the better tournament selection of the two (although this could vary from day to day). No complaints about the tournament lobby — it may not be the prettiest layout but it’s more than efficient.
On the other hand:
While the cash game and sit-and-go sliders work fine, it would have been nice if WSOP incorporated functionality that allowed players to see these lobbies. As is, players have to just hope a game of their preference is running.
This is a pretty severe oversight and may cause some players to run away in frustration.
888 Poker app overview
The nearly identical software that 888 Poker and WSOP use is a little less functional than the apps for Borgata and Party.
Rather than seeing the tables by name (and the number of people there) you have to just specify the type of game you are looking for with a number of sliding bars. This makes getting a good cash game tricky at times. Also, 888 and WSOP do not have any kind of fast-fold game options on mobile.
Though there is a wide range of Sit & Go options, you may have trouble finding one that is viable. As with the cash games, you must choose parameters and then hope there is someone else interested, and many of the sit-and-go tournaments that are more popular on the site don’t seem to be available on the app.
Regular multi-table tournaments, on the other hand, work perfectly and are excellent.
PartyPoker app overview
The app built for the mobile Party Poker room is the same program as Borgata. Since they share liquidity across the board, players will have a similar experience with both programs.
PartyPoker recently revamped its interface, and the result was a better user experience. Party’s app is solid, and we’d recommend that players who wrote it off when it was plagued by connection errors (especially on iOS) give it another go.
Be warned, however: Players who aren’t a fan of hold’em cash games or multi-table tournaments won’t find much to their liking. This is more a byproduct of the network’s low liquidity than the app itself.
If anything, the app supports a fair number of game formats, including fast-fold and fixed limit. Too bad its dedicated sub-menus and advanced filtering options are virtually wasted.
Borgata Poker app overview
As with the top NJ online casinos, the choice between Borgata and Party will mostly come down to which rewards program you are already in.
At one point, registering for tournaments was unreliable, but it appears the operator has ironed out most of the kinks.
More good news: Borgata’s numerous daily freeroll tournaments now appear on the mobile tournament list. This will come as a pleasant surprise to those who may have disregarded the app when they couldn’t sign up for the freebies.
PokerStars App Overview
As solid as other New Jersey poker apps have become, the PokerStars NJ mobile offering still blows them out of the water. That’s not to say the app is a model of perfection, as server lag and unresponsiveness are still minor issues. But in terms of overall game selection, account management, design and aesthetics, PokerStars NJ wins out.
Currently, the app offers cash games (no-limit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha), tournaments, sit-and-go’s and the widely popular (and mobile friendly) Spin & Go’s. Zoom Poker is listed in the app lobby, but games tend to only run when there is a “play [x] amount of cash game hands” promotion running.
The PokerStars’ app features a smart feature that recommends games to players based on their playing tendencies. Players can easily bypass these recommendations by clicking on the large icons and using the sliders and filters instead. We did find it a bit odd that players aren’t permitted to specify an exact buy-in for cash games, but otherwise, the ring game sliders fit the bill.
Tournament registration was a breeze. The app lists buy-in, prize pool, format and date info for multiple tournaments right from the main tournament page. All players have to do is find something they like and click “Register.” If the tournament lobby proves too cluttered (which is often the case during the evening) players can weed out tournaments via nine different filters.
Players can also register for and participate in freerolls from their mobile devices.
Pala Poker App Overview
Pala Poker’s mobile application is available for Android and iOS devices. The Apple version is available from the App Store, while the Android version can be accessed by following the download link on Pala’s website under the “download & play” page.
At around 80 megabytes, the iOS version is fairly bulky and takes a few moments to download, depending on internet connection speed. The Android version is around half that size.
Expect to wait between 10 and 20 seconds for the application to load, with the iOS version being slightly faster than the Android one.
Game offering is identical to what can be found on the desktop application: cash games include no-limit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha, with stakes ranging from $0.10/$0.25 to $1/$2. Unfortunately, there are no micro or high-limit stakes. Six-handed SnG tournaments are available, with buy-ins from $5 to $20.
There are also a number of scheduled multi-table tournaments available on any given day, most with a guaranteed prize pool between $50 and $250 and buy-ins in the $0.50 to $10 range. A few freerolls are available, too. Almost all tournaments start at 4 p.m. or later.
Overall, the application is responsive, functional, and does not lag behind its desktop counterpart.