If you’re multi-tabling on Stars or ACR but still want to fire up YouTube, Netflix, or your staking site without lag or location issues, you need split tunneling.

It lets you route only poker traffic through the VPN, and keep everything else running local.

Top Pick: ExpressVPN

Why poker players love it:

  • Easiest setup
  • Fully supports split tunneling on Windows
  • Solid speeds for grinding + streaming
  • Trusted brand (no disconnect drama mid-session)

Click the button below to visit ExpressVPN and create your account:

Split Tunneling for Windows

  1. Launch ExpressVPN.
  2. Go to Menu > Options > Split tunneling.
  3. Choose: “Only use VPN for selected apps”.
  4. Add your poker site clients (e.g. ACR).
  5. Everything else (streaming, databases, Discord, etc.) stays on your normal connection.
  6. Click Connect—you’re in.

Mac Players: Heads-Up

  • ExpressVPN no longer supports split tunneling on new Mac versions.
  • Two options:
    • Ask support for the older v7.7 (still works with tunneling).
    • Or go power-user mode with Tunnelblick or Viscosity (manual OpenVPN config).
    • Or just run your poker site in a Windows VM using split tunnel.

Why It Matters for Poker

  • Protects your traffic on sketchy networks or when traveling.
  • Lets you stay logged into local stuff (banking, YouTube, HUD tools) without triggering VPN blocks.
  • Reduces risk of geo-restriction issues on poker sites.

Other VPNs

  • NordVPN: Great speeds, tunneling works on Windows only. No Mac split tunnel.
  • Surfshark: Decent option if you’re on a tighter budget. Similar limitations.