Poker is one of the most popular gambling games in both online and on-the-ground casinos. It can be played for fiat currency or for Bitcoin and unlike most other gambling games – it’s based mostly on skill. There are countless poker sites out there accepting players from all over the world, with or without experience.
In this article, we’ll discuss how to choose the best poker site and what to look for when first trying to get into the game.
Is the Poker Site Licensed?
Poker sites need to obtain a license from the government agency regulating gambling. This license proves that the site can be trusted, that the odds are fair, and that you’ll get a payout if you win. In most cases, the sites are based abroad, in an off-shore zone, to avoid restrictive gambling regulations.
Sometimes Bitcoin poker sites also allow players to exchange cryptocurrencies, so they can bet on different ones. This also requires a license from a different government agency. There are poker sites out there that operate without a license, but it’s best to avoid them, as they can prove to be a scam.
Positive Reviews
The wisdom of crowds really helps when it comes to choosing a Bitcoin poker site. Online reviews provide a good source to figure out how reputable a site is. These offer an overview of the Best Bitcoin Poker Sites and compare and contrast their features.
The reviews often go in-depth about the quality of the customer service, bonus offers, as well as special events and tournaments that a poker site may provide. A player can use these to find a poker site that suits their specific needs and interests.
Learn About Bet Sizes
Bitcoin poker sites often have limits as to how much a player can bet. There are minimum and maximum amounts so that the players are evened out, at least when it comes to the size of their bankroll. This is an important feature to inquire about before choosing to use a poker site.
Many poker sites also have a rule about steadily increasing blinds. That way the game doesn’t get boring after a while and the stakes are steadily raised. On some poker sites, this is only the case with tournaments. Players should be aware of these rules, as they dictate the speed and the stakes of a game.
Different Versions of Poker
There are many different versions of poker, even though they are not all equally popular. A good Bitcoin poker site should provide as many different versions of the game as possible, so the players can have the option to explore different variations. The most played versions are:
- Texas Hold’Em – the most common version of poker. In Texas Hold’em, each player is dealt two private cards, and then five community cards are dealt face-up in the center of the table. Players use a combination of their private cards and the community cards to make the best possible five-card hand.
- Omaha – it’s similar to Texas Hold’Em with a slightly different gameplay. Each player is dealt four private cards instead of two. Players use a combination of their private cards and the community cards to make the best hand. However, in Omaha, players must use exactly two of their private cards and three of the five community cards.
- Seven Card Stud – this was the most played version before Texas Hold’Em. Each player is dealt seven cards, three face down and four face up. Players use the best combination of five of their seven cards to make a hand. There are no community cards in Seven Card Stud.
Ease of Use
Poker is a simple enough game to learn, even though it can take years to master different strategies. The interface of Bitcoin poker sites should provide ease of use to the players. This means it should be intuitive to use even for those logging in for the first time.
The interface should also work the same on a mobile device and a computer. Most of the younger players gamble on mobile devices and the poker site should accommodate this preference. It should also make it easy to automate some moves, such as steadily increasing the blind and going all-in on a particular hand.
Customer Support
Customer support is often overlooked but it’s a key feature of any Bitcoin poker site. Players sign up for poker sites from all over the world and customer support is often the only way for them to address an issue or file a complaint.
A good customer support system is staffed by experts, who are friendly and willing to hear the players out. It should also be available at all times and via a variety of different channels such as emails, chat, and phone calls. It also helps if customer support is available in several languages.
Tournaments
Many Bitcoin poker sites set up poker tournaments. These are a chance for high-rollers to play against each other and to rack up big winnings. The rules of a poker tournament are the same as when playing a single game – the only difference is that there’s a buy-in and that the blinds gradually rise to keep the game interesting.
Not all players plan to play in tournaments and all would be good at it, but it’s useful to have an option once you’re ready for it. When choosing a poker site, it’s important to learn about how much it would cost to buy a seat in a poker tournament and how the winnings are distributed.
Secure Payments
Online poker sites need to provide secure payments. Other than obviously making sure that you get the payout you won, it’s also useful for the payments to be anonymous. Cryptocurrency poker sites can provide this service, as there’s no need to provide bank information to transfer crypto payments. This is becoming one of the most important features for players who care about online safety.
Payments made with cryptocurrencies are also faster than the ones you would make in fiat currency. In most cases, the payment is made instantly.
Responsible Gambling Features
Poker can be a thrilling game. It’s played against real opponents, it requires strategic thinking, but also guts and sometimes an aggressive attitude as well. All of these combined can lead inexperienced players to make bad decisions and end up wagering more than they can afford. That’s why a cryptocurrency poker site should have responsible gambling features built in.
The most important of these is a stop loss. Once a player loses a certain amount, they get signed out of their account for a set time. It helps players cool off and prevents going into risky loss chasing.
Conclusion
Poker is one of the most beloved gambling games and one that depends on the player’s skill. Players should carefully study different poker sites before choosing the one they plan to use. There are a few key features that a Bitcoin poker site needs to have.
These are mostly about safety and the quality of the gameplay, but they can also be about the features the poker site provides and what your potential winnings will be.
