Bitcoin Poker – Best Bitcoin Poker Sites for 2024
Bitcoin poker follows the same rules as regular online poker, while allowing players to enjoy their favourite card game anonymously using BTC for deposits and withdrawals.
- Top 11 Best Bitcoin Poker Casinos
- How Does Bitcoin Poker Work?
- How to Deposit for Bitcoin Poker
- Why Play Poker With Cryptocurrency?
- Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Bitcoin at Poker Rooms
- How to Choose the Best Cryptocurrency Poker Sites
- Bitcoin Poker Safety and Fairness
- Bitcoin Poker on Mobile
- Cryptocurrency Poker Casino Bonuses
- Alternatives to Bitcoin Poker
- Bitcoin Poker Summary
- FAQs
Top 11 Best Bitcoin Poker Casinos
- One of the oldest crypto casinos
- Weekly tournaments
- Multiple cryptocurrencies accepted
- Provably fair games
- Quality software providers
- Offers video poker and live poker
- Instant BTC to EUR exchange
- Welcome free-roll
- BTC video poker
- Welcome bonus paid in BTC
- High RTP live casino
- Instant withdrawals
- Over 2000 games
- All bonuses paid in BTC
- Over 50 video poker variants
- BTC bonuses
- Many BTC video poker variants
- VIP club
How Does Bitcoin Poker Work?
Bitcoin poker is a type of poker game that involves using digital currency instead of fiat currency for transactions.
There are many ways to play poker with Bitcoin online, as the blockchain technology continues to evolve and the world’s most popular digital currency gains rapid traction in the iGaming world.
The two most popular options you can choose to play on are:
- Centralised platforms – These are Bitcoin poker sites that belong to a private entity, and are licensed by known regulatory bodies such as Malta Gaming Authority or UK Gambling Commission. Examples would be the international casinos Fortune Jack or BitStarz, who accept Bitcoin deposits and withdrawals for both online poker and live dealer poker.
- Decentralised platforms – These are open-source platforms that aren’t controlled by a single entity and use blockchain technology, instead of a real dealer, to ensure fair games and transparent card counting. Such is the case with popular Bitcoin poker rooms like Coin Poker and Blockchain Poker.
In order to play at some Bitcoin poker rooms, you may need to download a desktop or mobile software. However, you can easily find poker websites that allow instant browser play as well (e.g.: Real Poker).
Bitcoin Video Poker vs. Bitcoin Live Poker Rooms
Video poker is can be found at most casinos worldwide, allowing you to play against computer software in a secure environment. Quality operators will typically accept bets in both local currencies and Bitcoin on popular titles like Joker Poker and Deuces Wild.
However, what sets apart Bitcoin video poker games in general is that most of them are provably fair.
In other words, each bet made by the players is verified using a transparent method, and the software used to decide winners is usually open source and decentralized. Bitcoin video poker games use Random Number Generator (RNG) technology, hashing or a random seed generator to determine a winner.
Bitcoin live dealer poker rooms, on the other hand, maintain a lot of similarities to regular live dealer poker rooms. Here, an actual person deals the cards and decides the outcome of the game in real time, instead of software.
The only difference is that bets are placed in Bitcoin, instead of fiat currencies (Euro, US Dollar) and earnings are withdrawn the same way. In some cases, the identity of the participants can remain fully undisclosed, if the operator in question doesn’t explicitly ask for KYC checks.
Popular Bitcoin Poker Variations
The number of Bitcoin poker variations you can find depends on the operator’s infrastructure and technical resources, especially if they also offer live casino options.
Whilst some blockchain poker rooms are very rudimentary, limited to browser play only and a total of just a few tables, established operators tend to spoil their players more (e.g. Fortune Jack, mBit Casino or BitStarz).
These large operators will usually have a more complex Bitcoin poker offering that includes both:
- Bitcoin video poker from multiple software providers such as Microgaming, Evoplay or Bgaming;
- Live dealer Bitcoin poker tables powered by Evolution Gaming or Playtech.
In terms of popularity, the below titles are usually featured in most Bitcoin poker rooms:
- Texas Hold’Em
- Carribbean Poker
- Three Card Poker
- Carribean Stud Poker
- Casino Hold’Em
- Omaha Hold’Em
- No Limit Hold’Em
- 6+ Short Deck
- Sit & Go Poker Tables
How to Deposit for Bitcoin Poker
Playing poker with Bitcoin offers the same great experience of playing at other terrific poker casinos – you don’t need advanced technical knowledge to make a deposit or cash out your winnings.
The deposit process is very similar; what differs is the method of acquiring the currency.
Bitcoin can only be acquired through:
- Peer-to-peer sales – You can have a friend transfer Bitcoin from their wallet to yours, or use the peer-to-peer option on exchanges and buy from other crypto holders – Binance, for example, offers this facility.
