Stake Poker Deal: Rakeback, Bonus & Exclusive Review

How Our Deal Works

When you create a Stake account through our link or successfully connect your existing account to our deal, you will gain access to all the exclusive perks that come with being connected to Universal Poker — on top of everything Stake already offers on-site!

Whether you're new to Stake or already have an account you'd like to connect to our promotions, click the button below and we'll guide you through whichever process applies to you.

Wondering how it all works? We'll explain everything below.

Stake Welcome Bonus

New players who sign up through our link also receive Stake's standard platform-wide welcome offer: a 200% deposit match bonus up to $2,000. This applies across the casino, sportsbook, and poker room, so it stacks directly with our exclusive perks below.

Monthly Rake Chase

Players who sign-up to Stake through Universal Poker will receive access to our Monthly Rake Chase, rewarding up to 10% extra rakeback, every month!

The percentage of rakeback you receive is dependent on how much rake you generate in a calendar month.

Not sure how a Rake Chase works?

• Rewards will increase, dependent on how much rake you generate in a calendar month.

• The higher the rake contribution, the larger the reward.

• Once the month has come to and end, your rake contribution will be locked-in and you will receive the corresponding reward in the following month.

Rake Chase Tiers:

For example, if you make a rake contribution of $1,000 in the calendar month of January, you will receive 10% (as per level 2) in rakeback the following month! This will be paid directly into your player account, by Stake directly.

Access Our Regular Freerolls

Stake themselves are very generous and host a lot of freeroll tournaments themselves, but who ever complained about having more?

When you create a Universal Poker account, you will gain full access to our Freerolls Page, where you can find the password to our exclusive freeroll tournaments, varying in prize-pool sizes!

For anyone looking to try Stake freerolls with no tournament buy-in, these events are free to enter.

How To Join

Want to try out Stake's poker product?

Signing up through Universal Poker is straightforward and takes roughly around 3 minutes.

Click "Get Started" below to take you through the sign-up process.

What Is Stake Poker?

Stake.com is a cryptocurrency casino and sportsbook that launched in 2017. It quickly became one of the most prominent gambling brands in the world, partnering with the UFC, sponsoring Everton FC and Juventus, and counting Drake among its ambassadors.

Its poker room — simply called Stake Poker — opened in September 2024 as an integrated part of the main Stake.com platform. That means it sits right alongside the casino and sportsbook, accessible directly from your browser without downloading anything.

This setup creates something rarely found in online poker: a steady flow of casino and sports betting regulars who wander into the poker lobby. The result? One of the softest player pools in online poker today.

Stake Poker Welcome Bonus

New players can claim a 200% deposit match bonus up to $2,000 using a promo code at registration. While it is a general casino/sportsbook bonus, it applies to poker play as well.

Stake Poker Rakeback & VIP Club

Stake Poker does not offer a standalone rakeback programme for poker players. However, all poker wagering contributes to the site-wide Stake VIP Club, which unlocks rewards as you hit lifetime wager milestones:

The 3.5% rakeback kicks in from Bronze level and applies to total wagering across the platform. VIP status is lifetime — once earned, it's yours to keep.

For a broader comparison of rakeback programmes across poker sites, visit our Poker Rakeback FAQ.

Stake Poker Promotions

Bad Beat Jackpot — Up to $1,000,000 Available at all Hold'em, PLO, PLO5, and PLO6 cash game tables. The jackpot triggers when you lose a hand with a very strong qualifying hand (e.g., quad deuces in Hold'em). Payouts are distributed as follows:

• 5.6% to the losing player (bad beat)

• 3.5% to the winning player

• 2.1% shared among all other active players at the table

All-In or Fold Jackpot — Up to $500,000 Available across all AoF tables. Win a pot at showdown holding a straight flush or better and you qualify.

Daily Freerolls Stake Poker runs 4 Grand Slam $500 Freerolls every day, open to all verified players. Around 1,500 players enter per event, with approximately 150 places paid. The winner typically takes home around $120.

Stake Poker Game Variety

Stake Poker covers the most popular formats, with more likely to follow as the room matures.

Cash Games

• No-Limit Texas Hold'em (6-max and 9-max)

• Pot-Limit Omaha / PLO5 / PLO6

• Fast Poker (Next!) — up to NL50

• All-In or Fold (AoF)

Stakes run from as low as $0.01/$0.02 all the way up to $2.50/$5.00, making it accessible for micro-stakes beginners and comfortable for mid-stakes regulars.

