Stake Poker

Stake is one of the fastest-growing cryptocurrency gambling sites worldwide.

Since its launch in 2017, Stake has become the official betting partner of the UFC, signed sponsorship deals with several current & former MMA champions like Alex Pereira, Israel Adesanya, and Alexa Grasso, as well as football legend Sergio Aguero, and the F1 racer Fittipaldi Brothers.

The gambling giant has just recently added poker to its game selection, and our team of professional poker players and journalists didn’t hesitate to spend vast hours testing the site so we can provide you with an honest and reliable Stake Poker review.

In this extensive review, you will get to know the most significant features of the platform, looking to answer the most important question: is playing on Stake Poker worth it?

• Promotions: rakeback & daily freerolls
• What is the best bonus code to maximize your profit
• Everything about gameplay & traffic
• Deposits & withdrawals with crypto
• How reliable is Stake Poker?

How to open your Stake Poker account?

Registration is easy, you only need your e-mail address.

1. To open an account and receive a 5% rakeback, you just have to follow these step-by-step instructions.
2. Clear the cookies in your browser
3. Visit the official Stake Poker website and click ‘Register’
4. Fill out the form and click ‘Continue’ to create your account. Make sure to use the bonus code SMPBONUS in the field ‘CODE (Optional)’

Stake Poker bonus code

If you sign up now and make your first deposit using the code SMPBONUS, you will get a weekly 5% rakeback!

New players are also eligible to play in daily freeroll tournaments with a total of $1,500 guaranteed prize pool.

Promotions

While Stake offers tons of promotions in its casino department, poker promotions are still in the works.

That said, the poker platform already has a huge advantage over many competitors in freeroll tournament prize pools!

Stake Poker freerolls

The site hosts three freeroll poker tournaments every day for a total prize pool of $1,500 ($500 each).

The daily freerolls always start at the same time:

• 01:00 AM (UTC)
• 07:00 AM (UTC)
• 01:00 PM (UTC)

To join them, just head over to the ‘Tournaments’ tab in the lobby and select the type ‘Freerolls’ in the header.

These tournaments usually have a field of around 1,000-1,500 players, so you can expect plenty of action.

The first 110 places are paid, with the winner taking 25% ($124.90), making these tourneys one of the highest-paying freerolls on the market!

Rakeback deal

The Stake Poker rakeback program is very straightforward: if you enter the bonus bode SMPBONUS during the registration process, you will receive a 5% rakeback.

Rake structure

As the platform does not have a huge variety of games yet, its rake structure is very simple: the rake is 5% for cash games and 10% for tournaments.

Stake Poker traffic & game selection

The room offers No-Limit Texas Hold’em (NLH) and Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO) cash games (which are called ‘Ring Games’ on the site), as well as tournaments in both formats.

As poker games are quite new on the site, don’t expect the same traffic as on larger sites, but the platform has around 250 online players on average and 1,500 players during peak hours, which is quite impressive.

Cash games

Currently, you can play at stakes ranging from $0.01/$0.02 to $0.50/$1.00, and even though Stake Poker is quite new, there is good traffic already on cash game tables.

The minimum and maximum buy-ins depend on the limit, 40 big blinds the smallest, and 100 big blinds being the largest buy-in.

Tournaments

Due to the poker room’s recent launch, the traffic on MTTs is not yet significant, but as the site gains popularity, we expect the numbers to go up soon.

Tournament buy-ins range from $0.55 to $550 in both NLH and PLO, and the poker room also stands out for its freerolls which offer a huge boost to new players’ bankrolls.

Reliability & trustworthiness

Since its launch in 2017, Stake has built a reputation as a reliable and secure gambling site. The platform operates under Medium Rare N. V. and has a Curaçao eGaming license.

The Stake Vault feature enhances account security which gives extra protection for your funds.

The site also uses an RNG (Random Number Generator) audited by third-party companies to ensure fair play.

Stake Poker software

As of now, the poker room does not offer downloadable software for desktop or mobile.

Even without a dedicated app, gameplay is seamless in the state-of-the-art, browser-based client across all platforms, including Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android.

Poker games are available directly from the website, you just have to click on ‘Stake Poker’ like you would on a slot game in the casino section.

To make things easier for players, even though transactions are crypto-only, all amounts are displayed in USD on Stake Poker.

Lobbies are easy to see through, filters are functional, and observing games without sitting down to play is also an option.

Multi-tabling is possible for up to four tables, which you can arrange in either ‘Tile’ or ‘Cascade’ view.

When you are about to leave a table, make sure to click ‘Leave Game’ in the side menu, because simply closing your browser window might result in posting unwanted blinds.

HUDs, trackers, and hand converters are not allowed on Stake Poker, and any use of illegal software can get your account blocked with your funds confiscated.

Hand histories are accessible from the side menu on the left to replay and review your previous plays.

Betting buttons are fully customizable, as well as auto buy-in options in cash games.

You can also personalize your tables by adjusting felt color, background & foreground, deck colors, and even the overall theme.

‘Stream Mode’ is also available, which allows you to hide your hole cards and high combinations so you can stream to your audience without revealing your hand.

You can communicate with other players via a chat box in the lower left corner, where you can either send a preset message or type your own.

Throwable virtual items like tomatoes, rocks, money, or even a timer, are available too, but you can turn this feature off in the table settings if you prefer a more focused poker experience

Payment methods

All transactions are processed in cryptocurrencies, so you must have a crypto wallet to play on Stake Poker.

The site supports over 20 cryptocurrencies, including:

• Bitcoin (BTC)
• Ethereum (ETH)
• Litecoin (LTC)
• Tether (USDT)
• Dogecoin (DOGE)
• Ripple (XRP)
• Tron (TRX)

The minimum deposit is $5 worth of crypto and there is no maximum limit. Here are the details for the most popular crypto options:

Thanks to blockchain technology, transactions are very fast, and withdrawals are often completed in under 30 minutes.

If your region supports fiat currency, you can purchase crypto directly on Stake via Moonpay which accepts payments through:

• Visa
• MasterCard
• Apple Pay
• Google Pay

To use this feature, just select ‘Buy Crypto’ in your wallet, enter the amount, and complete the transaction via Moonpay.

KYC verification

To play on Stake Poker, you don’t necessarily have to verify your identity. To join and play, you don’t have to provide any documents, but verification is mandatory for substantial withdrawals or if an account activity triggers security protocols.

The verification process has 4 steps:

1. Basic information: name & date of birth (allows access to most features)
2. Government-issued ID: passport, driver’s license, or national ID & proof of address (unlocks additional bonuses)
3. Proof of address via documents like utility bills or bank statements
4. Source of funds verification, requested in special cases to confirm the origin of gambling funds

Customer service

The best way to contact customer service is via the live chat feature where Stake provides 24/7 support and offers rapid response times.

Conclusion

We recommend Stake Poker to anyone who appreciates the decentralization of cryptocurrencies, cash game grinders looking to play against recreational players on a well-established gambling site, and players who want to build their bankroll in freeroll tournaments.