Are you looking for the best Bitcoin poker sites? Playing poker with Bitcoin has never been easier, but finding the right platform takes a little bit of research. In this guide consisting of 3,000+ words we’ll help you understand what matters before you take a seat at the table.
Learn how to play Texas Hold'em, Seven Card Stud and many more poker games with Bitcoin.
Choose a Bitcoin poker site from our comparison table and start playing in 5 minutes.
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How to choose the best poker sites that accept Bitcoin
Choosing the correct Bitcoin poker site is easier said than done. There are a lot of things to take into consideration, from game selection and fees to security and withdrawals. In the table below we walk you through what to look for when choosing the best Bitcoin poker site.
What to look for when choosing a Bitcoin poker site:
What to look for? | Why does it matter? | How to control it? |
|---|---|---|
License and permitted countries | You need to know who runs the site, who reviews it, and whether you are allowed to play on it from your country. | Look for the company name and license number at the bottom of the site. Verify the details with the specified authority and read the terms and conditions regarding permitted countries. |
Range of poker games | The site needs to offer the type of poker you want to play, such as Texas Hold’em or Omaha. | Open the poker lobby – the page that displays tables and tournaments. Check which poker variants are available and whether you are playing against other players. |
Number of active players | A wide range of games doesn't help much if the tables are empty. Active players make it easier to find a match. | Visit the poker lobby at the time you usually like to play. Check how many tables are running and how many players are participating at your stakes level. |
Bet levels and tournament prizes | You should be able to find games that fit your budget. Check both the stakes at regular tables and the cost of participating in tournaments. | Use the lobby filters to display the lowest stakes. Also, check the minimum amount you need to bring to a table. |
Gaming fees | The site usually charges a fee for organizing the poker games. The fee affects how much money you get to keep. | Check the site's fee schedule. Compare the portion of the pot taken as a fee, any maximum fee, and the entry fees for tournaments. |
Support for Bitcoin and exchange | You need to know whether Bitcoin works for both deposits and withdrawals. Also, check whether your balance is held in Bitcoin or converted to another currency. | Check the supported networks, the minimum deposit amount, and any applicable exchange fees. Verify that the payment method is compatible with your wallet. |
Withdrawals and identity verification | You need to understand how to withdraw the money, what it costs, and which documents the site might request from you. | Read about withdrawal limits, fees, and processing times. Check the requirements for identity verification, often referred to as KYC. |
Security and protection against cheating | The site needs to protect both your account and the games. In poker, it is particularly relevant how it handles bots and players colluding in secret. | Look for two-factor authentication, which is an extra step during login. Read the anti-cheating rules and check how to report suspicious gameplay. |
Poker bonuses and rakeback | A large bonus may come with conditions that make it difficult to use. Rakeback means you get back a portion of the gaming fees. | Read how the bonus is released, how long it is valid, and what the requirements are. For rakeback, check which fees count and when the rebate is paid out. |
Ease of use and customer support | It should be easy to find games, make payments, and get help when something isn't working on the site. | Try out the lobby on the mobile phone or computer you intend to use. Check the support team's opening hours and ask a specific question – for example, about Bitcoin withdrawals. |
Tip! At the top of this page there is a comparison table showing the best Bitcoin poker sites according to us. The list is updated regularly and takes into consideration all of the things from the list above. At CryptoRunner we want to make sure that you get the best available options to choose from.
How to sign up at a Bitcoin poker site
The registration process on a Bitcoin poker site is normally easy and doesn't take much time. Here is a step by stepof how to choose the correct Bitcoin poker site, create your account, make a first deposit and start playing. Here you can read step by step how to start playing Bitcoin poker online.
Choose a poker site
Create your account
Prepare your Bitcoin wallet
Make your first deposit
Select your game
1. Choose a poker site
The first thing to do is to check that the site accepts players from your location and is authorized to offer its services there. If you are based in the United States or the UK, make sure that the Bitcoin poker site is legally authorized to be in your country.
