Best Bitcoin Poker Sites of 2023

Texas Hold ’em, Blackjack, Omaha, Follow the Queen – even if you are not a regular gambler or expert, you have certainly come across these different poker variants or played them before. Knowing the differences between them can help you get ahead and choose the best one for you.

Three biggest groups of poker games are draw poker, stud poker and community card poker.

• Draw games, as the name suggests, describes those types poker games where players have been dealt a complete hand and they have to trade in their cards in order to improve their hand. One of the most popular such games is the five-card draw.
• In stud games, players are dealt a number of cards – often that 5 or 7 (hence five- and seven-card stud) – and they have to play with those cards, not drawing any more.
• Lastly, community card games refers to games where players are dealt incomplete, face-down cards which they combine with community face-up cards to make their best hand. They are called ‘community’ since the face-up cards are shared, meaning that all players can play off them.

In addition to these three groups, there is a number of rule variations that can be applied to poker types. One possibility is the addition of wildcards to the game, either in the form of jokers, or for example by making low cards like deuces wild. The other rule variant is lowball, where the lowest hand wins the pot – here, the most common games are Razz and 2-7 Triple Draw.

Some more variations do exist, but with the rise of online casinos and consequently of online poker games, another question presents itself:

What are the differences between playing live poker and video poker?

Firstly, video poker is generally played faster since there is no need for a dealer to deal cards, shuffle, collect chips, etc. Live, you are only playing one table, rake tends to be higher on average, and the general pace of the game is slower than online. For some, that can be a disadvantage since they prefer to focus on the goal and do not enjoy slow games.

It is true that online games do not allow for reads, which can be an important strategic element – but if you are playing for fun or aiming to perfect your skills, online poker is readily available, more accessible, convenient, and you have a greater selection of games as well as flexibility since you can play anywhere and anytime.

As opposed to regular poker, Bitcoin poker sites offer much more anonymity and fast transactions. Most of your personal information such as you name, address, phone number and credit card information are not necessary; you can deposit and withdraw your Bitcoins by providing only e-mail and your bitcoin address. As far as Bitcoin poker transactions are concerned, they are pretty much instantaneous. If you want to have your winnings in your pocket immediately, you may just be able to do that with online Bitcoin poker.

Poker hand combinations are (in descending order):

• Royal flush (A-K-Q-J-10, all same suit),
• Straight flush (any sequence not including A, all same suit),
• Four of a kind (all four suits of the same rank),
• Full house (three suits of the same rank + two suits of the same rank),
• Flush (all the same suit, no sequence needed),
• Straight (any sequence, different suits),
• Three of a kind (three suits of the same rank),
• Two-pair (two suits of the same rank, twice),
• Pair (two suits of the same rank),
• High card (single highest card).

Have you ever heard of a ‘poker face’? As silly as it sounds, it is very important when it comes to winning poker. Ultimately, no matter which type of poker you play, the cards you are dealt are random – and so are those of your opponent. Sometimes ‘worthless-looking’ cards can win a game and aces can lose. But in order to win at poker, you must know how to win with those ‘worthless-looking’ cards and with worthless cards.

Wait – what??

Yes. It means that you must know how to win with your game and not with your cards. Win with your poker face.

Consider these 3 poker playing styles:

• play aggressively with a strong hand (pretty obvious one),
• play passively with a weak hand,
• play aggressively to make your opponent fold a better hand.

Unfortunately, the latter requires practice because this must become a subconscious way of thinking for you. But there is also something called the theory of poker game, which you can learn faster and start using it immediately.

Know which hands to play in which position. You might think that everything depends on the cards in your hands, but your starting position can actually give you a lot of leverage if you know how to use it to your advantage.

Stay unpredictable. In other words, don’t let your opponents know whether you have a strong or a weak hand. If you let them know this, they will learn to read you, and if this is the case you might as well stop playing. To keep your opponents in the dark, you can follow a few rules: Play some of your weak AND strong hands the same way; raise to the same size with ALL hands that you play: show your cards ONLY when you really have to.

Choose the right table. This point gets overlooked too often. Although choosing the right table is harder to do online than at real-life poker, you should still consider the house rake, how good the players at the table are, how are they play – which styles they use – and if the game is safe. In short, find a table that preferably has no house rake, and with many ‘just-for-fun’, loose players. This is the point where you must put your ego aside.

Study your opponents and adjust accordingly. Look for signs that can tell you when your opponents are playing aggressively, when they are playing hands which don’t really make sense, when they tilt and what hands are they showing. Look for any weakness or pattern and adjust your tactic accordingly. This is very difficult to do and requires a lot of focus, but many players can be read (at least to some extent), especially the longer the game is played.

Do not overcomplicate. Take your time to make a decision. Never rush. Try to find a logical decision for your next move and do not let others pressure you into a rushed action. Poker is a game of patience.

If you need any information about the fundamentals of poker theory or terms used, feel free to check out this Wikipedia article.