- Mining – You can get BTC rewards if you mine the coin through the use of specialised computer software and equipment – graphics card, mining rigs and so on.
- Cryptocurrency exchanges – The safest and most convenient option to acquire Bitcoin is through a trusted exchange such as Binance, Coinbase, Kraken or Gemini. You can purchase Bitcoin with a credit card, debit card or bank transfer in multiple fiat currencies (EUR, USD, AUD, CAD, etc.)
Once you are in possession of Bitcoin through any of the methods above, all you have to do is:
- Find a Bitcoin poker site online or casino that accepts this cryptocurrency.
- Complete any KYC check required (you may also find Bitcoin poker rooms that allow you to deposit a certain amount anonymously, but be wary of associated security risks).
- Select Bitcoin from the available list of deposit methods.
- Copy the casino’s unique BTC deposit address or scan the QR code.
- Connect to your wallet, paste the casino’s address and input the sum you want to transfer.
- Confirm the transaction.
- Wait for the transfer to get processed on the blockchain network.
Bitcoin transfers are not instant because they require confirmations on the network, which is why your casino deposit won’t be available for use immediately. If you have any issues, you can manually check your transaction on the blockchain.
Be very careful to insert all the correct data, as Bitcoin transactions are irreversible.
Some casinos, such as BitStarz, make this process even easier by offering their clients an instant Bitcoin to Euro exchange option in their account with minimal fees, bridging the gap between fiat and digital currencies.
Safe Wallets to Use for BTC Poker
In the previous section, we mentioned cryptocurrency exchanges. However, although they are the safest way of acquiring Bitcoin, they are certainly not the safest way of storing Bitcoin.
Unfortunately, similarly to traditional banks, some cryptocurrency exchanges often prohibit gambling transactions, meaning you could have your poker Bitcoin experience shattered before it can even start.
That is precisely why, if you’re aiming to play Bitcoin poker online casually or in the long-term, you will need a Bitcoin wallet to store your funds.
The safest options to go for when gambling are cold wallets or hot wallets that allow you to control your own private keys, such as Trezor, Ledger Nano, Metamask, Atomic or Exodus. These are also called non-custodial wallets. You can use these if you are comfortable trusting a third party with your funds (Crypto.com and Coinbase are particularly popular with EU and US customers).
BTC Poker Rooms Fees and Limits
In terms of minimum deposit and withdrawal limits for Bitcoin poker, what we’ve noticed is that they tend to be lower on both ends for regular casinos and higher for decentralised poker rooms and cryptocoin casinos.
For example, BetOnline offers a very broad limit for Bitcoin deposits ($20 min and $500 000 max). At the opposite end, some operators that specialise in Bitcoin Poker, such as Coin Poker, have no minimum deposit requirements at all. The same applies to Nitrogen Sport’s world-class poker room, with no maximum cap set on Bitcoin deposits or withdrawals.
The only fees players usually have to pay at Bitcoin Poker rooms are the network fees given to the miners who validate transactions on the blockchain. The amount varies depending on how busy the network is (between $10-20 on average).
How to Withdraw When Playing Bitcoin Poker
Transferring your earnings from Bitcoin casinos into your wallet is a pretty quick and straightforward process. All you have to do is:
- Go to the Cashier or banking section.
- Connect your wallet to the platform or insert your wallet’s address.
- Specify the sum you wish to withdraw.
- Confirm the transaction.
Withdrawal times depend on the level of activity on the blockchain network; on average, withdrawals in BTC are completed in max. 2 hours.
Why Play Poker With Cryptocurrency?
Cryptocurrency poker is a great alternative for players from countries under strict censorship and regulatory frameworks who can’t access gambling services the traditional way.
It is also an inspired choice for any gambler who wants more privacy and anonymity. Cryptocurrency transactions only expose your wallet’s address, not your real name or bank account, as opposed to a traditional transfer.
It also erases common player fears about rigged games or the possibility of dealers cheating, since blockchain technology is transparent and open to anyone.
Another point in their favour is that cryptocurrency poker rooms offer more substantial casino bonuses than regular operators, including rake-back to free-rolls, as well as huge prize pools in tournaments.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Bitcoin at Poker Rooms
Overall, the perks of playing online poker with Bitcoin seem to trump the downsides. However, nothing in life is perfect. We've summed up the pros and cons below:
Advantages
- Decentralisation – no single entity controls Bitcoin
- Be your own bank and control your private keys
- Best poker sites with Bitcoin offer bonuses in BTC/Satoshi
- Increased privacy and anonymity
- Fast deposits and withdrawals
- Blockchain technology ensures provably fair poker with low house edge
- Cross-border payment – crypto markets are open 24/7
- Increased poker payout when Bitcoin price is higher
Disadvantages
- Not completely anonymous – transactions are visible on the blockchain
- Few places to play Bitcoin poker online
- Bitcoin poker transactions are irreversible
- Some BTC poker sites are unverified/unlicensed
- The market value of BTC fluctuates
- No way of recovering BTC if you lose your private keys
How to Choose the Best Cryptocurrency Poker Sites
If you’re seeking to play poker using Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies at a local or international casino, some aspects to look into for your safety and enjoyment are licensing, player reviews, bonuses, additional payment methods offered and seniority on the market.
