Why Play at Stake.us?
Stake.us is a relatively new and exciting poker site from crypto gambling powerhouse Stake. While it’s still a work in progress, Stake.us offers a legal way for US poker fans to enjoy the game. And with plenty of beginners, super-fast banking, and cool features, it’s an exciting addition to online poker.
- Legal poker site in the USA
- SC500+ in daily freerolls
- Soft player pool full of casino gamblers
In This Guide
- Why Play at Stake.us?
- Stake Poker Information
- Stake.us Score
- About Stake Poker
- How Stake.us Poker Sweepstakes Work
- Stake Bonuses For Poker
- How to Download Stake.US
- Stake Poker Games
- Stake Poker Series and Tournament Events
- Stake.us vs Stake.com
- Unique Events at Stake.us
- Poker Strategy for Playing at Stake.us
- Lobby and Features
- Stake.us Poker App
- Stake Customer Service & Safety at Stake
- Stake.us Payment Methods
- Is Stake.us Poker Legit?
- Stake.us Personal Review
- FAQs
Stake Poker Information
- Official Site: Stake.us
- Established: 2022
- Owned by: Stake (Ed Craven and Bijan Tehrani)
- Gambling License: Curaçao Gaming Authority
- Available on: Instant play on all web browsers
- Payment Methods: BTC, ETH, LTC, USDT, DOGE, BCH, XRP, EOS, TRX, BNB, USDC, APE, BUSD, CRO, DAI, LINK, SAND, SHIB, UNI, POL, SOL, TRUMP
- Poker Network: Stake
- Available in the US: Yes
Stake.us Score
- Cash Games: 8/10
- Tournaments: 7/10
- Bonuses: 6/10
- Game Types: 8/10
- Player Pool: 9/10
- Payment Methods: 8/10
- Lobby & Software: 8/10
- Mobile App: 8/10
- Security: 10/10
About Stake Poker
Stake.us poker is a US-focused site that can legally offer online poker in the country. Keep in mind that Stake.us is a separate sweepstakes poker site, distinct from the main Stake site. We’ll explain more about how that works in this Stake Poker review.
Stake is arguably the biggest brand in global online gambling and the leading crypto gaming operator. Its move into online poker is one of the most exciting developments in the industry for a while. There’s a lot of cool stuff happening, so let’s get into it.
How Stake.us Poker Sweepstakes Work
Sweepstakes sites are the latest attempt by operators to get around restrictive gambling laws that still exist in much of the US.
Maybe you’ve heard of sweepstakes sites. If not, here’s a rundown of how they work, specific to Stake.
When you join and deposit, you can only buy Gold Coins (GC). GCs have no real money value – think of them as play money tokens.
They can be used to play poker (and casino games as well). You can claim free Gold Coins most days, just by logging in.
But with each deposit, Stake gives you Stake Cash (SC). This is officially a gift, but it does have real value. Look at the bundles available in the Cashier to see exactly how much SC each deposit or GC buy will get you.
SC can be converted to real cash. Withdraw your new cash as crypto. When you see SC in this Stake Poker review, just think of it as $.
So, does Stake have poker for real money? Yes, absolutely.
Pros
- The biggest crypto gaming site
- Legal in most US states
- Huge Jackpot pools
- Unique game features
Cons
- The welcome bonus is not massive
- Rake higher than most sites
Stake Bonuses For Poker
The Stake brand is probably the largest gambling company in the world right now, handling billions in transactions every year.
Having focused on casino, then adding sports, it’s now poker’s turn. When testing the site for this Stake Poker review, our first impression was that it’s a great start, but it still feels like it’s in development.
For example, there are currently limited poker bonuses on the website. Not all is lost, though. Look out for Stake Poker bonus code offers and exclusive freerolls via social media and through Stake’s poker streamers.
Welcome Bonus
You can claim your welcome bonus without a Stake Poker bonus code to get a package containing SC25 and GC250,000. To collect your reward, you do need to verify your new account and email address within three days.
You’ll receive your Stake Poker welcome bonus in batches of SC1 and GC10,000 per day. It’s a modest amount, but it’s really easy to claim and perfect for attracting new players to the site who might not otherwise have played poker.
