Just for a moment, imagine there was a secure way to fund your online poker account with close to 100% anonymity even at restrictive markets. At the beginning of the 2010s, people playing online poker might have said it’s just a fantasy. Yet, with Bitcoin going mainstream, it’s anything but a fantasy! As you will see, nowadays it’s almost an industry standard to offer BTC as a payment method for online poker.
List of online poker sites accepting Bitcoin payments
You can set up a Bitcoin wallet anywhere in the world to make deposits at online poker rooms accepting BTC. In fact, the poker industry has greatly benefited from the rise of Bitcoin, giving a chance to play online for many poker lovers who don’t have access to traditional payment methods. Here’s a list of popular poker sites where Bitcoin is accepted as a payment method for real money games:
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What is Bitcoin
Bitcoin is the most popular cryptocurrency in the world. First introduced in 2009, it’s a digital currency created by an anonymous inventor who goes by the name Satoshi Nakamoto. It’s the first digital object that cannot be duplicated or forged. Every Bitcoin is mined from blocks which are pieces of information that cover the transactions within a time period, roughly 10 minutes. The first block called the genesis block was generated in January 2009.
The amount of Bitcoin is capped, which means that Bitcoin is a scarce cryptocurrency. All of these attributes give Bitcoin its unique value, which has been recognized by the mainstream media and investors as well, resulting in astronomical growth in price.
If you’re interested in learning more about Bitcoin, here’s a helpful video on the topic:
What are the different types of Bitcoin poker sites
- Bitcoin-only poker rooms: These Bitcoin poker sites operate in BTC which is the only payment method and currency used at the real money tables for playing Bitcoin poker. There’s no currency conversion at any point when you play at bitcoin-only poker sites.
- Poker sites that accept Bitcoin: These operators allow you to deposit and withdraw in BTC, and the games occur in a currency like USD, GBP, or EUR. Whenever you make a deposit or a cashout, your amount is converted using a real-time currency conversion rate.
Compared to the number of rooms that accept Bitcoin payments, there are much fewer poker sites where you can play Bitcoin poker games without currency conversions. If you want to play poker tournaments with millions of dollars in guaranteed prize pools, your best bet is to choose a poker site accepting bitcoin payments, but offering the poker games in a fiat currency like dollars or euros.
Using Bitcoin in online poker
Although we could dive into great detail about the advanced technicalities of Bitcoin, the most important thing for a poker player to understand is how you can safely deposit and withdraw with Bitcoin. Here’s a quick video guiding you through a Bitcoin deposit at a poker room called Americas Cardroom:
How to download a Bitcoin wallet
- Go to Bitcoin.com
- Download the Bitcoin.com Wallet app for free on the App Store or Google Play
- Open the app and create a new wallet
- Purchase Bitcoin either in-app or elsewhere like on an exchange
- You’re ready to make Bitcoin deposits at top poker sites
Pros and cons of using Bitcoin in poker
- Global accessibility: Anyone can purchase Bitcoin no matter where they live. Some banks or credit card companies don’t authorize deposits on offshore poker sites if you live in a restricted jurisdiction. With BTC, you can overcome some of these restrictions.
- Increased anonymity: Many players would rather not give out their personal information on things like credit card numbers or bank accounts. With Bitcoin, you can avoid giving out this information, as the transactions don’t require you to provide any personal information and are separate from the KYC process of online poker sites.
- Safety with encryption: All BTC transactions are encrypted and verified while they move through the network. Most online poker sites keep Bitcoin deposits in cold storage, giving you additional security.
- Price volatility: The value of BTC measured in USD is quite unstable, which makes predicting your future BTC value in a fiat currency like USD or EUR quite difficult.
- Adoption by online poker sites: Some online poker rooms have not yet started to accept BTC as a payment method. As they’re missing out on a great potential of new customers, we’re confident that eventually almost all the biggest poker sites will add Bitcoin to their selection of payment methods.
Online vs offline BTC wallets
Many poker players have asked us what type of BTC wallet to use for online poker. Online wallets or hot wallets are the easiest ones to use: You just log in, make your transaction and log out. The downside is that online BTC wallets are not as safe as offline wallets, due to possible hacks. For this reason, we recommend using online wallets for those who need to move just tens or hundreds of dollars. Here’s a list of examples of online wallets:
- Coinbase
- Crypto.com
- Wirex
For larger amounts, it makes sense to set up and use Bitcoin hardware wallets to store and move your BTC. Offline wallets or cold wallets are the best choice for maximum protection and security, although they need a bit more technical knowledge to operate. The best Bitcoin offline wallets are:
- Ledger Nano S
- Trezor Model T
- Trezor One
- Electrum
- Bitcoin Paper Wallet
What are Bitcoin deposit and withdrawal limits at poker sites
When it comes to accepting deposit limits using Bitcoin, most of the poker sites have very low thresholds for players who want to try out poker. Here’s a list of deposits limits at popular poker sites that accept Bitcoin:
- Ignition and Bovada: $10 with Bitcoin
- GGPoker and Natural8: $10 with Bitcoin
- BetOnline and Sportsbetting: $20 with Bitcoin
- Americas Cardroom and Black Chip Poker: $50 with Bitcoin
While withdrawal limits with Bitcoin are typically unlimited, some Bitcoin poker sites have restricted the maximum amount you can withdraw in one transaction. There’s an easy way to overcome this if you happen to win huge: Just make multiple withdrawals to move the Bitcoins to your wallet in several chunks.
