Poker room comparison table
| Brand | Score | Licence | Crypto accepted | Minimum deposit | Payout speed | KYC | Live chat | Languages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 1winVerified — CasinoTrust Verified | 9.6 | Curaçao | Yes | ≈ $10 equivalent (varies by method) | Minutes to 24h | Light KYC | Yes | 20 |
 bet365 | 8.9 | UK Gambling Commission | No | ≈ £5 / €5 / $10 | 1–5 business days (e-wallets faster) | Full KYC | Yes | 20 |
 Stake | 8.9 | Curaçao (GCB) | Yes | No fixed minimum (network fees apply) | Minutes (crypto) | Light KYC | Yes | 15 |
 Betsson | 8.7 | Malta Gaming Authority | No | ≈ €10 | 1–3 business days | Full KYC | Yes | 15 |
 1xBet | 7.9 | Curaçao | Yes | ≈ $1 | 15 minutes to 7 days (method dependent) | Light KYC | Yes | 50 |
Five platforms offer poker alongside their sportsbook and casino. We sat at their cash tables and in their tournaments to find out which ones are worth your bankroll.
None of the platforms on this page is a pure poker room, and that shapes everything. Their poker products live or die by the network behind them: bet365 and Betsson connect to large shared player pools with real tournament schedules, while Stake, 1xBet and 1win run smaller proprietary or white-label rooms where traffic outside peak hours can be thin. For a poker player, liquidity is the first criterion and everything else comes second.
Head-to-head winners by criterion
| Criterion | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Licensing & safety | bet365 | UKGC and MGA licences, segregated funds and ADR access; Betsson equivalent on MGA and national licences |
| Cash-game traffic | bet365 / Betsson | Both sit on large shared networks with tables running at most stakes at European peak times |
| Tournament value | bet365 | Regular guaranteed schedules and satellites; overlays appear on weekday guarantees |
| Rake on micro-stakes | Stake | Low proprietary-room rake with caps, plus rakeback-style rewards that offset it further |
| Soft competition | 1xBet / 1win | Player pools skew recreational and cross-sell from sports; traffic is the limitation |
| Payout speed | Stake | Crypto cash-outs in minutes; regulated rooms pay in one to five business days |
| Software & mobile | bet365 | Stable native client and app with multi-tabling; Betsson close behind |
| Low-stakes access | 1xBet | Deposits from around $1 and micro-stakes tables available |
Licensing and player-fund safety
Poker bankrolls sit on deposit for months, which makes regulatory protection matter more here than in casino play. bet365 holds UK Gambling Commission and Malta Gaming Authority licences; Betsson holds an MGA licence plus national licences in Sweden, Denmark, Italy and Spain, and its parent publishes audited accounts as a listed company. Both are required to segregate player funds from operating capital.
Stake, 1xBet and 1win run their poker rooms under Curaçao licences, where fund segregation is not enforced to the same standard and dispute routes are weaker. Our advice for these rooms is simple: keep only the bankroll you are actively playing on deposit, and withdraw regularly — which their fast crypto cash-outs make painless.
Games, traffic and tournaments
At European evening peak we found cash tables running from micro-stakes to mid-stakes No-Limit Hold'em on both bet365 and Betsson, with Pot-Limit Omaha available at the lower end. Both networks run daily guaranteed tournament schedules with satellites into larger weekend events; weekday guarantees occasionally overlay, which is free equity for anyone who plays them.
Stake's proprietary room is smaller but well designed: fast-fold and standard tables in crypto and fiat denominations, sit-and-gos, and traffic that is healthy at micro-stakes but thins above. 1xBet and 1win offer Hold'em and Omaha tables that fill at peak hours with recreational players crossing over from sports betting — the softest games in this comparison — but outside peak you may wait for a table. Tournament schedules on all three proprietary rooms are modest compared with the networked operators.