Furthermore, you should also review the age requirements, game selection, and withdrawal terms. It is also a good idea to check the game lobby – if accessible – before registering. This allows you to see if there are tables available at the stakes and times you plan to play.
2. Create your account
Register your own account using accurate details and a unique password. You should enable two-factor authentication if available.
Do not assume that Bitcoin payments exempt you from identity verification. For instance, the terms of most Bitcoin poker sites entitle the operator to request proof of identity and documentation regarding the source of funds.
3. Prepare your Bitcoin wallet
Before you deposit any Bitcoin into the poker site, you need to actually have Bitcoin in your wallet or with a service that allows the transfer. Also check that service's terms regarding payments to gambling sites.
You should always set up your gambling budget in advance and factor in the network fee. Only use money you can afford to lose, without risking any financial distress.
4. Make your first deposit
Open the checkout, select Bitcoin, and follow the site's instructions. Make sure of the address and network before sending any Bitcoin. Feel free to start with a small deposit that meets the site's minimum limit. Confirmed Bitcoin payments cannot generally be reversed.
5. Select your game
Once the deposit has been credited, choose a table or tournament. Check the buy-in and any applicable fees before confirming.
If the site offers practice games or freerolls, these can be of great help for you to get familiar with the software. Also, set a time limit for your session so you don't have to make that decision in the middle of a game.
What is Bitcoin poker?
Bitcoin poker | Ryan Schiller and Lex Fridman:
Bitcoin poker is online poker where Bitcoin is used as a means of payment. You still play according to the rules of games like Texas Hold'em or Omaha, but instead of US dollars, you fund your account with BTC.
How does Bitcoin poker work?
Bitcoin poker works exactly like any other poker site, just with the difference of Bitcoin being your means of payment. You send Bitcoin from your wallet to the address displayed at the site's checkout. Once the payment has received the confirmations required by the site, your gaming account is credited.
In a Bitcoin poker room, you face other players and compete for the total pot. The operator usually charges a fee, known as the rake, or a tournament entry fee. In video poker, by contrast, the payout is determined by your final hand and the game's paytable.
When you wish to deposit funds
You should first of all check which currency the poker site uses. As a matter of fact, the actual poker gameplay takes place within the operator's software. Consequently, not every bet needs to be a separate Bitcoin transaction.
On some Bitcoin sites, the funds are converted into another cryptocurrency – for instance, into USDT. The actual chips in the game can also have a monetary value. In that case, Bitcoin would not be the actual means of payment.
When you wish to withdraw funds
If Bitcoin is converted to dollars upon deposit, your gaming budget no longer tracks the price of Bitcoin in the same way. When making a later withdrawal, that same dollar amount might equate to more or fewer Bitcoin, depending on the exchange rate.
The process of getting your funds back involves two stages:
The site's internal processing.
The confirmation of the payment on the network.
In case you didn't know, a new Bitcoin block is generated approximately every ten minutes on average, but the waiting time for an individual transaction varies. A requirement for multiple confirmations can therefore result in a wait of tens of minutes or longer.
Why play Bitcoin poker?
Bitcoin as a means of payment in poker can be a convenient option if you already use the cryptocurrency and wish to pay directly from your personal wallet.
Compared to many other traditional online poker sites, the Bitcoin network operates on weekends. Thus, if you value flexibility, Bitcoin is a great alternative when moving funds. However, the site itself may have its own processing times.
If you value privacy highly, using Bitcoin is a great alternative. It is pseudonymous. That means that every transaction on the Bitcoin network is recorded and transparent. However, users do not need to register their legal names in order to use the cryptocurrency.
Bitcoin poker bonus and promotions
What is rakeback - Learn how to win with Poker rakeback:
Some Bitcoin poker sites offer bonuses and promotions. These can include a deposit bonus, a refund of game fees, or free entry into a tournament. In the following sections you can read more about specific bonuses and promotions applied for Bitcoin poker.
