Best Free Online Poker Sites - Dec 2024

How to Play Poker Online Free

Players in NZ can choose from several types of free online poker in 2024, including promotional free chips, freerolls, and practice play games. The best free poker sites provide these free to play options to new and existing customers, and are the perfect starting point for beginners keen to grow their bankroll.

Freeroll Tournaments

For many poker players, freerolls are the first games they play on a new site. These events are a style of multi-table tournament, where players can enter with no buy-in fee, and compete with other free online poker gamers for a slice of the prize pool.

At New Zealand online poker rooms, there are several types of freerolls available, including new player events, weekly freerolls, exclusive tournaments, satellite entries, and more. Certain freerolls may only be eligible for players who’ve previously made a deposit.

At Gambling.com we know Kiwis want to find which sites have the best poker freeroll tournaments, and the platforms we recommend provide many exciting ways to play poker online free. This includes $25 and $50 Daily Freerolls at Bet366 and GutsPoker, and Party Poker’s Weekly $250 Bankroll Booster. 

Poker Practice Modes

Using practice mode to play poker online free is a great way for new sign ups to familiarize themselves with the interface, buttons, betting options, and game rules. Many of the best NZ poker sites have a separate section for practice poker, where players can jump onto a table with a virtual stack of chips.

These games are the same as the real money versions, the key difference is the use of a virtual balance. In this format, Kiwis can play free poker games, boost their skills, and become more confident before playing real cash games, sit & gos, and tournaments. New Zealand players looking to practice for free can visit Party Poker and click the Play Money tab, or head to 888Poker and select Practice Play mode to get started today.

No Deposit Poker Bonuses

The top poker rooms in NZ know they have excellent platforms, and want to showcase it to players from New Zealand with exclusive no deposit poker bonuses. These are a style of free chip promotion, and can contain cash, as well as sit & go, spin, and tournament tickets. A no deposit bonus allows new sign ups to play real money poker games online for free.

Each site has different freerolls and promotions, and the terms and conditions can vary. This can include the bonus distribution, which is how players receive the rewards, time periods, expiry, and any other requirements to claim the free chip deal.

888Poker has a fantastic free chip no deposit promotion for NZ poker players in 2024. Their $20 free chip package provides $4 in $0.10 tickets, and $16 in $1 tournament tickets. The bonus is released in three batches over a week, providing loads of free online poker action.

Best Free Poker Online Sites

Our team of experts has searched through the best online casinos and free online poker sites available in New Zealand and found the top options in 2024. We’ve separated the good from the bad, to present locals with reputable and licensed sites, with top freerolls & promotions, and loads of free poker games.

These platforms are perfect for locals seeking 24/7 games, while remaining safe thanks to the latest security technology. Getting started from New Zealand is easy, and players can fund their account using secure payment methods including Mastercard, Neteller, PaySafeCard, Skrill, and Visa.

Check Out: Casino minimum deposit for those who wish to enjoy online games without having to spend a fortune

Party Poker

Party Poker is popular with New Zealand poker players on the hunt for freerolls and other value-packed games. They’ve built up a solid reputation in the industry since 2001, and feature cash tables, sit & go, spin, satellite, and MTT events. New sign ups at Party Poker can create an account, make a first deposit, and claim up to $30 in free tickets for Spin and MTT games.

There are several ways to play online poker free at Party, including practice play games, which are ideal for beginners to sharpen their card skills with virtual chips, before tackling the real tables. NZ players can also enjoy the Party Poker $200 daily freerolls, Weekly $250 Bankroll Booster and Daily Party Gift tournament events.

Guts Poker

Zecure Gaming Limited established Guts Poker in 2016, and they're licensed in Malta and the UK.  Customers from NZ can sign up to play and win money in free online poker tournaments. Guts is available to play in a web browser on desktop or mobile, or through a downloadable client. Users can compete in Poker Challenges, with regular milestones, and special wheel spins unlocking free poker online rewards, including free chip balances and tournament tickets.

New Zealand players can claim a huge wager free $1,000 poker bonus, with a $5 free chip released for every $25 in rake. Guts offers plenty of value for free players who can click the Free Tab, view games, and compete in their daily $25 and $50 freerolls. These events don't require a password, and provide Kiwis with the opportunity to win real money playing against other free online poker players.

888 Poker

888Poker is a global poker brand that’s been operating since 2002. It’s owned by 888 Holdings, and licensed by the MGA and UKGC. They have over 10,000,000 registered players, making them an excellent choice for card players looking for games at any time of the day or night. They have cash games available from low to high stakes, sit & go, multi table tournaments, SNAP, Knock Outs, Blast, and other cool game formats.

With an exclusive $20 no deposit free chip bonus, it’s no surprise 888 ranks as one of the best free poker sites in New Zealand. This offer is available to new customers and provides 40 x $0.10 and 16 x $1 tournament tickets spread across the week. 888Poker has many special freerolls, including a $300 Freebie, XL Retro Main Event Freeroll, $20 SNAP tourney, $500 first deposit, and $1000 depositor freerolls.

Bet365 Poker

Bet365 Poker was founded in 2004 and offers a wide variety of gambling services, including sports betting and a dedicated online poker room with no download required.  The platform has many low stakes sit & go and MTT events for Hold'em and Omaha, and each day Bet365 players can compete in $25 and $50 freerolls.

