Every site on PokerTX is scored with the same instrument — the PokerTX Trust Score, a 100-point framework weighted toward the things that protect your money. We don't rank on gut feel or commission. We open a funded account, run a fixed battery of tests, and score against published criteria. Here is exactly how it works, so you can check our math.
The PokerTX Trust Score — five weighted pillars
Each site earns a 0–10 mark in five pillars. The pillars are weighted, summed, and expressed out of 10. Safety and payouts carry more than half the total because a great bonus is worthless if you can't withdraw.
| Pillar | Weight | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Safety & Trust | 30% | Licensing, ownership, operating history, complaint record, encryption, fair-play/RNG certification |
| 2. Payout Reliability & Speed | 25% | Real cashout testing — does the money arrive, how fast, with what limits or friction |
| 3. Game Traffic & Liquidity | 20% | Player pools at peak and off-peak, stakes that actually run, tournament guarantees met, game softness |
| 4. Bonus & Rakeback Value | 15% | Effective (clearable) bonus value, rakeback, freerolls — judged on terms, not headline numbers |
| 5. Banking & Mobile | 10% | Crypto and card options, fees, deposit success rate, mobile client / browser quality |
Our testing protocol
Scores come from a documented routine we run on every site, not from a marketing page. The protocol below is what earns each pillar its mark.
Pillar 1 — Safety & Trust (30%)
- We confirm the operator's gaming licence and verify the issuing regulator independently — a logo on a footer isn't proof.
- We trace ownership and operating history. Long-running networks (the Winning Poker Network behind ACR, for example, live since 2001) score higher than brands with no track record.
- We read complaint threads on independent poker forums for patterns of voided winnings, stalled KYC, or sudden term changes.
- We check for SSL/TLS encryption and any published RNG or fair-play certification.
- Hard gate: a documented pattern of non-payment or confiscated balances caps this pillar at 2/10 and removes the site from our recommended list regardless of its other scores.
Pillar 2 — Payout Reliability & Speed (25%)
- We fund a real account, play, and request at least three separate withdrawals across crypto and (where offered) traditional rails.
- We start a stopwatch at the request and stop it when funds clear, logging each time. Sub-hour crypto cashouts score 9–10; 24-hour clears score 7–8; multi-day or capped payouts score lower.
- We record withdrawal limits, fees, and any extra verification the cashier demands mid-process.
- We re-test payouts on every quarterly review — speed that slips is the earliest warning sign of a site in trouble.
Pillar 3 — Game Traffic & Liquidity (20%)
- We sample the lobby at fixed times — weeknights around 8pm CT and Saturday midday CT — and count running cash tables and tournament fields, so the numbers are comparable across sites.
- We check whether advertised tournament guarantees are actually met or routinely overlay.
- We assess game softness from real sessions: how many recreational versus grinding regulars, and how deep the stakes ladder runs.
Pillar 4 — Bonus & Rakeback Value (15%)
We don't reward big headline numbers — we reward what you can actually unlock. For each welcome offer we compute an effective value:
- We read the full bonus terms — release increments, qualifying rake, expiry, game weighting.
- We weigh ongoing rakeback above one-time bonuses for anyone who plays regularly, since over a year it's usually worth more.
- We factor in freerolls and recurring promotions that add real, low-variance value.
Pillar 5 — Banking & Mobile (10%)
- We test real deposits across crypto and cards, logging success and decline rates and any fees.
- We play on a phone — native app or mobile browser — and mark the client on stability, multi-tabling, and how the cashier behaves on mobile.
Scoring bands
| Score | Band | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 9.0–10 | Top pick | Safe, fast-paying, busy. We'd play here with our own bankroll. |
| 7.5–8.9 | Recommended | Solid across the board with minor trade-offs. |
| 6.0–7.4 | Situational | Worth it for a specific strength (a game, a bonus) despite weaker spots. |
| Below 6.0 | Not listed | Fails too many tests to recommend to Texas players. |
What gets a site removed
- Any confirmed pattern of unpaid or confiscated player balances.
- Withdrawal times that quietly blow past what the cashier promises, across repeat tests.
- Bonus terms changed retroactively, or winnings voided on a technicality.
- Loss of a credible licence, or new evidence of dishonest ownership.
How often we re-test
Every recommended site is re-reviewed on a rolling quarterly cycle, and immediately if we receive a credible reader report of a payout problem or a major terms change. Offshore conditions move; a score is a snapshot with a date on it, and we update the date when we re-test.
Who does the testing
Reviews are run by Marcus Delgado, who handles operator safety and payout testing, with legality and responsible-gambling sections reviewed by Rachel Boyd. Both are based in Texas. More on the team on our authors page.
Independence and how we're funded
PokerTX earns a commission when a reader signs up through our links, at no extra cost to you. That funding keeps the site free. It plays no part in the Trust Score — placement is decided entirely by the pillars and tests above. We will rank a higher-paying program below a lower-paying one whenever the testing says so, and we'd rather lose the commission than the reader's trust. If you ever spot a score that doesn't match your own experience, tell us — reader reports feed directly into our re-tests.