Tournaments (MTTs)

• 2–3 tournaments running every hour

• Buy-ins from freerolls up to $100

• Guarantees up to $2,000

• Game types: NLH, Pineapple NLH, and Omaha

• Popular named events: The Octagon ($20 / $1,200 GTD), The Haymaker ($10 / $1,000 GTD), The Uppercut ($5 / $500 GTD)

Sit & Gos While there are no traditional Sit & Gos, most MTTs attract under 50 players, making them feel like large Sit & Gos in practice.

Stake Poker Software & App

Stake Poker runs entirely in your web browser — no download, no app required. It works on desktop, mobile, and tablet through Chrome or Safari.

For a browser-based client, the feature set is impressive:

• Run It Twice — available on all cash game tables

• Straddle — supported across the lobby

• Rabbit Hunting — see what cards would have come

• Stream Mode — hides your hole cards for streamers

• Auto-Rebuy — configurable per table

• Customisable Bet Buttons — pre-flop and post-flop

• Stack Display in Big Blinds

• Multiple Table & Deck Themes

• Max 6 Tables simultaneously

The lobby uses a "Seat Me" system for cash games — you pick a stake, see active player counts, and get randomly seated. This is more casino-style than traditional poker, but it keeps things simple.

Stake Poker Player Pool & Traffic

Peak traffic sits at around 1,500 active connections, primarily in the late evening and early morning (European time). The most action is found at NL10, NL20, and NL100 tables.

The defining characteristic of the Stake Poker player pool is its softness. Because the poker room is embedded within a major casino and sportsbook, a significant proportion of players are casino regulars rather than dedicated poker players. This makes it an excellent choice for anyone looking for above-average win rates at their stake level.

Stake Poker Rake Structure & Charges

Stake Poker charges a flat 7% rake across all No-Limit Hold'em and Pot-Limit Omaha cash games, capped by stake level and the number of players dealt in — a touch above the 5–6% industry standard, but the trade-off is a considerably softer player pool.

Tournament buy-ins carry a standard 10% commission. A 2.5% slice of the cash game rake is set aside specifically to fund the progressive Bad Beat Jackpot pool described above — so a portion of what you pay in rake flows directly back into the jackpots rather than disappearing entirely.

Every dollar of rake also counts toward both your Stake VIP Club tier and Universal Poker's Monthly Rake Chase, so nothing you pay in rake goes to waste.

Stake Poker Payment Methods

Stake Poker is a crypto-only platform, supporting over 20 cryptocurrencies. Players without existing crypto can buy in directly on the platform using a card or bank transfer, which is instantly converted.

Stake Poker Security & Licensing

Stake.com is licensed in Curaçao and operated by Medium Rare N.V. The platform uses SSL encryption on all sessions and supports two-factor authentication via Google Authenticator.

All games are provably fair, meaning every hand result can be independently verified using cryptographic hashing — a level of transparency rarely seen outside of crypto-native platforms.

Stake Poker Country Restrictions

Stake Poker is available in most countries worldwide, but it is not available in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Australia, or approximately 38 other jurisdictions. Always check local laws before registering.

Stake Poker Customer Support

Stake Poker offers 24/7 live chat — the fastest option, typically connecting you with a human agent within 1–2 minutes. For less urgent or documentation-heavy queries, support@stake.com responds within 24 hours. There's no phone line, but the in-site Help Center covers most common questions on deposits, withdrawals, and KYC. Players connected through Universal Poker can also come to us directly for priority support on anything that needs escalating.

Stake Poker Pros & Cons

Pros

• Exceptionally soft player pool

• Backed by a globally recognised brand (since 2017)

• No-download browser client — works on any device

• Up to $1,000,000 Bad Beat Jackpot

• Daily $500 freerolls (4 per day)

• Fast crypto withdrawals (10 min – 2 hours)

• Provably fair technology

• Lifetime VIP status once earned

Cons

• Poker room only launched in September 2024 — still maturing

• No dedicated poker rakeback (VIP-based only)

• Crypto only — no traditional bank transfers

• High rake at 7% for cash games

• Tournament traffic still relatively low

• Not available in US, UK, Germany, Australia + others

Stake Poker: Our Verdict

Stake Poker is not trying to compete with GGPoker or PokerStars on traffic or tournament guarantees — and it doesn't need to. Its real selling point is the quality of its games, driven by a player pool that is uniquely soft for the stakes.

If you're a recreational player who wants an easy-to-use, browser-based poker experience with generous jackpots and daily freerolls, Stake Poker delivers. If you're a serious grinder looking for high-volume MTT schedules or traditional rakeback, you may want to supplement with another room, such as our recommended BCPoker rakeback deal. To explore other poker sites and compare rakeback deals, browse all our poker deals.

For players looking to join through Universal Poker, you'll also benefit from our exclusive Freeroll Tournaments and up to an extra 10% Rakeback through our Monthly Rake Chase — perks you won't get signing up directly.