For example, SwC Poker is one the first Bitcoin poker sites ever created, and is still active to this day. That is why seniority on the market matters, as long-lasting operators tend to garner player support and build a solid reputation over the years.
Ideally, your cryptocurrency poker room of choice should also provide a quick and easy way of switching between digital currencies and fiat currencies, along with instant withdrawals and deposits.
If you want to play on a decentralised poker platform, instead, you should also check its:
- Ability to play poker with your chosen cryptocurrency: This may be obvious, but not all cryptocurrency casinos are Bitcoin poker sites, Binance poker sites, Ethereum poker sites, or Dogecoin poker sites. Some only accept certain cryptocurrencies, and others only have certain games available when playing with a particular digital coin.
- Collaborations and endorsements – Reputable platforms are usually endorsed by top crypto exchanges such as KuCoin, as well as trustworthy publications (CoinTelegraph, PokerNews, Blockchain News and others).
- Transparency – All information about card shuffling, house advantage and RTP should be displayed clearly on the homepage.
- Transaction speed – Most Bitcoin deposits should be processed in 10 minutes, while withdrawals can take roughly two hours. That is why, if a poker platform is withholding your funds longer than usual and there’s no network issue going on, it may be a red flag.
- Rewards frequency – The best poker sites with Bitcoin like to reward their players weekly, and sometimes even hourly, with promotions like free-rolls, rake-back, no deposit bonuses, cash-back, high roller privileges and more.
- Number of players – It’s important to choose a Bitcoin poker site with a lot of active customers because, if you find an empty lobby all the time, you’ll be left waiting to start a game or participate in tournaments.
Bitcoin Poker Safety and Fairness
Bitcoin poker is increasing in popularity, but it is far from entering the mainstream, especially compared to real-money slots or real-money roulette played with fiat currency.
That is why the overall number of Bitcoin poker sites is rather limited. However, if you know what to look for, you can still find high quality, high reward operators to play at.
The safety and fairness levels of a Bitcoin poker site are greatly influenced by aspects such as legal compliance, licensing, transparency of odds, algorithms used, RTP and house edge.
Although regular operators (local, regional and international casinos) can and do offer Bitcoin poker options to their clients, only a few websites also offer blockchain poker.
The slight difference is in the algorithm used to determine wins. Blockchain poker, as the name suggests, uses the most advanced methods of generating fair, incorruptible odds and verify them.
To accomplish this, blockchain poker rooms need to implement advanced software and hardware infrastructure, as well as powerful servers that can handle large amounts of traffic without issue. This ensures that not just blockchain poker games, but also live tournaments are fair and secure every time.
Decentralised Card Shuffling – What Is It and Why Does It Matter?
Decentralised card shuffling is a new concept that is still not available at all Bitcoin poker rooms, with the exception of Coin Poker.
However, there are many reasons why you should care about it, especially if you’ve ever been in a situation where you’ve felt cheated by a dodgy casino or unprofessional live dealer.
Decentralised card shuffling is a revolutionary method that uses Random Number Technology (RNG), alongside other notable improvements:
- It considers input from all participants at the table.
- It uses the same advanced cryptography and hash functions present on the Ethereum network.
- Once a hand has been dealt, players can verify the entire deck, including the cards that don’t get drawn for the current game session. In this way, players can calculate and verify the randomness of each hand.
Coin Poker has so much faith in this new card shuffling method that it even encourages players to prove the software wrong. If they can, they get a bounty of 1,000,000 CHP (CHP stands for ‘Chips', the platform’s native ERC-20 token).
But, judging by all of the above, this would be impossible.
Bitcoin Poker on Mobile
The vast majority of Bitcoin poker casino sites are fully optimised for mobile use, meaning you can play on your browser, instantly, from any mobile device or tablet. The elements will automatically shrink to fit the size of your screen.
However, for the best experience and usability, we recommend downloading dedicated mobile poker clients from these operators. Some of the best we recommend are:
- BitStarz
- BetOnline (available only for iOS)
- Club
- Ignition Casino
Cryptocurrency Poker Casino Bonuses
The key takeaway here is that you have access to the same bonus types, including welcome bonuses, whether you go for a regular casino or a BTC poker room.
