Betplay.io Crypto Poker Review: Best Features, Soft Tables, and Fast Games

Betplay.io offers a 100% first deposit bonus, but unfortunately, poker players will be disappointed – this bonus is granted to casino games only. The wagering requirement is a big 80x, which is quite high, if we are being honest.

For example, in case you deposit $100, you need to create $8,000 in wagers before you can withdraw the bonus. While that would be okay for casino gamers, that is all but useless as a poker gamer. Which frustrates me even more, knowing full well you'd hoped to get some value as a poker enthusiast.

Betplay.io does have some cashback and rakeback deals that could be quite attractive if you are into the casino side of things. You get a Daily Rakeback and 10% Weekly Cashback on losses, but it is kickback with a catch – poker, sportsbook, and live dealer games do not count toward these promos. You will have to achieve at least a VIP Bronze I to access them. It's tiered, of course – the more that is gambled, the better the rewards – but poker players get left out in the cold once more.

One thing that stands out about Betplay.io for sure is the players are always there, particularly at $0.02/$0.05 and $0.05/$0.10 stakes. It is not one of those sites with the biggest player pool around, but I have never had to wait long so far to find active tables in these micro-stakes; someone is always playing, even at off-peak hours.

Speaking of the speed of the games, tables in Betplay.io can be rather fast, up to 200 hands per hour. This is often due to players leaving the table frequently, creating a lot of short-handed games with less players that inherently hasten the action.

Not that full-ring tables are always this fast, but the passive style of many players contributes to a quicker pace. Most of the players seem to be defending strong hands and playing an extremely tight and thus predictable game, which makes it extremely easy to exploit them by a more competent opponent.

If you are any good, particularly in NL5 or NL10 games, you will know how beatable these games really are. The player pool as a whole is weak, and even a moderately skilled player can find ways to exploit this.

Betplay.io operates under a license from Curacao, and this provides standard regulation, which isn't as strict as some other licenses to operate online gambling.

I have not requested any withdrawals yet for personal reasons; I'm just trying the site out. I have recently deposited $25 into it just to see how well the site would perform, and I've played for a bit now and am sitting on $65. Thus far, my impression is that all of the games are highly beatable, and I've been able to grow my bankroll pretty easily.

Although I have not undergone any withdrawal processes that I could comment on, I could say that deposits happen in no time, which is a big plus for crypto players. It is always good practice, though, to go small and test it yourself.

A few strong points of Betplay.io are the kinds of cryptocurrencies they support. You can deposit and withdraw using Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Ripple (XRP), Litecoin (LTC), Tether USD (USDT), among many others.

If you're a Lightning Network fan, you'll appreciate just how fast transactions go-deposits and withdrawals are super fast, really. That is a big advantage for any crypto player. It is convenient, secure, and saves you a lot of headache in dealing with traditional banks.

First thing to point out with Betplay.io is that only the web version of client exists, with no downloadable software or a mobile application. The platform is smooth enough in a browser, but players have to open new windows when looking to enter poker tables.

Some of the more basic options are there: four-color deck, the option to flip between blinds and cash amounts given in fiat currency, which makes life easier if people are used to that.

A problem that is personal and has happened to me is with the display of blinds and stack sizes that are in play in a tournament. It works fine at the start of a tournament, but for whatever reason, later in a tournament, it gets a little wonky and doesn't always update the proper stack sizes.

That can be confusing, especially to those that like seeing their stacks in terms of blinds rather than chip values. This is actually an issue I reported to the support team, which has not been fixed yet and probably becomes frustrating for those relying on these settings.

The other shortcoming I have faced is when choosing to open tables in new windows. With numerous windows up and running, the primary browser tab-where the lobby is kept-is considered inactive. After some time, the platform automatically logs a person out for inactivity, although actually they may be actively playing at the tables.

This results in unnecessary re-logins, which is pretty annoying, especially for those who use strong passwords. I've been auto-SAT out of tables on such occasions, which is far from ideal. Again, this is something the platform could easily fix but hasn't addressed yet.

By this time, I actually have not undergone any KYC verification on Betplay.io. Since it is crypto-based, I don't really think this would be a needed immediate action for small deposits or withdrawals.

Like most sites on gambling, though, if the withdrawal amount is large or suspicious, I could well imagine that they thereafter would request KYC. Verification terms and conditions are always good to check with them in advance before one intends to make large deposits or expects a big payout.

Pros:

♠ Fast crypto transactions, including the integration of Bitcoin's Lightning Network.

♠ Weak player pool at lower stakes, which is good for experienced players to take
advantage of.

♠ Simple and clean interface with some basic options for customization: Four-color deck,
table color changes.

♠ Live support through chat is quite responsive; issues get escalated without much hassle.

Cons:

♠ No standalone app or software; tables open in browser windows.

♠ Sometimes buggy display of blinds and stacks within tournaments may cause confusion.

♠ Auto-logouts from the main lobby when tables open in separate windows.

♠ Slower email support and failure to address issues that have already been escalated.

♠ Lack of promotional offers for poker players - no cashback or rakeback.