The decentralized cryptocurrency marketplace is a fast-growing industry that engulfs all sectors of business. The Bitcoin casino and crypto poker markets make good use of the technology to offer entertainment to technologically savvy gamers and card sharks around the world.

The blockchain has proven to be a versatile ledger that not only manages the movement of virtual currencies and NFT games and assets flawlessly but is a suitable platform for the management of RNG software and so much more. Join us, as we guide you through the ins and outs of Crypto Poker. Learn what to look for in the best crypto sites and claim some of the best bonuses around with our help.

What is a Crypto Poker Site?

Classic poker rooms operate on a similar basis to online casinos. You download an app for your desktop or mobile device, load up your account with real money, claim the odd bonus, and then enter tournaments and play cash games with the hope of winning real money rewards.

Crypto poker sites work on the same premise, but instead of transacting in real fiat money, they accept cryptocurrency as a form of trade. As such, the operators build the websites on the blockchain to facilitate the microtransactions that occur during the passage of play.

For a full grasp of the subject, you will need a basic understanding of what cryptocurrency is.

What is Cryptocurrency?

Cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and hundreds of others, are digital/virtual currencies mined on the internet by state-of-the-art mining software. These ‘’rigs’’ search the web for specific algorithms. Once it sources the perfect code, it translates it into a hash and adds it to a digital storage ledger, called a blockchain.

The code adds to the value of wealth on the blockchain. Investors can then purchase the currency from miners via crypto exchanges and use it to trade with. The blockchain, in turn, captures each and every transaction made on it. Because it’s a public ledger, you can validate any transfer at any time by tracking the hash code.

The industry often refers to crypto poker sites as ‘’Bitcoin Poker sites’’ even though the operators accept other forms of cryptocurrency. This is a throwback to the fact that Bitcoin is the ‘’mother of all crypto’’ and has seen the greatest success in this niche marketplace. As such, punters often refer to crypto-related gaming as Bitcoin gaming.

Blockchains are decentralized in nature, meaning that there is no central hub that controls the currency. The currency, therefore, cannot be manipulated by trusted middlemen/brokers. Instead, multiple nodes across the world confirm your transaction and validate all transfers. The currency is valued based on the proof of work principle. The popularity of a cryptocurrency determines its current price in the market.

You will need a special digital crypto wallet to hold your currency and transact with it. Most exchanges will offer you a wallet storage service, which is the easiest way to manage your funds.

Who is CoinPoker?

Now that you know a little more about Bitcoin and cryptocurrency, we can introduce you to some of the gaming platforms that offer poker play in virtual currency.

CoinPoker is a classic example of a pure crypto poker site. Not only can you play on the platform with multiple tokens and currencies, like Tether, Chips, Bitcoin, and Ethereum; but its RNG software is built upon the blockchain. This means that you can view your impact on the algorithm of the RNG during any card deal. Now you can ensure that there is no bias in the distribution of the hands and can guarantee that each deal is completely random.

The site’s poker app is easily downloadable from the website. Complete the download to enjoy the thrill of several tournaments and cash games that are on the go around the clock. This includes game options such as Texas Hold’em, Omaha Poker, and Short Deck Poker.

The current Cosmic Spins Tourney is proving a big hit with punters. This space-themed leaderboard offers up to 1,000x your buy-in, in rewards. While the tourney currently plays out with Texas Hold’em, the poker site will be introducing Omaha to the feature soon.

While there is no real welcome bonus when you sign-up on the site, existing players will be able to earn regular weekly rewards. If you transfer your crypto deposits and play in CHP token, you’ll get a 20% Rakeback on Mondays. This is a percentage of your total rake paid to the casino over the course of the previous week.

Our Top-Rated Crypto Poker Sites & Their Offers

Our experts at PokCas have taken the time to whittle the selection of the best Crypto Poker sites down to a list of four top conders. Be sure to claim these amazing bonuses to get your gaming off to the best start possible.

1. CoinPoker

2. America’s Cardroom (ACR)

3. BetOnline Poker

4. Ignition Poker

The Benefits of Crypto Poker

For those of you wondering why you should consider playing poker on a decentralized crypto site, there are some amazing benefits available to you. Browse the table below for more information.