The only difference is that, in the case of bitcoin poker, your bonuses will usually be paid in BTC, Satoshi (small fractions of a BTC) or other cryptocurrencies (BCH, ETH, Doge etc.).
Another aspect to keep in mind is that bonuses may also be pegged to a certain value in Bitcoin poker chips terms. For example, Real Poker offers a bonus of ₿0.0015 at registration, in which 200 Satoshis are worth 1 chip.
You may also purchase a fixed number of cryptocurrency poker chips if you only intend to spend a few rounds at a ‘sit-and-go' table.
Welcome Bonus
Whilst international casinos such as Bitstarz or 7Bit Casino award their newcomers with matched deposit bonuses up to a fixed sum or BTC equivalent, if you’re playing on a blockchain-powered website, you can also get no deposit bonuses paid in Satoshi.
For instance, on Blockchain.Poker, every new player gets 50 Satoshis upon visiting the lobby that they can convert into other currencies such as BCH or BSV.
Freeroll
A common incentive that Bitcoin poker sites use to attract players is the offer of hourly or weekly free-rolls. This basically grants you access to a prize tournament with no entry fee, and gives you the chance to share the pot with the opponent.
Blockchain.poker is a great example of the above, allowing regular players to participate in tournaments for free and earn up to 1000 BTC.
Larger Prize Pools for High Rollers
Many blockchain poker rooms offer huge prize pools for high roller poker players if they participate in dedicated poker tournaments. Again, Blockchain.Poker offers up to 3 800k BTC for their Daily Ultra High Roller competitions, for example.
The downside is that, whilst regular players usually have no minimum buy-in requirements, high rollers do (e.g. 1000k BTC).
To compensate for this, it’s not uncommon for some poker casinos to offer tournament jackpots of over $1 million.
Alternatives to Bitcoin Poker
- Bitcoin Cash Poker – Bitcoin Cash is a fork of Bitcoin that allows faster and cheaper transactions. It’s the second most used cryptocurrency at poker rooms, making it very easy to switch your balance from BTC to BCH. See all Bitcoin Cash casinos
- Ethereum Poker – The second most popular cryptocurrency by marketcap is also a viable option, although a bit more expensive due to the gas fees. However, the number of Ethereum Casinos that also have a poker offering is on the rise.
Bitcoin Poker Summary
Crypto enthusiasts can enjoy playing exhilarating rounds of poker at the best Bitcoin poker sites. Thanks to new technology, it couldn’t be easier to deposit and withdraw with Bitcoin, now that more and more casinos are taking advantage of cryptocurrency.
FAQs
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If you play at a trusted Bitcoin poker room, then yes. Never entrust your Bitcoin with a website whose license or credentials are not displayed. We always conduct a Bitcoin poker review on all operators before including them in our lists, so you know they’re safe to play at.
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Yes. However, some countries prohibit the use of cryptocurrencies in general, which is why your IP address might be blocked by a local regulator. For example, Bitcoin is banned in Bolivia, Iran, Nepal, India, Denmark, Ecuador and Bangladesh.
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It depends on the type of Bitcoin poker you’re looking to play, since some have more video poker variations (e.g. Betchain, Cloudbet, mBitCasino, 7BitCasino, Nomini), whilst others offer more live dealer BTC poker options (e.g. Betcoin).
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The biggest downside is that you have a limited number of operators that accept Bitcoin for poker. In addition, some websites may pose security risks if they are not licensed.
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It depends on the casino’s policy; however, usually, it’s the same as traditional currencies, meaning that you get your money back in the same currency you’ve used for deposits.
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Yes. The best poker sites with Bitcoin are optimised for all mobile devices, from iOS smartphones to Android tablets. Others offer gambling apps with more features and betting options (e.g. BetOnline, Ignition).
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If you keep your balance in BTC, then yes, it will automatically fluctuate with the BTC price. If you want to avoid this, you can convert the funds you’re not actively using into a stable coin like Tether (USDT) – or directly move to a Tether casino.
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This depends on where you play, be it a standard casino or a blockchain poker room. Playing anonymously is possible on Blockchain.Poker and Coin Poker, with no sign-up or KYC check required. The latter is usually needed only when converting BTC to fiat currencies.
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Aside from Bitcoin, we’ve noticed Bcash and Ethereum being particularly popular at blockchain poker rooms. That said, there are also Monero casinos, Dogecoin casinos or Litecoin casinos.
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Yes. Although not all of them accept Bitcoin, the number of the ones that do is increasing. Bitcoin is slowly becoming adopted at more and more poker rooms in 2021, with names like BitCasino or Fortune Jack already leading the way.
Cristina Tudose