Are there poker bonus offers for Bitcoin deposits
Plenty of real money poker sites offer their customers a welcome bonus when making their first deposit with Bitcoin. Some rooms give you the welcome bonus in fiat currency like USD, and others in Bitcoin. If you wish to receive a deposit bonus when you make your first deposit, just choose one of the poker rooms from our list of Bitcoin-friendly poker sites at the top of this page.
How to cash out from a poker room with Bitcoin
You can make a cashout with Bitcoin with these three steps:
- Go to the cashier of the poker site and click withdrawal
- Choose Bitcoin as the withdrawal method and enter the sum you wish to cash out
- Enter your BTC address and click confirm – your money should be on the way to your Bitcoin wallet in no time!
Bitcoin Poker FAQ
Is Bitcoin Legal?
Yes, Bitcoin is legal and can be used for playing poker in most jurisdictions. Bitcoin is just another currency although it differs in many ways from traditional payment methods. Some countries have tried to ban the use of Bitcoin, but there’s nothing illegal about Bitcoin itself or using it for online poker.
Where to play poker with Bitcoin?
Here’s a list of online poker sites that accept Bitcoin:
- Americas Cardroom
- Black Chip Poker
- GGPoker
- Natural8
- BetOnline
- Ignition Poker
- Bovada
- Intertops
- Seals with Clubs
- Juicy Stakes
Can I use Bitcoin to deposit and cashout winnings at poker rooms?
Yes, you can deposit and cashout Bitcoin at every Bitcoin-friendly online poker room. See the list of our recommended rooms for playing Bitcoin poker at the top of this page.
Does Bitcoin price affect my poker account balance?
No, your Bitcoin deposit is converted into dollars and will remain in dollars whether Bitcoin goes up or down. There are expectations to this rule though - sites including SwCPoker, Blockchain Poker, and Nitrogen Sports hold all your balance in BTC which means your poker balance is affected when the price of BTC changes.
How to use Bitcoin for poker?
You can use Bitcoin for poker by following these steps:
- Sign-up for a Bitcoin exchange
- Purchase Bitcoin
- Open a Bitcoin wallet
- Transfer your Bitcoin to the wallet
- Sign-up at a Bitcoin-friendly online poker room
- Make a Bitcoin deposit to your poker account and start playing cash games or tournaments!
Is Bitcoin anonymous?
To a point, yes. While your name is nowhere to be found on it, all the transactions are permanently recorded and visible in the ledger. Each transaction leaves clues that can be traced back to a single wallet in case you use the same address multiple times at a poker website.
What is the best poker site where you can play with bitcoin?
For US players, our recommended Bitcoin-friendly poker site is Americas Cardroom, which is part of the Winning Poker Network. If you live in Asia, South America, or Europe, GGPoker or Natural8 is a good alternative for a poker room accepting Bitcoin. If you’re looking to play at a Bitcoin poker site with games occurring in BTC, Seals with Clubs is a worthy option to look into.
What is the best Bitcoin wallet for online poker?
The most beginner-friendly Bitcoin wallets are Coinbase and Crypto.com wallet. For safe long-term storage of your Bitcoin winnings, you should use a hardware wallet like Trezor or Ledger.
How to claim Bitcoin received from online poker?
To claim your Bitcoin poker winnings, go to the cashier of the poker site and request a withdrawal. Pick Bitcoin as the cashout method and choose the sum you wish to take out. Enter your Bitcoin address, click confirm and your Bitcoins will be on the way to your wallet.
Can I earn free Bitcoin playing poker?
Yes, some Bitcoin poker sites offer freerolls with small amounts of BTC as prizes. Another option to get free Bitcoin is to play freerolls at a poker site like Americas Cardroom or Black Chip Poker and withdraw your winnings in Bitcoin.
Can you use other cryptos besides Bitcoin in online poker?
Yes, some real money poker sites like Americas Cardroom accept a dozen other cryptocurrencies for poker besides Bitcoin. The most common ones used besides BTC are Bitcoin Cash and Ethereum.
Author
Johannes Turunen
Johannes is the Editor in Chief at Beasts Of Poker and is an expert in both live & online poker. Johannes played online poker semi-professionally for 5 years while completing his Master’s Degree in Technology.
