Bitcoin poker is one of the fun, and exciting online games punters wager their money on. If you are a beginner and want to learn more about Bitcoin poker, we have prepared this guide for you. Additionally, we will take you through acquiring, depositing funds, and playing the game. On top of that, we list below the best Bitcoin poker casinos that will give you an unforgettable experience.
It’s not surprising that you are looking into crypto poker. With many laws that inhibit the free movement of money worldwide, many people are turning to cryptocurrencies, top of the chain, Bitcoin.
Poker is a card game that players bet on the best hand depending on the specific rules. For bitcoin poker, you wager using bitcoin instead of the conventional currencies.
Whether you consider it a gamble or a game of skill, poker is one of the top games in any casino. Though widely considered a gamble, in some jurisdictions, it’s legally a game of skill in some. For example, in New York, Texas Hold’Em, a popular variant, is not gambling under federal law. Some people even believe Bitcoin poker is the easiest and direct method to get bitcoins from any online casino.
This guide is for you if you are new to bitcoin poker. You’ll learn everything about acquiring, depositing funds, playing online poker, and, if lucky, withdrawing your winnings using cryptos.
Before we dive into the game-specifics of poker, as a prospective player, there are terms you need to be well conversant with; they include:
Ante – It’s the least amount of bet you need to get into the game.
Blinds – Are minimum and maximum bets before the dealer gives out the cards. There are two small and big blinds, and you only pay your bets depending on the blind position you have taken. These poker blinds drive the action and prevent you from folding until you get the premium cards.
During the poker games, these are the actions:
Playing bitcoin poker is not different from playing poker at a traditional casino or poker room. And it’s a fun way to pass the time.
Today, you, too, can enjoy the once Wild West’s favourite game. It’s the same rules, and the same strategies apply. The only difference is you pay using cryptocurrency instead of fiat currencies. Learning the basics is your first step into becoming a poker ace.
Simply put, here is how to play bitcoin poker:
Whether you are a first-timer or switching to online crypto poker, understand the basic poker rules, poker variants you can play, and the different types of hand you’ll be looking to make.
While there are several variants of the core game, they share common threads. The game’s premise is to use the cards the casino deals you to create the best possible hand or convince your opponents to yield.
You place bitcoin bet that your hand is stronger than your opponents. Alternatively, you can cheekily bluff your opponent into submission. Even though you need luck in playing poker, strategy and skills play a significant role in outfoxing your opponents.
As you know, a “standard” deck of cards contain 52 cards in four suits of Flowers, Spades, Hearts, and Diamonds.
Each suit has 13 cards: from 2 through to the Ace, ranked in that order. In addition, some decks include two Jokers.
Typically, the suits are all equal; none has a higher value than the other. The Ace, however, is the highest-ranked and the Deuce (2-card) is the lowest.
When playing poker, you form the hand – a set of five playing cards according to the game’s rules.
We class each hand depending on the pattern the cards form. For example, with your hand of five, you create any of the following, in order of the strongest to the weakest:
Typically, the higher the total value of the cards, the stronger the hand is. But there’s a lot more to learn on poker card rankings and hands. You’ll learn more in our subsequent posts.
As we have said, your aim, whether playing it at casinos or online poker rooms, is to build the strongest five-card hand or convince your opponents that you have it.
Poker betting happens in turns! First, you review your hand against the possible cards your opponents hold or guess what they are building during your turn. You can then make a bitcoin bet, call or raise any previous wager. Alternatively, you can choose to fold.
In a traditional casino, you fold by facing your cards down and sliding them away and taking no further part in the folded hand. But at online bitcoin poker sites or online poker, you click the fold button.
The game goes on until only one player is standing, or the final betting round where each player reveals their cards, and the winner is the one with the strongest hand.
In the case where only one player bet or raised the stakes when their opponent folded, there’s no showdown. So, the last player standing wins. If you are ticky and cunning enough, you can wittingly act as though you have better cards to force your opponents to fold.
You know the drill. Now you can register at one of the many casinos or poker sites that accept cryptos and get started.
Many internet poker sites accept cryptos like Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Tether, Ethereum, etc. First, you need to identify the best one, though.
Playing poker with bitcoin could be the best and easiest way to earn free bitcoins. It’s all about being confident, witty, and intelligent in your strategies. Otherwise, how will your bluff work if you don’t have the strongest hand?
Before you jump in, though, learn how to deposit bitcoins or any crypto you intend to use.