Stake.us Rakeback
Stake.us rakeback is currently a flat 3.5%, which can’t compete with the best rakeback deals online. But there are some benefits to this.
Firstly, it means fewer grinders and regs clogging up the tables every day. And, as less experienced poker minds don’t understand or care about Stake.us rakeback, it means you’re getting tons of soft opponents at the tables.
A quick note on cash game rake. At 7%, it’s higher than most poker sites. The trade-off is that the cash games are full of beginners.
Like the welcome bonus, you don’t need a Stake Poker promo code to claim rakeback. You’re automatically eligible.
Stake’s Poker Loyalty Scheme
The Stake.us VIP Club is divided into four tiers: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. You rise up the ranks based on how much you wager.
Each level gives you better enhanced monthly bonuses, leveling up bonuses, weekly rewards, and daily bonuses at the Platinum level.
The loyalty scheme at Stake.us is not specific to poker – you also earn points based on any casino gaming activity.
Other Promotions
Look out for the SC1,000,000 Bad Beat Jackpot triggered by these hands:
- Hold’em = 2222 or better
- PLO = 4444 or better
- PLO5 = 8888 or better
- PLO6 = JJJJ or better
Both players must use two of their hole cards, and the hand must go to showdown. The winner, the loser, and all seats at the table win a share of the prize pool.
The All-in or Fold Jackpot has an SC500,000 prize pool. Win with a straight or royal flush at any All-in or Fold game using your two hole cards for a share of the pool.
And, as mentioned, you’ll find lucrative Stake Poker promo codes through ambassadors and social media channels. They have so many that it definitely pays to follow a bunch of them and keep your eye out for new Stake poker bonus codes.
How to Download Stake.US
Stake.us doesn’t require any download. In fact, all poker play is directly via your web browser. This means instant play wherever you are.
And, as the Stake platform and software are top of the range, you can expect it to run perfectly every time.
It’s important to note that Stake.us is pretty strict about opening your account. You must complete some basic KYC checks to confirm your age (18 or 21, depending on where you are) and your place of residence.
We don’t have a huge problem with this, though. New poker sites often get flooded with fake sign-ups and bots, so this helps block them.
Most online poker sites require you to verify your account before making any withdrawal. This just moves that stage ahead.
Stake Poker Games
We were happily surprised during this Stake Poker review to find a lot more games than just typical Texas Hold’em. New sites usually focus on that first, but there’s a lot of different action to enjoy here.
Stake Poker Tournaments
Stake’s MTT schedule has recently been expanded and improved, giving you more options.
The biggest guarantees hit the SC1,500 mark on an average day. Clearly nowhere near the maximums elsewhere, but the competition is so soft, you should expect to at least cash in most of them with solid poker play and a little luck.
There are plenty of freerolls, too, with at least SC500 given away daily. Again, these are definitely worth playing. Fields are small, and the beginner-heavy tables make for a really fun vibe.
Popular tournament formats at Stake.us include:
- KO: Get a fixed bounty prize each time you knock out an opponent.
- Progressive KO: Each time someone is knocked out, the player who KO’d them gets a bounty prize, but an amount is added to their bounty, too. As you go deeper in the tourney, you win more by KO-ing players, but you also have a bigger bounty on your head!
- Satellites: Buy-ins are already low, but satellites run to the larger events. Like most of their events, these are not tough games.
- Re-entry: These let you buy in again up to the end fo the late reg period if you’re knocked out early.
Cash Games
This Stake Poker review found many cash/ring games. Stakes ranged from SC0.01/SC0.02 to SC2/SC5, and they were all pretty busy.
Omaha tables had similar stakes. Jump into the action whenever you fancy and leave when you want. Fixed blinds mean less pressure than tourney situations, where they climb quickly.
Hold’em games are full of gamblers who’ll play any hand. Be careful bluffing with nothing, as you won’t push fish off even very weak hands.
Omaha is like the wild west! Hardly anyone seems to know the rules or even basic strategy, so you’ve got a great chance to clean up.
Texas Hold’em
Most traffic is on the Hold’em tables. This isn’t a surprise, as it’s the dominant game at every online poker site.
Your aim is to make the best five-card hand using any of your two hole cards and the five community cards. Or at least bluff your opponents into thinking you have a better hand than they do.
All Hold’em is no limit – bet as much of your stack as you want during any betting round.