Deposit bonus – how it works
A deposit bonus is based on the amount you deposit to the site. For instance, some sites can offer a 150% bonus on your first deposit, up to 2,000 dollars.
Example: Let's say that you deposit 100 dollars. In some cases you can then receive an additional 150 dollars in bonus funds. However, the full bonus does not become available immediately. Usually you unlock the bonus by playing poker and paying game fees.
For every 100 dollars in fees that qualify under the terms, you unlock 10 dollars of the bonus. To receive the full 150 dollar bonus, you therefore need to generate $1,500 in fees. It is based on fees paid, not just the total amount you wager.
Therefore, it is important to play within your budget. Playing more just to secure the full bonus could end up costing you more than the bonus is worth itself.
Rakeback – get a portion of the gaming fees back
Rakeback means the site refunds a portion of the poker fees you have already paid. A typical offer could be that the site provides a 20% rakeback. That is, if you pay 10 dollars in fees covered by the offer, you get 2 dollars back.
So, this lowers the total cost of the fees. However, it does not mean you get back money lost to other players.
Freerolls – tournaments with no entry fee
A freeroll is a poker tournament that you can enter without paying an entry fee. For example, you can participate for free in a tournament where the top-ranking players share a prize pool. In other words, you do not receive money simply for participating, but joining is free.
Some freerolls are open to all registered players. Others require, for instance, a ticket, a previous deposit, or the fulfillment of specific conditions.
5 popular Bitcoin poker games
How to play poker for beginners | PokerStars learn:
Poker is the general word for many different poker games. One of the most talked about is Texas Hold'em, which is the game you usually see big poker stars playing on TV. However, there are several other Bitcoin poker games you can play besides that.
1. Texas Hold'em
In Texas Hold'em, every player receives two private cards. Up to five cards, so-called community cards, are then dealt onto the table. As a player you try to form the best possible five-card hand, using the combination of your cards and the community cards.
You can also win the pot by making all your opponents fold. This is typically a strategy called bluffing, making your opponents believe you have better cards than them.
2. Seven Card Stud
In Seven Card Stud, each player receives their own cards. Some face-up and others face-down. Every player typically receives a total of seven cards and uses the five that form the best hand. Unlike Texas Hold'em, shared community cards are not part of the standard format in Seven Card Stud.
Since you can see parts of your opponents' hands, it is important to keep track of which cards have already been revealed. Stud is a great choice if you want to try a different pace and a different way of reading the poker game. However, not all Bitcoin poker rooms offer this variant.
(Source: Codigo Poker)
3. Omaha
In standard Omaha, you are dealt four private cards. To form your five-card hand, you must use exactly two of these and exactly three community cards that are shown to everybody. This rule is easy to overlook if you are coming from Texas Hold'em, where you can use two of your own cards together with the community cards.
There is also something called PLO (Pot Limit Omaha). Compared to standard Omaha, this game type limits the amount you can bet or raise based on the size of the total pot. The extra cards create more possible combinations, so a hand that looks strong must be evaluated against what your opponents might hold.
There are also other versions of Omaha played with five or even six private cards. So, before thinking about playing an Omaha poker game, make sure to check which variant is being played at the table.
4. Six Plus Hold’em
Six Plus Hold’em, also known as Short Deck, uses a total of 36 cards. The ones that have been taken out from the game are the twos through fives.
The gameplay is similar to traditional Texas Hold'em, but the smaller card-deck alters the probabilities and the relative strength of different hands. Hand rankings can also differ from standard Hold'em.
Example: Under PokerStars’ rules for this variant, a flush beats a full house. You should therefore check the rules carefully for the specific table you choose. Otherwise, old habits from standard Hold'em might lead you to misjudge the strength of a hand and result in a loss.
