No Folds Given
How to host a poker night online with friends
Five minutes to set up, no download, no account. 18+ · play money only.
Can't get everyone round the same kitchen table? An online poker night keeps the banter, the bad beats and the bragging rights, without anyone having to bring chips or count the pot. Here's how to run one on No Folds Given.
Step 1: Create a table
On the home page, tap Create a table, enter the name you want at the table and choose how many seats you need, from 2 to 9. Leave Friends only (online) selected so the seats are for real people; Practice with bots is there if you want to warm up alone first.
Step 2: Choose your game
- Game: Texas Hold'em, Omaha, 5-Card Omaha or Short Deck (6+). Not sure? Hold'em is what most people know. See how to play Texas Hold'em and the Omaha and Short Deck rules.
- Format: a cash game lets people add chips between hands and drift in and out; a tournament plays until one player has everything, with the blinds going up every 5, 10 or 15 hands.
- Chips and blinds: the default of 2,000 chips with 10/20 blinds gives everyone 100 big blinds, a comfortable starting depth. In cash games you can give everyone the same stack, or let players pick a buy-in within a range you set.
- Extras: bomb pots (everyone antes and the hand starts on the flop) every hand, or every 5 or 10 hands; run it twice for all-ins; and Coach tips, which show equity and pot odds on each player's turn. Useful if some of your friends are new.
Step 3: Invite your friends
Copy the invite link or the room code into your group chat. Opening the link takes your friends straight to your table, where they confirm their name and buy-in and take a seat. Late arrivals can still join with the same link and are dealt in at a later hand.
Step 4: Shuffle up and deal
When everyone's seated, the host clicks Start game. The server deals every hand and settles every pot, including side pots and split pots, so the only arguments left are about who slow-rolled who. Turn your camera on to see the reactions: every seat has a video tile, in HD up to 1080p where your device and connection allow. More in our guide to poker with video chat.
Step 5: Crown the winner
When the night's done, the host ends the session. Everyone gets the final standings in chips, a few awards (Biggest pot, Comeback of the night, the Never Folds award and more), and a results card to drop in the group chat. See poker night results and awards.
Tips for a great online poker night
- Pick a time and a format in advance. A tournament with 10-hand levels usually wraps up in an evening; a cash game can go as long as people want.
- Agree house rules before the first hand. Bomb pots, run it twice, and whether late arrivals can still buy into a tournament that's already running.
- Cameras are optional. Some people play better with them off. An avatar is fine, and you can still hear the table.
- Read the table. Camera on means tells are back in the game. Our poker tells guide explains what to look for.
- Keep it friendly. Every seat has a report button, and the host is in charge of the table.
No Folds Given is play money only: no entry fees, no prizes, and chips have no cash value. Don't use it to organise or settle real-money games.