Omaha
Original Pot Limit Omaha (PLO) is now live, alongside PLO5 and PLO6 action (five and six-card versions).
In regular PLO, you get four hole cards and must use two of them to make the best five-card hand you can, using three community cards too. PLO5 and PLO6 deal you five and six-hole cards, respectively.
Omaha games see bigger hands more often – pairs and two pair will rarely be good enough to win. Chase the nuts and don’t overplay low straights and weak flushes.
Other Formats
It was cool to see Pineapple poker online during our Stake Poker review. This variant of Hold’em gives you three hole cards instead of the standard two.
You keep all three cards until after the flop. Any seats still in the hand after the flop must discard one hole card. The game then plays out as Hold’em with the turn and river dealt.
Here are the poker game types available at Stake.us:
| Texas Hold’em | ✅ |
| Pot Limit Omaha (PLO) | ✅ |
| 5-Card Omaha (PLO5) | ✅ |
| 6-Card Omaha (PLO6) | ✅ |
| Omaha Hi | ❌ |
| Omaha Hi/Lo | ❌ |
| Pineapple Poker | ✅ |
| Razz | ❌ |
| Seven-Card Stud | ❌ |
| Seven-Card Stud 8 or Better | ❌ |
| 2-7 Single Draw | ❌ |
| 2-7 Triple Draw | ❌ |
| H.O.R.S.E. | ❌ |
| 8-Game | ❌ |
| Six-Plus | ❌ |
Stake Poker Series and Tournament Events
With Stake.us still making a name for itself, it’s not a huge surprise that there are no big tournament series, which are common at other poker sites.
We’ve spoken to the team about this, and they confirmed plans are in place once traffic grows and the demand is there.
Stake.us vs Stake.com
Stake.us is the local US version of global Stake, which has the .com domain. If you live in the US, you’ll only be able to access and play at Stake.us, which uses the sweepstakes model.
The two sites have separate pools, promotions, games, and betting models. Stake.us uses Gold Coins and Stake Cash for wagering.
As described in more detail above, at Stake.us Poker, you buy Gold Coins and are gifted Stake Cash, which can be used for real-money betting and can be withdrawn.
The .com site uses a standard gambling model. Your deposit is real cash and is used for wagering.
If you’re trying to use a Stake Poker promo code and getting an error message, double-check it’s for Stake.us and not the .com version.
Unique Events at Stake.us
The SC1,000,000 Bad Beat Jackpot has been making waves online. We’ve already listed the qualifying hands and criteria earlier in this Stake Poker review, but here’s the prize breakdown:
- 5.6% goes to the “unlucky” loser
- 3.5% to the winner
- 2.1% is split between the other seats dealt in
Notably, 3% of all ring game rake goes into the jackpot fund. It’s always worth staying to the end of every hand you play. If you leave the table before a hand finishes and the jackpot drops, you’ll miss your share of the prize.
All-in or Fold games at Stake.us give you just two options: Go all-in or fold. This isn’t quite the random free-for-all you might think. You should stick to a range of hands, depending on your position.
Luck is obviously involved, and many rivals will shove with anything, any time (frustrating!). But if you can navigate the first few opening hands, when the most carnage happens, you can be profitable long-term.
Stake.us also runs a second jackpot, specifically for All-in or Fold games. The All-in or Fold Jackpot has an SC500,000 prize pool. To cash, you need to win with a royal flush, using both of your hole cards. If you play at higher-stakes cash games, you’ll unlock a bigger chunk of the jackpot.
Recent Updates at Stake Poker
The latest updates for 2026 that we came across in our Stake Poker review include new auto-seating to cut waiting times and also stop any table selection tactics.
Multi-tabling on mobile and desktop has been capped at 6. This figure includes cash games and tournaments.
Popular features like Run It Twice and Straddle bets have been expanded to more tables. There are now more freerolls and Stake Poker bonus codes, and the site has started leveraging its network of professional streamers to promote poker more.
Famous online names like PaymoneyWubby, FencerGG, and StahnGG have been hosting enhanced freerolls over the last few months.
