Stake Poker Review
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Stake Poker Review
Overview
Stake is primarily known as a huge online crypto casino and sportsbook, but it has recently ventured into online poker. Stake Poker refers to the poker room inside Stake.com (or Stake.us in the US), which was introduced in 2024.
For Canadian players (except Ontario where Stake is not available due to provincial regulation), Stake Poker offers a new option integrated into a larger gambling platform. Stake.com operates under a Curaçao license and is famous for being crypto-centric and endorsed by various celebrities/streamers.
The poker section’s unique selling point is that it’s part of the Stake ecosystem – meaning a seamless experience if you already use Stake for casino or betting, and features like 24/7 chat support and gamification that Stake.com is known for.
However, as a newcomer, it’s in beta and still developing features and player liquidity. Reputation-wise, Stake is a trusted name in crypto gambling (if not strictly “regulated” beyond Curaçao) but its poker product is very new, so it’s still building credibility among poker players. Players can sign up on the site using Stake Poker promo code NEWBONUS for a deposit bonus of up to $3,000.
Game Selection
Stake Poker initially launched with a limited offering, focusing on Texas Hold’em and Omaha cash games and tournaments. It’s reported to have both NLHE and PLO cash tables, likely at low to mid stakes while in beta.
They also introduced some fun table features in line with their casino style, such as Rabbit Hunting (revealing what the next cards would have been after everyone folds), Bomb Pots (random hands where everyone antes big and jumps straight to a flop), and Shootout mode (knockout-style tournament format). These make the games more casual-friendly and exciting.
Tournaments
At launch, Stake Poker ran only freeroll tournaments (free entry with real prizes) as a testing phase. These freerolls had decent payouts (e.g., ~$50 for first), and a structure designed to last ~2 hours so they don’t drag on.
They likely plan to add buy-in tournaments as the beta progresses (some mention buy-ins up to $27.50 are available or planned). Expect a schedule of small daily tournaments, Sit & Gos and possibly jackpot SNGs in the future given competition.
Cash Games
The comment from Stake’s forum indicates they plan to have cash games (which may be live by now) with typical stakes from micro upwards. Stake Poker currently is more focused on building a community via freerolls, but cash games “are coming” (if not live already). We also know from a forum post that the rake for cash games was set at 5% initially, then rumored to increase (more on rake later).
Other Poker Variants: Stake.com also offers casino poker games (Three Card Poker, Caribbean Stud, video poker, etc.) separately, but those are house-banked games, not peer-to-peer. Within Stake Poker, it’s peer-to-peer poker; as of now just Hold’em and Omaha. Possibly, given the audience, they could add Short Deck or other trendy games later, but nothing confirmed.
Integration: Being part of Stake means your poker account is your Stake account – so you can easily switch between slots, sports, and poker. That also means any VIP perks or leveling in Stake might apply universally.
Tournaments & Promotions
In this early stage, Stake Poker’s main promotion has been freeroll tournaments to attract players. They have run daily freerolls with prize pools that pay out in cash or site credit, allowing people to try poker risk-free. Because Stake has a deep marketing budget, one could foresee future promotions like leaderboard races, reload bonuses or VIP rakeback specifically for poker players once it’s out of beta.
Stake.com generally has a VIP program for casino betting (offering rakeback on house games, bonus drops, etc.). It’s unclear how that translates to poker; they might unify it such that playing poker contributes to your Stake VIP level, which then gives you weekly/monthly bonuses (thus indirectly a form of poker rakeback).
Welcome Offer
Stake’s approach historically is lower on generic welcome bonuses and more on ongoing rewards. Currently, there’s no specific poker welcome bonus advertised, but Stake.us (the social casino for US) offers something like 5% rakeback and some starting currency.
For Stake.com, new users usually get matched deposit or bonus codes for the casino; nothing dedicated for poker yet aside from freerolls.
Once poker is fully rolled out, expect promotions like deposit $X and get tournament tickets, exclusive streamer freerolls (Stake partners with streamers, so they might host special events), and big series possibly akin to mini online poker series with guaranteed prize pools to make a splash.
They can leverage their huge user base and funds to create big promotions (like maybe a $100k freeroll or added money events) to draw in players from casino to poker.
Software & User Experience
Stake’s poker software is in beta, so user feedback suggests it’s a work in progress. It runs within the Stake.com site (no separate download, it’s web-based).
The interface likely follows Stake’s sleek, dark theme style. It would allow multi-tabling in browser tabs or a unified window. Early feedback from the community pointed out missing features when it first launched – possibly things like limited table settings, no lobby filters, etc.
One forum user said “the software is a real disappointment. So many things missing,” which is expected for an MVP release. Another user enjoyed it and hoped they improve a few things in beta.
Given some time, Stake has been actively updating it. By now, basics like table chat, sound controls, maybe avatars are there. Stake likely integrated their Provably Fair verification for the poker dealing (Stake as a casino is big on provably fair for games, and they would want that for poker too to assure players).
On the plus side, Stake’s overall UX is known for being user-friendly and reliable. The poker runs directly from your browser or mobile web; rumor is a mobile app might come, but browser-based HTML5 works on mobile as well.