 

How to find the Perfect Crypto Poker Site

Decentralized poker is not as well known as mainstream poker. As such, we understand that it might be challenging to find the perfect site to meet your expectations. Fortunately, you have us on our side! Aside from the fact that we have selected some fine Crypto Poker sites for you to try out above, we can walk you through our procedures when it comes to vetting operators and deciding the good from the bad.

We test online Crypto poker sites by scoping out their promotions, tournaments and games, special features and overall usability, payment protocols, and safety features.

1. Bonus Offers and Rakeback

All the top sites should offer some sort of welcome offer for new players to enjoy, along with regular promotions for existing punters to take advantage of. A good welcome bonus is a great way to boost your bankroll when exploring a poker site for the first time. This way, you can play without assuming all the risks with your own hard-earned crypto.

Unlike at online casinos, where the most prominent table games are blackjack or roulette, Rakeback is usually first on the list of promotions we hope to see when playing competitive poker. Every game you play will cost you a small commission fee, called the rake. The best poker sites provide Rakeback incentives to regular players, thereby, refunding them a percentage of their total rake paid to the site (Rakeback). A decent Rakeback incentive can even make up for the absence of a welcome bonus in some instances.

2. Crypto Poker Leaderboards, Tournaments, and Games

The type of entertainment available on a site can either make or break our opinion of an operator. There should be a decent number of both tournament leaderboards and cash games up for grabs on the top-rated sites.

All the best Crypto Poker sites should offer Texas Holdem and Omaha Poker, as these are the most popular variations of the game on the global market. Operators will earn bonus points for including other standard variations such as Short-Deck Poker, 7-Card Stud, and more. Exclusive custom game options also liven up the fun factor.

3. Special Features and Usability

Because poker sites generally operate best with a downloadable app, the usability of the software ranks high on our list. A clean and ordered menu system and control interface are what you want to see every time. This way, navigating the site is far less confusing, especially for beginners.

The added advantage of special HUDs and player-tracking tools is essential if you want to be able to exercise the best strategy when playing in tournaments. While the professionals of the poker world use mainly their memories, most of us could do with a little help from time to time. For this reason, always look to register at a site that offers additional features to help you along.

4. Banking – The Faster the Better

Making deposits and claiming withdrawals should always be a painless task. Thankfully, this is where Crypto Poker sites usually excel.

If you are signing up at a crypto poker site, make sure that they offer the following for their Bitcoin players:

• Fast withdrawals (even instant withdrawals). There is no excuse for timeframes of more than 24 hours on Bitcoin sites.
• A good selection of supported cryptocurrencies, like BTC, ETH, LTC, DOGE, USDT, and others.
• Currency conversion tools in their software are a plus.

Be sure to read the terms and conditions of the site when it comes to withdrawal limits. You’ll want to sign-up with a site with high limits on cash-outs, especially if you are going to be playing for high stakes.

5. Security – Safety First

While we have put this section last, it is one of the most important portions of this entire guide. You must make sure that you and your sensitive information are safe and secure when gaming for cryptocurrency/real money online. There are a few tips you can use to ascertain the legitimacy of a site you are playing on:

• 🔒 Licensing: All respectable poker sites should hold a valid license from a registered regulatory authority. If so, there is recourse for you should anything go awry.
• 🔒 Security: All top poker sites and apps use Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption to protect their players. Check the prefix of the site’s URL to make sure that it is HTTPS (not HTTP). The ‘’S’’ means all is secure.
• 🔒 Testing: Try to play at a poker site where the RNG is regularly tested by independent auditors like iTech Labs, GLI, eCogra, and others. Certification of this manner ensures that the software is fair.

By ticking off these three checkpoints, you will be saving yourself the potential for serious frustration and even heartbreak down the line.

The PokCas Way

At PokCas, your needs as players are our primary concern. Our helpful Crypto Poker guide is the finest tool you could use to find your next gaming home. Be assured that the Crypto Poker sites we’ve selected meet our high standards for entertainment and service in the decentralized realms. For more helpful guides that cover niche markets, be sure to read our Best US Online Casino guide and many more in our exclusive blog section.

If you’d like to learn more about Poker traditions and the history of the game, we recommend that you read our inciteful article on the History of Poker.