Poker Strategy for Playing at Stake.us
Here are four simple tips to improve your chances of winning at Stake.us:
- Understand the sweepstakes model: We’ve covered everything you need to know about how Stake.us works. Just remember that Gold Coins are free-play tokens with no real value. Stake Cash is gifted to you and is the currency you can use for real-money games and convert into withdrawable cash (crypto).
- Play tourneys and freerolls: The tourneys and freerolls don’t have massive prize pools, but they also don’t attract sharks or a high level of play. This means you have a great chance of cashing regularly by playing a solid poker strategy in MTTs.
- Use strict Omaha strategy: Omaha at Stake.us is wild! It seems obvious that most of those playing don’t understand how to play and will keep calling, convinced that they can improve. You can’t bluff effectively, so it’s better to be patient and win big with premium hands.
- Be careful bluffing: With so many poker newbies and pure gamblers used to casino games, your Hold’em strategy needs to be refined. Most of your rivals will call and play most hands, and will continue betting with pairs and other low-value hands, no matter how dangerous the board is. Have nothing? It’s better to fold.
Lobby and Features
The lobby prioritizes simplicity with few menu tabs, so you can jump straight into the action.
You’ll find various settings to personalize your experience, like buttons, colors, cards, and so on.
There are also some cool features, including some things that we haven’t seen elsewhere or that are rare at other poker sites.
- Early Bird Bubble Protection: Get your buy-in back if you get knocked out on the bubble. Just register early to qualify.
- Straddle: More common at high-stakes live poker, straddling lets you raise ‘under the gun’ before you have even seen your cards. It’s double the big blind. It can be a risky play, but it builds pots and encourages more multi-way action.
- Re-straddle: If a straddle bet is placed, there’s the option to re-straddle for another double big blind.
- Run It Twice: If two hands are all-in after the flop, there’s the option to run the turn and river twice if both seats agree. The pot is then split in two. You could win one, both, or none of them, but in the long term, it lowers variance.
- Rabbit Hunt: You’ll either love or hate this. Rabbit Hunt lets you see what cards would have been dealt if you’d continued playing after folding.
- Remove Chips: If you’re playing at an All-in or Fold table, you can “Remove Chips’ from the table. You keep your seat, but you get a breather. As your only option is to go all-in or fold every hand, this is a vital tool to use when your stack gets very big.
- No HUDs: This is a feature lacking, but worth mentioning. There’s neither an internal HUD nor integration for third-party HUDs. It’s a positive for newbies and casual poker fans as it keeps the sharks away.
Stake.us Poker App
Stake.us has a downloadable poker app for iOS or Android, but you don’t need to download anything id you don’t want to. You can also just log in and play via any mobile browser on your device, with the option to multi-table up to six events at once.
There are no real differences between the Stake mobile browser and app versions. And the desktop experience is similar as well. It’s actually more likely that Stake put more effort into their mobile software than into their desktop software, because so much of their player base is on mobile.
Stake Customer Service & Safety at Stake
Stake is licensed by the Curaçao Gaming Authority and holds multiple local licenses in other countries.
Stake runs provably fair games, which means you can check that game rounds were truly random yourself.
As a famous crypto gaming brand that’s been operating since 2017, it’s a certified safe operator. And its customer support is first class. In fact, Stake is one of the few poker sites with a reliable 24/7 live chat.
The Stake Telegram channel is also a good place to stay up to date with the latest news, find the odd Stake.us poker bonus code, and get help.
Finally, if you’re logged in, there’s a constant community chat box open. People are posting all day long. A lot of nonsense, but there are good nuggets of info and help if you need it too.
Stake.us Payment Methods
There were over 20 cryptocurrencies accepted during this Stake.us Poker review.
Remember, you‘re buying Gold Coins, and with each purchase, you also get free Stake Cash coins.