Cryptos make it incredibly easy for deposits and withdrawals to online poker sites. All the same, you need a crypto or bitcoin wallet to play bitcoin poker. This wallet holds your digital currency and allows you to transfer whatever amount you want to the online poker site of your choosing.
There are lots of options when it comes to choosing a wallet. The factors you consider is a subject of another day. However, it’s straightforward if you have a wallet and some bitcoins.
Once you have a wallet that supports Bitcoin, you can acquire the currency. If you have friends who old some, you can talk to them to give or sell to you. Alternatively, you buy them at various crypto exchanges. But the easiest way is to buy at a peer to peer crypto exchange platform like Binance. The website will send the amount you buy to your bitcoin wallet, and you can use it to deposit at a poker site.
At the poker site accepting BTC, go to the cashier section and select the crypto as the payment option. You’ll get a recipient address, an alphanumeric string of about 26 and 35 characters. Copy it and use it to your wallet address, where the poker site will redirect you.
Enter the amount of crypto and check out. These transactions are almost instant. So, the funds will be in your betting account, ready for you to spend in no time.
There are three betting structures in poker. They remain the same even in bitcoin poker sites. These structures set the limits on whether you can raise your bet and with how much. They include:
As you can see, poker requires a lot of practice. Nevertheless, if you are already well conversant with the game, playing it using bitcoin or at poker sites that accept bitcoin is an effortless process. Once you are familiar with its frictionless transaction process, everything else is as easy as ABC.
The funds are instantly reflected in your account when you win and don’t have to wait for a cheque or wire transfer. Bitcoin poker sites don’t process your cashouts as traditional online poker sites do. Instead, they only provide a holding wallet for them. So, you withdraw the coins directly to your crypto wallet.
After withdrawing bitcoin poker winnings, you can trade them for your local currency. You can do this at the various Bitcoin exchanges or peer-to-peer exchange platforms.
Texas Hold’Em is popularly used to refer to poker. However, it’s just a variant of poker that has become common because of the World Series of Poker Tournament. Also, because of movies like “Rounders”, which heavily features it.
It will surprise you that there are many variations of poker, with the three main types being:
Texas Hold’Em is the most popular because it’s the game played at the World Series of Poker. You are dealt two “hole cards in the game,” then wait for five community cards. You have four chances to place a bet, raise, or fold, namely:
• When you get the hole cards,
• Flop is when the game declares the first three community cards
• Turn – when the fourth card is declared
• River- When the game declares the fifth card.
Omaha is a variant of Hold ‘Em played by two to ten. Yes, it has four equal bet rounds but deals each player four hole cards and reveals the five community cards immediately afterwards. You combine your two hole cards with three of the community cards to make the best hand.
Other variants include
So before you ask who decides what type of game you play at a table, it’s the dealer. But some friendly and well-structured tournaments specify the format in advance.
Other than the regular poker games, online poker sites also offer exclusive tweaks to the traditional formats. Some examples include:
Over the last two decades, poker has seen a dramatic shift, moving from the conventional brick and mortar establishments to virtual rooms. The internet has been a centrepiece in this tech evolution of the game of skill and wit. The revolution continues, as now we have bitcoin poker. And although some countries still restrict crypto usage, it’s all systems go for online gambling.
Ten years ago, cryptocurrency was far from the global phenomenon! Today, Bitcoin is very much mainstream. It’s no longer a preserve of technical ‘geeks!’ Anyone can set up a Bitcoin wallet and acquire the coins from exchanges.
All for good reasons, Bitcoin has popped up in every industry in the world. It has made a lot of inroads into the gambling industry, online poker in particular. The failed global financial system is to thank for this rapid growth! Due to legal constraints, banks frequently blocked deposits. Sometimes, it takes ages to process payments. So, real money online poker players opt for a superfast and reliable payment solution – crypto.
A few Bitcoin-only poker sites are already running, and many mainstream poker sites accept bitcoin as a banking option. They join many online casinos and sportsbooks that have adopted crypto as a payment gateway.
Cryptos have taken charge of online poker. They have eliminated the need to have banks facilitate transactions, and so, in just seconds, you can add funds to your account. Traditionally, this would take hours, and in cases of direct wire, days to process. Crypto and bitcoin poker have dealt away with frustrations and limitations that banks and credit cards deposits put players through.
As though the speed is not enough, crypto transactions practically cost zero. So, there’s nothing like transaction fees for a bitcoin poker account. Besides, players get massive promotions and bonuses owing to the low operation costs of bitcoin-based platforms.
In a few minutes, you can play bitcoin, texas hold’em poker and other variations without losing some money during the money transfer. What could be better than that?