Mobile: People have indeed been playing via stake’s mobile site, and it works decently as per some user forum comments (but small sample). Stake will ensure mobile compatibility since many of their casino players are on mobile.
Unique UX features
Stake integrated some fun elements like the Rabbit Hunt and Splash animations possibly (if similar to GG’s “throw objects,” maybe Stake might add their own twists). Also, since Stake has chat integrated site-wide, the poker tables likely allow global or table chat where players (and even spectators if allowed) can talk.
Stake’s community is strong, so this social aspect might be emphasized. There haven’t been reports of major crashes, but as beta, some bugs were there. They are refining it. Given Stake’s tech resources, we expect a smooth, no-lag experience eventually.
Payment Methods
Stake is a crypto-first platform. For Canadians, you deposit in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, etc., to Stake.com. Stake does not natively accept CAD or credit cards, but they have integrated services to buy crypto via card on site (like using MoonPay). Many players just transfer crypto from a personal wallet or exchange.
So, deposit options: Multiple cryptocurrencies (BTC, ETH, LTC, DOGE, XRP, etc. and also stablecoins like USDT). If a Canadian doesn’t have crypto, Stake’s site allows purchasing via third-party with Visa/Mastercard or Apple Pay, but fees apply.
Withdrawals are also in crypto only. Stake processes withdrawals quickly (usually within minutes for most requests after an automatic review). No direct CAD withdrawal – you’d withdraw crypto and then convert externally to CAD if desired.
Transaction fees
Stake doesn’t charge deposit fees. For withdrawals, they charge a fixed fee per crypto (to cover the network cost). For example, they might charge 0.00007 BTC to withdraw Bitcoin (just an example) – so you want to use cryptos with low fees like LTC or XRP to minimize costs.
Currency at tables: Likely denominated in USD or a stable equivalent for poker. Stake might show balances in USD for ease, even if underlying is crypto. They might also allow play in chips that correlate to crypto value.
One advantage: If you already gamble on Stake, your funds are shared across casino and poker instantly, no need to transfer wallets – it’s one balance. And if you have CAD, you can use a service like Onramper integrated in Stake to convert CAD to crypto in your Stake account.
Ontario note: Stake ceased operations in Ontario as of mid-2022 due to regulation (they block Ontario IPs). So, Ontario players cannot access Stake Poker (nor any Stake product) unless they travel out of province.
Legality & Security
Stake.com is not regulated in Canada, but it’s widely used. It’s licensed in Curaçao. That means legally Canadians (outside Ontario) are free to play, as with other offshore sites, at their own risk. Stake has a reputation for fairness in its casino (provably fair games, etc.) and high security – they’re a massive company in the crypto gambling space.
Stake employs robust security measures: 2FA for accounts, cold storage for funds, etc. They haven’t had hacks reported. Given high-profile users, they take security seriously.
Regulatory compliance
Being Curacao-licensed, they ensure underage gambling is prohibited, and they have KYC guidelines if suspicious activity or large transactions (though many users gamble anonymously with just email login until certain thresholds). For large withdrawals or cumulative big deposits, they might KYC (ask for ID).
State-by-state in Canada: Only Ontario is specifically excluded due to iGaming Ontario. All other provinces have no laws against offshore crypto casinos, so Stake operates openly.
Within Stake’s site: They are part of the Crypto Gambling Foundation ensuring fairness.
Security for players: Funds are not insured by any gov’t, but Stake’s track record shows they pay out reliably (the complaint often is they do limit or ban accounts that abuse promotions or cheat, but not refusal of legitimate withdrawals).
Rake & Fees: Stake Poker’s rake started standard (5% rake up to typical caps), but there was a recent increase to 7% rake with higher caps on Stake.us which alarmed players. Specifically, a Reddit thread noted Stake.us increased cash game rake from 5% to 7%, with cap increase too (e.g., at 50NL, taking 11 BB from a 100BB all-in pot, which is huge).
This presumably might apply to Stake.com as well, indicating a quite high rake. One user in Stake’s forum said 7% rake “will cause the end of cash game on stake.com”, expressing concern. Another countered that since Stake’s players are mostly recreational, they might not notice 5 vs 7%.
Tournaments rake
10% is mentioned and considered standard and fine. So if Stake keeps 7% rake, that’s above industry norm (most are 5% or less). However, Stake might offset this with rewards or just bank on casual players not minding.
Also, Stake has an interesting rule: they require a 3x wager rollover on deposits before withdrawal (to comply with AML). So if you deposit to play poker, you might need to generate 3x that in bets (poker rake should count toward that, but unclear). If you only play a bit and win big, you may have to play more or talk to support.
Rakeback
Stake’s VIP program provides certain rakeback for casino play. It’s possible that poker rake contributes to your VIP progress, and then you get weekly/monthly bonuses. Stake.us explicitly offers 5% rakeback (likely on losses) as part of welcome.
On Stake.com, high volume players (especially streamers) get custom deals or reloads. Over time, they might implement a direct rakeback or leaderboard for poker. In forum talk, someone said rake is standard 5% and “10% for tournies”, but that was before the increase rumor.