Deposits at Stake.us:
| Deposit Method: | Minimum Deposit | Deposit Fee (excluding any gas fee): | Processing Time: |
| BTC (Bitcoin) | $20 | None | Instant |
| ETH (Ethereum) | $20 | None | Instant |
| LTC (Litecoin) | $20 | None | Instant |
| USDT (USD Tether) | $20 | None | Instant |
| DOGE (Dogecoin) | $20 | None | Instant |
| BCH (Bitcoin Cash) | $20 | None | Instant |
| XRP (Ripple) | $20 | None | Instant |
| EOS | $20 | None | Instant |
| TRX (Tron) | $20 | None | Instant |
| BNB (Binance Coin) | $20 | None | Instant |
| USDC (USD Coin) | $20 | None | Instant |
| APE (Apecoin) | $20 | None | Instant |
| BUSD (Binance USD) | $20 | None | Instant |
| CRO (Cronos) | $20 | None | Instant |
| DAI | $20 | None | Instant |
| LINK (Chainlink) | $20 | None | Instant |
| SAND (Sandbox) | $20 | None | Instant |
| SHIB (Shiba Inu) | $20 | None | Instant |
| UNI (Uniswap) | $20 | None | Instant |
| Polygon (Pol) | $20 | None | Instant |
| SOL (Solana) | $20 | None | Instant |
| TRUMP | $20 | None | Instant |
Withdrawals at Stake.us:
| Withdrawal Method: | Minimum Withdrawal: | Withdrawal Fee: | Processing Time: |
| BTC (Bitcoin) | 0.00002504 | 0.00001571 | Instant |
| ETH (Ethereum) | 0.001 | 0.00067447 | Instant |
| LTC (Litecoin) | 0.01857329 | 0.000138 | Instant |
| USDT (USD Tether) | 2.5 | 1 | Instant |
| DOGE (Dogecoin) | 5.4992597 | 0.52151198 | Instant |
| BCH (Bitcoin Cash) | 0.00405806 | 0.00004 | Instant |
| XRP (Ripple) | 1 | 0.0001 | Instant |
| EOS | 1.87644594 | 0.1078848 | Instant |
| TRX (Tron) | 7.82408913 | 0.0733617 | Instant |
| BNB (Binance Coin) | 0.0033573 | 0.00002542 | Instant |
| USDC (USD Coin) | 2.5 | 1 | Instant |
| APE (Apecoin) | 1.33849659 | 0.155 | Instant |
| BUSD (Binance USD) | 2.5 | 1 | Instant |
| CRO (Cronos) | 12.38101982 | 6.28 | Instant |
| DAI | 2.5 | 0.8 | Instant |
| LINK (Chainlink) | 0.09825748 | 0.05296495 | Instant |
| SAND (Sandbox) | 2.75329187 | 0.748 | Instant |
| SHIB (Shiba Inu) | 78795.08659 | 23941.65317 | Instant |
| UNI (Uniswap) | 0.13873145 | 0.00077163 | Instant |
| Polygon (Pol) | 3.56742532 | 0.97322515 | Instant |
| SOL (Solana) | 0.01050998 | 0.000005 | Instant |
| TRUMP | 0.1 | 0.025 | Instant |
Is Stake.us Poker Legit?
Absolutely. You’re probably bored of reading in this Stake Poker review how much of a big deal Stake is in online gambling.
But it’s a global giant. You’ve probably seen the logo on tons of sponsorships before, and it has various famous ambassadors like sportspeople and streamers on its payroll.
The US poker sweepstakes product is legit poker. If you’re new to sweepstakes, we understand it might seem a bit confusing and long-winded. But in reality, it’s easy and allows you to play real-money poker.
Is it Legal to Play at Stake in the US?
Stake.us is 100% legal for residents of most US states. It’s true that in the last year, Stake has added some states to its exclusion list under pressure from local governments.
This is a fluid situation, but as of June 2026, the restricted states are California, Washington, New York, Nevada, Idaho, Kentucky, Michigan, Vermont, New Jersey, Delaware, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maryland, Louisiana, Montana, and Arizona.
Stake.us Personal Review
If you’re living in the US and have been looking for a trusted, legitimate online poker site, then Stake.us is a great option.
As part of the Stake network, you’re getting a first-class software and user experience, with super-easy payments and cashouts via crypto. The sweepstakes model may take a bit of getting used to, but the structure lets you play real-money poker safely and securely.
I had heard the action was soft, and found the whole experience on the site was so much more refreshing than reg-heavy poker rooms. Omaha, in particular, can be a goldmine if you wait for good hands. It’s true that, as yet, the tournament guarantees and bonuses don’t rival those of other top poker sites.
But would you rather have a solid chance of cashing in nearly every tournament you enter, or fight against huge fields full of pros elsewhere and be lucky to cash in one of every 10 events you play?
