Cardamoo
Cardamoo vs Poker Now
Both are free ways to play Texas Hold'em with friends for no money. They are built for different evenings. Here is the honest version, including where Poker Now still wins.
Poker Now details are taken from its public site and may change; last checked September 2026.
| Cardamoo | Poker Now | |
|---|---|---|
| Free, play money only | Yes | Yes |
| Poker night in one room: TV shows the table, phones hold the hands | Yes, Poker Night | No |
| Native iPhone and Android apps | Yes, plus the web | Browser only |
| Private table with an invite link | Yes | Yes |
| Join without an account | Guests can join a friend's table | Yes |
| Players per table | Up to 6 | Up to 10 |
| Built-in voice or video chat | No (use the call you already have open) | Yes |
| Learn to play: guided lessons and a hand coach | Yes | No |
| A game when friends aren't around: matchmaking, tournaments, leaderboard | Yes | No |
| Chips carry over between sessions | Yes, one bankroll, never for sale | Per-game stacks |
| Custom blinds and buy-in for home games | Yes | Yes |
Pick Poker Now if
- Your group is remote, everyone has a laptop open, and you want video in the same window.
- You need more than six seats at one table.
- You want zero accounts for anyone, host included.
Pick Cardamoo if
- You are in the same room and want the table on the TV with phones as controllers, instead of six laptops.
- Some of your friends are new to poker and would rather learn by playing than be talked through it.
- You want a proper app on your phone, a bankroll that persists, and something to play when nobody else is online.
The one thing they share
Neither is gambling. In Cardamoo that is a hard rule, not a setting: chips cannot be bought at any price, cannot move between players, and cannot be cashed out. Why that matters →
Try the one Poker Now cannot do
Put the table on the TV tonight. Free, in your browser or the app.
Start a poker nightNo account needed to try · free on iPhone, Android and the web