| Room | Network type | Peak cash traffic | Tournament schedule | Rake profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| bet365 Poker | Shared network | High | Daily guarantees + satellites | Standard network rake with caps |
| Betsson Poker | Shared network | High | Daily guarantees | Standard network rake with caps |
| Stake Poker | Proprietary | Medium at micros | Sit-and-gos, limited MTTs | Low, with rakeback-style rewards |
| 1xBet Poker | Proprietary | Medium at peak | Small schedule | Standard |
| 1win Poker | Proprietary | Low–medium | Small schedule | Standard |
Payments and cash-out speed
bet365 and Betsson pay reliably on banking timelines — e-wallets within a day, bank transfers in one to five business days — and both require full verification before the first withdrawal. Stake paid crypto cash-outs in minutes and supports fiat for players who prefer it. 1xBet and 1win accept crypto and a wide range of regional methods; 1xBet's payout window runs from fifteen minutes to seven days depending on method, so pick the method before you pick the room. Minimum deposits range from roughly $1 at 1xBet to around £5–€10 at the regulated operators.
Bonuses and rakeback
Poker bonuses are almost always released in increments as you generate rake, which makes them a rakeback scheme in disguise. bet365 and Betsson offer modest, clearly worded poker welcome offers and ongoing missions. Stake's value is in its reward programme rather than a sign-up bonus. 1xBet and 1win advertise larger sports-and-casino packages whose poker components are small. Check the current offer on each site; we do not republish amounts that change monthly.
Software and mobile
bet365's poker client and app are the most polished in the group: stable multi-tabling, hand history export and a mobile layout that handles four tables. Betsson's client is similar in capability. Stake's room runs in the browser and web app with a clean interface but no downloadable client for serious multi-tabling. 1xBet and 1win's poker clients are functional and available on Android and iOS, but lag behind on features such as table resizing and note-taking.
Support
All five offer 24/7 live chat. bet365 and Betsson agents handled a disputed hand-history request competently and escalated to a poker-specific team; Stake's chat answered account questions quickly but poker-specific queries took longer; 1xBet and 1win directed poker questions to email, which explains their 7.0 and 7.6 support scores.
Which poker room should you choose?
- Serious cash-game or MTT grinder in a regulated market: bet365 — traffic, software and fund protection. Betsson is the equivalent choice in the Nordics, Italy and Spain.
- Recreational player who wants the softest tables: 1xBet or 1win at peak hours, with small deposits and early verification.
- Crypto player at micro-stakes: Stake — low rake, instant cash-outs and a reward programme that returns part of the rake.
- Tournament-focused player: bet365 for guarantees and satellites; use our ICM calculator for final-table deals.
- New to poker: start with the free how to play poker guide, then practise at micro-stakes on bet365 or Stake.
Full room reviews with pros, cons and our test notes are in poker reviews. The same operators appear in the sports betting comparison and online casino comparison, and the compare hub puts all eight platforms in one table. The poker academy covers hand rankings, position, pot odds and bankroll rules for each format.
Frequently asked questions
Which online poker site has the most players?
Among the platforms we rate, bet365 and Betsson have the most traffic because both connect to large shared networks. Stake, 1xBet and 1win run proprietary rooms with healthy traffic at peak European hours but fewer tables overnight and at higher stakes.
Which poker room has the lowest rake?
Stake's proprietary room has the lowest effective rake in our comparison once its reward programme is included. bet365 and Betsson charge standard network rake with caps per pot. Always check the cap, because at micro-stakes the cap matters more than the percentage.
Is online poker rigged?
On licensed rooms, no. bet365 and Betsson use certified random number generators audited under UKGC and MGA rules. Variance in poker is large enough that bad runs feel unnatural; our poker strategies guide explains how to evaluate your results over a meaningful sample.
Can I play poker with Bitcoin?
Yes, at Stake, 1xBet and 1win, all of which accept BTC and other coins for deposits and withdrawals. bet365 and Betsson are fiat-only. Note that crypto-denominated tables expose your bankroll to exchange-rate movement between sessions.
How quickly can I withdraw poker winnings?
Stake paid crypto withdrawals within minutes in our tests. bet365 and Betsson paid e-wallets within a day and bank transfers in one to five business days after verification. 1xBet ranged from fifteen minutes to seven days depending on method.
What is the best poker site for beginners?
bet365 for its stable software, micro-stakes tables and regulatory protection, or Stake if you prefer crypto and want the lowest rake. Learn the rules and basic strategy in our free academy before depositing — most beginner losses come from playing too many hands, not from the site.