One host. Your own accounts. No cash.
Pick a host, agree on a game and leave the cash out of it. Private tables are for invited people, not public matchmaking.
- A host: choose one person to create the game and send the invitation.
- Your own account: each player signs in with an email link or six-digit code. Do not share sign-in details.
- A browser and connection: use your phone or computer, without installing an app.
- A stopping point: agree how long you want to play. “One more hand” is not a scheduling system.
If someone has never played, suggest five guided hands first. Solo practice and lessons need no account.
How to host a game
Choose your table
Open Play with friends, sign in and review the recommended Hold’em setup. Check the variant, starting chips, blinds and turn time before creating the game.
Hold’em choices include Casual, Heads-up, Deep stack, Quick, Chatty and Custom. Those names describe settings, not six different kinds of poker. Keep your first night simple and give everyone time to read the controls.
Send one invitation
Use “Share invitation” or “Copy link” from your room. WhatsApp and Telegram options open a composer; you choose the recipient and send the message yourself. Opening an option does not automatically message your contacts.
Share the room invitation with your intended friends, not in a public comment thread. A room link and an email sign-in link are different things.
Check who has arrived
If the room requires permission, the host checks admission requests. Read the names at the table before dealing, especially if two friends use similar player names.
Ready, then deal
Seated players choose “I’m ready”. The host can start when at least two players are seated and everyone is ready. You do not need to fill all six seats.
Joining a friend’s game
Open the invitation your host sent. Follow the sign-in or registration prompts, then check the game settings. The invitation carries through registration, so you do not need to create a second room.
Follow any admission prompt and mark yourself ready once seated. Tell the host if you are still waiting rather than opening another game to solve the problem.
If a link no longer works, ask the host for a fresh invitation. If email sign-in stalls, check the address and use the latest message before requesting another code.
Hold’em or Omaha?
Start with Hold’em if your group is learning together. Suggest Omaha when everyone understands the betting actions and wants a different hand-reading challenge.
- Texas Hold’em
- Two private cards. Make the best five from your cards and the board, using two, one or none of your cards. See the hand-ranking guide.
- Pot-limit Omaha
- Four, five or six private cards, depending on the format. Always use exactly two of them with exactly three board cards, as the PokerStars’ Omaha rules explain.
More hole cards do not mean you can use more of them in the final hand. Our illustrated Omaha guide shows a real flush, a tempting non-flush and the pot-limit calculation.
Private Omaha here is high-only, not Hi-Lo. Agree on the format before creating the room; it does not change between hands.
Make the next game easier to arrange
Save a group and a favorite setup, then select that group when creating another game to send in-app invitations. Keep the actual date and time in your group conversation for now.
After a game ends, the host can open a fresh rematch with the same settings and starting chips. Each player chooses whether to join and readies again. Ask the table first rather than assuming everyone is staying.
A few questions before you deal
Can we play with just two people?
Yes. Private games support 2 to 6 players, so choose a heads-up setup if it is just the two of you. You do not need to wait for a full table.
Can we play without accounts?
Private games require a free confirmed account for each player. Solo games and lessons do not, so use computer practice if you want to try the controls first.
Are there cash prizes?
No. Chips have no cash value, and there are no deposits, chip purchases or prizes. The game is for the cards and the company.
What if I lose my connection?
The private-game client attempts to reconnect. Return to the same room and account, check the connection message and let the host know if you are still missing. Do not assume a disconnected game has paused for everybody.
Bring the group to the table
Choose a host, agree on the format and send one invitation to the people you want to play with. Anyone wanting a refresher can use the Hold’em walkthrough before joining.
For adults 18+. Play chips have no cash value. No deposits, purchases or cash prizes. Practice or success here does not imply future success at real-money gambling.