Ethereum poker: three different games under one name
Guide · Poker with ETH
With ETH you can play video poker, casino poker against the house, or poker in a room against other players. Each charges in a different way, and the pay table or the rake matters more than the coin.
Ethereum poker is not one game but three: video poker against a machine, casino poker against the house, or real poker against other players in a room. You deposit ETH in all three, but the house charges in a different way in each, and that decides what a session costs far more than the coin does. This page does not review specific poker rooms; we have not read them.
Three games under one name
| Format | You play against | How the house charges | Rough cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Video poker | The machine | The pay table | 0.5% to 5%, by table and strategy |
| Casino poker (Casino Hold'em, Three Card Poker, Caribbean Stud) | The dealer | The payout rules of each hand | 2% to 5% of the amount bet |
| Player-vs-player poker | Other players | Rake: a share of each pot, usually capped | Depends on the room and stakes |
Video poker: the pay table is everything
| Jacks or Better | Full house | Flush | Return with optimal strategy | Cost per €100 bet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9/6 | 9 | 6 | 99.54% | about €0.46 |
| 8/5 | 8 | 5 | 97.30% | about €2.70 |
| 7/5 | 7 | 5 | 96.15% | about €3.85 |
| 6/5 | 6 | 5 | 95.00% | about €5 |
The pay table is on the game screen before the first hand. In crypto casino originals, video poker is often provably fair, so you can check after each hand that the deal was fixed beforehand.
Casino poker: against the dealer
| Game | Bet | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| Casino Hold'em | Ante + Call | about 2.2% |
| Three Card Poker | Ante/Play | about 3.4% |
| Caribbean Stud | Ante + Raise | about 5.2% |
Side bets such as Pair Plus or progressive jackpots usually carry a much larger edge than the main bet.
Player-vs-player poker: rake and anonymity
In a poker room the house does not win against you over time: it takes rake from each pot, or an entry fee in tournaments. Before depositing, look up the rake percentage and its cap per hand, and whether the room allows assistance tools or bots. Rooms that let you play under an alias without verification usually ask for documents at the first large withdrawal.
Depositing ETH without overpaying
A mainnet ETH deposit pays gas regardless of the amount, which shows on a €20 deposit and hardly at all on €500. If the cashier takes ETH on a layer 2 or USDT on TRC-20, BEP-20 or Solana, the transfer costs cents. See networks and fees and buying crypto to play.
Set a deposit limit in euros even when playing in ETH; help and tools are on responsible gambling.