How to play poker with friends without internet

What you need

• An iPhone or iPad for each player, running iOS 26 or later. iPhones and iPads can play at the same table.
• Local Poker on every device. It's free, with no account to create. Downloading needs internet, so install it before you go.
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth switched on. Neither has to be connected to a network or paired with anything.
• 2 to 8 players. Bots can fill empty seats, so two people can play a full table, and you can even play alone.
• A charger or battery pack for the host, if you're planning a long game. The host's phone runs the table.

You don't need cards, chips, a table or a flat surface. Everything happens on the screens, and each player's two cards only ever appear on their own device.

How to set up an offline poker game, step by step

1. Install Local Poker while you have internet. Everyone downloads the free app from the App Store and opens it once to type their name. Downloading needs internet, so do this before you leave.
2. Keep Wi-Fi and Bluetooth switched on. In airplane mode, tap the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth buttons in Control Center to turn them back on. You don't need to join a network or pair anything.
3. Sit close together. The phones connect to each other directly, so play with the people in the same room, tent, car or row of seats.
4. One person taps Host a Table. The host picks the starting chips (500 to 5,000), the blinds (5/10 up to 50/100), whether the blinds go up every 10, 20 or 30 hands, a turn timer and rebuys, and can add a password.
5. Everyone else taps Join a Table. Tap the host's table, and type the password if there is one. After your first game, the Join button also shows how many tables are open nearby.
6. Allow Local Network access. The first time, iOS asks whether Local Poker can find devices on your local network. Tap Allow, or the phones can't see each other.
7. Add bots if you like, then deal. Short a player? The host can tap Add Bot to fill empty seats. Then the host taps Deal Cards, and the app shuffles, deals and runs the game.

That's it. From here the app takes the blinds, deals each street, handles all-ins and side pots, and names everyone's hand, so nobody has to keep track of the rules. If someone at the table is new to the game, send them the Texas Hold'em rules for beginners and the poker hand rankings first.

Want a heads-up when a friend opens a table? Turn on nearby table alerts with the bell on the Home screen (the app also offers this after your first game). When a host you've played with before opens a table nearby, your phone shows a notification, once per table. The alerts run over Bluetooth, so they work offline too, even while the app is in the background.

How do you play poker on a plane?

Turn on airplane mode, then turn Wi-Fi and Bluetooth back on from Control Center. Airplane mode keeps the cellular radio off, but you can switch Wi-Fi and Bluetooth back on, and most airlines allow both during the flight. One person hosts and the people sitting near them join. Nobody needs to pay for in-flight internet, because the game never uses it.

• Install before you board. The App Store needs a connection, and airport Wi-Fi is a gamble.
• Sit together if you can. Neighboring seats and rows work well, since the phones talk to each other directly.
• Charge up. Plug the host's phone into the seat's power outlet or a battery pack if there is one.
• Keep the app open. iOS pauses apps in the background. If someone leaves the app for a while, they sit out as away and reconnect when they come back.
• Use a turn timer of 30 or 60 seconds if someone keeps falling asleep mid-hand.

Once you turn Wi-Fi back on in airplane mode, your iPhone remembers that, and keeps Wi-Fi on the next time you switch airplane mode on.

Can you play on the subway, camping or on a road trip?

Yes. The setup is the same anywhere, because the game doesn't depend on a signal:

• On the subway, losing signal in a tunnel doesn't interrupt the hand.
• Camping or at a cabin, you don't need cell coverage. Bring a battery pack for the host.
• On a road trip, passengers can play in the car. The driver sits this one out.
• At home, in a hotel or at the beach, it works the same way, whether or not there's Wi-Fi in the building.

Troubleshooting

Why can't my friends see my table?

• Check that everyone has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth switched on in Control Center. They don't need to be connected to any network.
• Make sure Local Poker has Local Network access. If it's off, the app shows a Turn on Local Network screen that takes you to Settings. You can also find it in Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network.
• Make sure the host has tapped Host a Table and is still on the table screen.
• Move closer together. The phones connect directly, so stay in the same room or nearby seats.
• If the table has a password, type it exactly as the host set it.

What happens if someone's screen locks?

That player sits out as away until they open Local Poker again, then they reconnect to the table on their own. The rest of the table keeps playing.

What if the host's phone runs out of battery?

The host's phone runs the game, so keep it plugged in if you can. The game is saved on the host's phone: once it's charged, the host taps Host a Table, the app asks “Resume your last game?”, and Resume Game brings back the same hand number and everyone's chips.

Why am I not getting nearby table alerts?

Alerts need Bluetooth switched on and alerts turned on with the bell on the Home screen. They only come from hosts you've played with before, and only once per table, so a stranger's table won't trigger one.

Other ways to play poker without internet

An app isn't the only option. Here's how the three common ways compare when there's no connection:

Plenty of groups use both: a real deck at home, and the app on the train, the plane or the campsite, where chips and cards aren't practical.

Questions

Can you play multiplayer poker without Wi-Fi?

Yes. You don't need a Wi-Fi network, a router or internet. Just keep Wi-Fi and Bluetooth switched on, because the phones use them to connect to each other directly. If Wi-Fi is switched off completely, they can't find each other.

Do all players need an iPhone?

Each player needs their own iPhone or iPad with iOS 26 or later and Local Poker installed. iPhones and iPads can sit at the same table. There's no Android version yet, so friends on Android can't join.

Can I play poker offline by myself?

Yes. Tap Host a Table, add bots with Add Bot and deal. The bots each play their own way, some bluff and some play it safe, and it all works without internet.

Can we stop a game and finish it later?

Yes. The host's phone saves the game. Next time the host taps Host a Table, the app asks “Resume your last game?”, and Resume Game brings back the same hand number and everyone's chips. Handy for a layover or the flight home.

Does hosting a table cost anything?

No. Local Poker is free, with no ads, no in-app purchases and no account. Hosting, joining, bots and every setting are included.

What's the best way to play poker with friends in person without internet?

If everyone has an iPhone or iPad, a local multiplayer app like Local Poker is the simplest: each player sees their own cards on their own screen, and the app deals, posts the blinds and splits side pots. If someone in the group only has an Android phone, a deck of cards and a set of chips is the fallback.

Last updated October 8, 2026. Back to the Local Poker home page.