New Zealand players can receive a special poker bonus consisting of a $365 locked balance, $1 spin game ticket, and 5 x tickets to the $100 Bronze Loyalty freeroll event. Through the VIP program at Bet365, NZ users can accumulate status points by playing games. The points can be used to access freerolls, including the $500 Silver and $5,000 Mega tournaments.

Online Poker Freeroll Tournaments Categories

Kiwis can pick for several types of freerolls at free online poker sites. This wide variety ensures plenty of free cash is up for grabs each day of the week. We’ve listed the most popular types of freeroll events found online, and which games provide the best value in NZ.

New Player Freerolls

A new player freeroll is open to customers after completing the registration process. These free tournaments allow new sign ups to play their first poker games on the platform, and compete against other beginners for real cash prizes. These tournaments are generally available for Texas Hold’em games, and the prize pools can range from $20 - $1000+. 888 Poker has a fun $20 SNAP tournament available for all new sign ups from NZ.

Weekly Freerolls

Weekly freerolls provide New Zealand players with regular free games each week. On some sites, customers may be required to make an initial deposit, or have played hands in the past week, to gain access to the events. This is common in the industry, and ensures the platform can verify the payment source for withdrawals, and complete the KYC procedure. A fun weekly free poker online tourney available in NZ is the $1000 depositor freeroll at 888Poker, which is open to anyone who’s deposited in the past week.

Exclusive Freerolls

Online poker sites in New Zealand strive to provide customers with the best experience. This includes exclusive freeroll games from the site, as well as prominent poker brands and professional players. These events can be restricted or require a password to enter. Some examples of exclusive events include 888's $500 Level 20+ Freeroll and Party Poker's $500 VIP event, which are only open to players on a certain VIP level.

Satellite Freerolls

Satellite freerolls provide everyday players with the chance to win entry to high-stakes tournaments. There are satellites for higher buy-in online tournaments, and exclusive offline events like the EPT and WSOP. The best free poker sites provide several ways to climb the stages with satellites, and some options have no buy-in. After winning a satellite event, customers receive a new tournament ticket for the next level. Party Poker players can test their skills for free and level up in the $2.2 Mini Satellite Freeroll in 2024.

How to Claim Free Poker Bonuses

Kiwis can pick from a wide selection of bonus deals in 2024, including poker online free chip offers to play games with no buy-in fee. These promotions are typically split into a series of sit & go and multi-table tournament tickets. They offer excellent value for beginners, with more entries to play free online poker and level up their bankroll.

1. Step 1: Pick a site from our list of the best New Zealand free online poker rooms with a no deposit bonus.
2. Step 2: To claim the poker online free chip deal, click the ‘Play Now’ button to visit the site and sign up for an account.
3. Step 3: Read the free chip terms and conditions to understand what’s required to receive the bonus. This may include verifying the email address and downloading the poker app.
4. Step 4: The free chip bonuses may include a starting cash balance and free online poker tickets released in batches.

Free Poker Online Poker Games

In 2024, there are many unique free online poker games to play online. At Gambling.com, we ensure that the sites we recommend provide the best game variety, so NZ players can win money playing everything from Texas Hold’em to Razz.    

• Texas Hold'em Online – This is the most popular type of free online poker in New Zealand. Players receive two cards face down, while five cards are dealt on the table over a series of betting rounds. Users take turns in betting, with the option to check, call, or raise. Texas Hold'em hands are ranked from a single high card to the highest hand, the Royal Flush. Online versions include No Limit, Fixed Limit, Pot Limit, Turbo, Knock Out, and other unique games.
• Pot-Limit Omaha – Pot Limit Omaha games have a more restricted style of play, with bets limited to the size of the pot. In PLO, players receive four hole cards, while the dealer serves five community cards during the betting round. Using two hole and three community cards, each player has to make their best poker hand to try and win the pot.
• Omaha Hi-Lo – Omaha Hi-Lo is available in No Limit and Pot Limit, and works with a split pot system, meaning players can win money by either having the best low or high valued hand. Like PLO, players receive four cards, and must use two in combination with three community cards to form a hand. The low pot is reserved for hands with no pairs and cards under eight, while the high pot is awarded to the strongest hand.
• Seven-Card Stud – Seven-Card Stud has a different style of play to other variants, with no community cards in play. Each player receives seven cards, and must use five to make the best poker hand. At the start, the dealer serves two cards face down, and one up. From here, players can decide to play the hand or fold. In Seven Card Stud, players must post an ante, and the cards are dealt over five betting rounds.
• Razz – Razz is a cool sounding poker game derived from the Seven-Card stud format, with no community cards. It differs greatly in the way hands are ranked, with low hands ranking highest. Each player in the game receives seven cards over five betting streets, and must make the lowest five card hand to win. Players can win by having the lowest value cards, even if they hold a flush or straight.
• 2-7 Triple Draw - 2-7 Triple Draw poker uses the low hand ranking system, and is a draw game, allowing players to decide how many cards they wish to replace. Each player gets five cards and must use all to form a low hand. Unlike Razz, straights and flushes are strong, and considered bad hands in Triple Draw. Kiwis can win with low value hands like 8,6,2,3,5.
• Five Card Draw – Five Card Draw is another classic type of poker game played in New Zealand, where each player receives five starting cards. After two rounds of betting, whoever has the highest ranked poker hand wins. Hands are ranked the same as Texas Hold’em, with high cards and pairs up to a Royal Flush. Five Card Draw is available online with Fixed, No Limit, and Pot Limits.