As per reported numbers, cash rake ~5-7% depending on final decisions, and tournament fees ~10%.
Player Traffic & Competition: As a brand-new entrant, Stake Poker’s traffic is building from scratch, mainly pulling existing Stake users or curious newcomers.
Early on, the freerolls were often filled by a modest number of players (maybe a few hundred entries). Stake’s user base is large, but not all are poker players. They will need time and promotions to ramp up traffic.
One optimistic view: Stake’s brand and integration could cause a poker boom by converting casino bettors to poker. However, that remains to be seen. For now, player traffic is low to moderate – there might be only a couple of cash tables running and a handful of tournaments per day. As of the beta phase, many reported only freerolls were available.
Competition
Because it’s mostly Stake’s existing players, player skill skew is recreational. Many are trying poker casually, not seasoned grinders. Also, with features like bomb pots and rabbit hunt, the vibe is more casual fun than hardcore strategic. That said, once word spreads of freerolls and soft games, some poker regulars might join to take advantage.
For example, a user posted a hand on Reddit about an “unreal hand on stake poker” showing the wild play – possibly illustrating the loose action.
In freerolls, expect gambly play (people not risking their own money). Once real money games open, because Stake is casino-first, those players might play poker like they spin slots – loosely and for entertainment.
Peak times likely align with when Stake’s site is busiest: Stake has global users but many from Europe, Asia, and the Americas since crypto runs 24/7. Evenings in North America would see a decent crowd.
If Stake heavily markets it (they have big streamers like on Kick platform since Stake is behind Kick streaming site), traffic could balloon. For now, it’s growing organically.
Competition level
Very soft at launch. Possibly will remain softer than average if many players are cross-over gamblers. However, if rake stays very high, pro grinders might avoid it (so you won’t find many tough pros there), ironically keeping games soft but maybe liquidity lower.
Customer Support
One of Stake’s strengths is 24/7 live chat support. On Stake.com, you can reach support within seconds via their live help and typically get issues resolved quickly – this is something many poker sites lack. For Stake Poker, the same support team handles it; they’ll help with any poker-related issue (e.g., tournament not paying out, technical bug, etc.) readily.
Additionally, Stake has active community forums (as we saw, lots of discussion there) and a Discord. They are pretty responsive to community feedback – those forum posts about rake etc., are likely read by management.
Response times
Usually immediate for chat. Email support also exists but chat is primary. Stake support is generally well-regarded for being prompt. However, outcomes depend on issue. For instance, for a gameplay complaint or suggestion, they’ll note it for devs.
For account issues, they’re professional. Many players have accounts of Stake support being far better than average casino support (in part because VIPs get personal managers if you wager a lot).
Pros and cons of Stake Poker
Easy integration with other gaming options
Crypto-friendly site
24/7 live support for players
Soft player pool
Huge player community
Low traffic
High rake
User Feedback
Early feedback in Stake’s own forum and Reddit has been mixed but trending positive as features are added:
•Praise: People are excited poker is on Stake, saying things like “glad they have poker now, confident it will upgrade very soon”. They enjoy the freerolls and structure not being too long. The soft play is anecdotally enjoyed – one Redditor shared a crazy hand implying donks are plentiful. Many are giving suggestions, which means they’re engaged and want it to improve (like bigger tourneys, add Omaha, etc., some of which are implemented).
•Criticism: As noted, interface lacking features (no note-taking on players, no sit out next BB button, etc., initially). The rake increase got heavy criticism among more serious players who did the math. Some suspect the higher rake because Stake expects mostly rec players who won’t care – which could be true. But that can deter any semi-pros entirely.
In aggregate, Canadian players who already use Stake for betting are happy they can play poker without leaving the site. Those who are pure poker players might not flock yet until the platform matures.
Final Verdict
Stake Poker is a promising new poker room for Canadians that excels in user experience and support, but it’s still in its infancy. We give it 7.5/10 at this stage. The potential is high – Stake’s massive community and resources could make it a top site if they nurture the poker product.
Right now, it’s great for casual play and for those who love the Stake ecosystem or crypto convenience. It’s not yet ideal for hardcore grinders (due to traffic and rake concerns).
Our recommendation: If you’re a Canadian who already plays on Stake or wants a casual, fun poker environment with easy crypto banking, give Stake Poker a try – especially the freerolls and low stakes.
If you’re more serious about maximizing profit or multi-tabling many tournaments, you might hold off until Stake Poker grows a bit more. That said, the soft competition can’t be overlooked – a skilled player might tolerate higher rake if the opponents are losing far more than 7% extra in mistakes.
Comparatively, Stake Poker could become like the “home game” feel – friendly, entertaining, with the backing of a huge platform. For now, approach it as a secondary option (since traffic is developing), but keep an eye on it.
Stake has the capability to heavily invest in poker, and if they do (e.g., big guaranteed series with overlay to attract people), it could quickly rise as a serious competitor. Canadians outside Ontario are in a prime position to enjoy it from the ground up, and it’s definitely worth checking out a freeroll or two to see the vibe and features.
