With the world in lockdown, time slowed down by a lot for me! In my search for some excitement, I found myself back at the digital tables.
After a break of 3 years, I had to install some poker clients and software to get started. So where should I start playing?
I felt the games on PokerStars might be a bit too tough for me. I mean, at this point I will probably be the fish at the table with a strategic disadvantage and mental leaks. Unless I find some good sites to play at…
So in my search for good games, I discovered a few spots to gamble with my favorite currency. And on top of good games, many of the Bitcoin casinos offer some old skool crazy deposit bonuses for some extra earn opportunities.
The Hidden Downside to Gambling With Your Crypto Coins
Now before you eagerly get your Ledger out and play your first hands, let me warn you: “Bitcoin is volatile”.
Have you heard that before?
Good! Let it sink in for a second….
When you use cryptocurrency to deposit for your initial bankroll don’t expect the same amount of crypto when you withdrawal.
I recently deposited BTC to play some poker, and within a few days the price of Bitcoin went up with $1400. So to cash out the same amount of Satoshi’s, I’ll need to start winning some stacks.
This increased the stress level while playing, and it cost energy to rationalize away the negative thoughts and emotions. In hindsight, maybe I should have waited out the halving event to avoid short-time price movements.
This also works the other way around of course, that when the market goes down this works in your favor.
Now if you’re willing to take that risk like me, I hope you enjoy this list I created.
List of Casinos to use Bitcoin
Back in the days, Seals with Clubs was the main BTC poker site where you actually played with Satoshi’s. After they shut down in February 2015, and with Founder Bryan Micon facing jail time, I didn’t find a comparable site to play at with crypto.
Nowadays most casino’s that accept BTC, ETH, XRP or other crypto coins, actually use it as a deposit method. So your account balance will be in a normal currency, like USD or EUR.
Bitcoin casino’s poker
Best Bitcoin Casino’s poker
1. Blackchip Poker
As they started accepting BTC back in 2015, many of you crypto users in poker have heard about it. Blackchip (BCP) is on the Winning (WPN) and for years has been known for it’s good and high stakes games.
This site has all you need as a poker player, with a wide variety of games, bonuses, and smooth software.
If you’re playing mid stakes cash games, you’ll find me there.
2. BetOnline
BetOnline Poker has a lot of soft players because it’s connected to a sportsbook, a live dealer casino, and a bingo site. They are primarily a sports betting site, but as you know, gamblers like to try out poker tournaments and cash games.
Here you can find some nice fish in short-handed games. However, don’t expect to grind high volume. And if you’re a tournament grinder, you’ll find some good guarantee price pools here.
3. Bovoda
Bovada or Bodog, is one of the most trusted online gaming brands in the United States and has been around for about two decades.
Like BPC, this client offers many different games and action. They even added ” Zone poker” , which is their version of Zoom.
If you can bear with the buggy software it’s a great site to play on. Soft games, easy BTC & BCH deposits, and a welcome bonus to get started.
One side note, this site has strict GEO restrictions. If you are from Europe, you will probably struggle to create an account or cashing out when you make a profit. USA, Canada, and some Asian countries are allowed, for others please read their terms before depositing your cryptocurrency.
4. Fairplay
The first site that doesn’t start with a ‘B’. And that’s not the only thing that makes this one special.
To start playing, you don’t need to download any software as the game is played in your browser. And what stands out most is:
“Every player encrypts and shuffles every card. You encrypt and shuffle each card of the deck on your computer. This ensures that no one – not even us – can see your cards or manipulate the dealing of the cards.”
They claim to have decentralized poker in a way where users don’t need to worry about being cheated anymore. If you play here, I don’t ever want to hear you say ” this software is rigged”.
This unique feature earned Fairplay a spot in my list of best bitcoin casinos.
5. Tiger Gaming
TigerGaming is the flagship poker room of the American network Chico, where BetOnline is also on. In 2020 it’s the second-largest network that accepts US players.
Most grinders like this client because of its soft games, good software, and fast withdrawals.
6. 1xBit
1xbit is one of the leading crypto sportsbook and bitcoin casinos. They offer live bets for most of the sports events, and a wide choice of top casino games, including video poker. In case you prefer crypto gambling via an app, 1xbit has an app available for iOS and Android devices.
Besides video poker, they offer free spins or cash deposit bonuses.
It’s not a place to go for grinding, as there are no real poker games. But if you’re looking to gamble a bit with your crypto, this site should be on the top of your list.
7. Bitcoin.com
Arguably the biggest Bitcoin site added a casino to their platform and now offers video poker cash games.
Roger Ver himself released a video on how he beat Phil Hellmuth on the site. Although we can conclude it wasn’t the real Poker Brat, I cracked a smile just watching this promo video and I hope you do to.
Wrap-up
If you made it this far, I wish you the best of luck with your next sessions, and let’s hope the price of crypto doesn’t move too much. Once you start winning, have a look at this previous piece on how to invest your profit.
Make sure to claim your deposit bonus and set up your tools before you get started. And as you know, the smaller sites usually don’t have the best software. So don’t get tilted on a freeze or disconnection once in a while!
Other than bitcoin casinos that offer poker, there are many crypto casinos that offer huge bonuses on deposits and volume. Check out this list if you’re on a bonus hunt.