(Source: PokerStars)
5. Video Poker
Video Poker is a little different from the earlier poker games mentioned. In video poker you play by yourself, without any other players at the table. From the beginning you are dealt five cards. You choose which ones to keep. The ones you choose not to keep are replaced with new ones.
Your five cards then form your final hand. The game’s paytable shows which combinations result in a win and how much they pay out. You lose your stake if your five cards, after the draw, do not form a winning combination according to the game's paytable.
Example 1 (winning hand): You are dealt two Queens and three other cards. You keep the Queens and discard the other ones. If you draw another Queen, you have three Queens – a "three-of-a-kind." You can then check the paytable to see the payout for that hand.
Example 2 (losing hand): In the beginning of the round you bet 10 dollars and receive five cards. You exchange some of them but still do not get a winning combination. In that case, you receive no payout and lose the 10 dollars you wagered.
Two most popular variations of video poker
There are especially two variations of video poker that are popular…
Jacks or Better
Deuces Wild
Important to know is that they have different rules and payouts. So make sure to check the paytable before you play.
(Source: Google Play)
Pros and cons
Pros with Bitcoin poker sites
Payments from your wallet – If you are already using Bitcoin, you can use the ones that you already own for playing poker. You don't have to sell them. Deposits can be made safely directly from your personal wallet.A network that operates around the clock – Many traditional poker sites do not let you make any deposits late in the evening or weekends. With Bitcoin you can send funds to your account in the evenings and on weekends as well.High privacy for players – Bitcoin is pseudonymous, which means that users of the network don't have to register their legal names in order to use the cryptocurrency. This can be particularly valuable for those who value privacy highly.Cons with Bitcoin poker sites
The Bitcoin price is constantly changing – Bitcoin is a very volatile asset. Thus, its price can change rapidly up and down during specific periods of uncertainty, making your funds more or less valuable even if you're not playing.Third party risk – Bitcoin payments do not automatically protect your gaming balance or make a site authorized in your region. The operator still matters, which is why you can never be fully sure that your funds are 100 % protected.Risk of high network fees – During times of high transaction volume on the Bitcoin network, the network fee can be higher than normal. Thus, from time to time, the total cost can be expensive due to higher currency conversion and withdrawal fees.Yes, several online poker rooms accept Bitcoin for deposits and withdrawals. You should always check that the site offers poker against other players and accepts players from your location. Bitcoin can be converted into another currency when the gaming account is credited.
The security of a Bitcoin poker site depends on the operator. You should always check the license, withdrawal terms, and security features. Bitcoin payments do not offer any guarantee of fair play or that the operator can pay out your balance.
There is no single Bitcoin poker site that can be generally recommended to all American players. If you want to know which one is the best – based on license, trust and security – you can take a look at our comparison on top of this guide. We update the table regularly to give you the best options available.
A Bitcoin poker site works exactly as a regular online poker site. The difference is that it uses Bitcoin instead of US dollars or another fiat currency.
The first step is to deposit your Bitcoin and receive a playable balance.
You then participate in cash games or tournaments within the poker software.
For withdrawals, the operator processes your request and sends the payment to your wallet.
When playing Bitcoin poker you should not expect complete anonymity. Anonymous tables may hide your username from opponents, but the operator can still request identity details. Bitcoin transactions also appear in a public transaction history and can, in some cases, be linked to individuals.
Whether Bitcoin poker is legal in the United States or not depends on state regulations and the operator's license. The fact that a site accepts Bitcoin or US customers does not in itself mean it is locally approved. For instance, New Jersey maintains an official list of approved gambling sites.
Bitcoin poker began to gain a foothold in the early 2010s. Seals with Clubs, launched in 2011, was one of the early sites that let players play poker online with Bitcoin. Since then, more poker rooms have added Bitcoin as a payment method.
No, Bitcoin poker is never free to play. The operators usually take a fee in some form. For instance, it is normal that the operator can charge a fee, known as the rake, or a tournament entry fee. However, sometimes welcome bonuses can include things like free entrances to tables.
