What is sweepstakes poker?
Sweepstakes poker is ideal for those who like the thought of playing Omaha or Texas Hold’em without the risk. Social and sweepstakes poker sites do not require a purchase to play and, instead, make use of virtual currencies.
Gold Coins vs Sweeps Coins
The two types of virtual currencies used will vary depending on how and where you plan to play. For those playing at a social casino - or a sweepstakes casino for fun only - Gold Coins will be your currency of choice.
- These coins have no real monetary value and cannot be converted into cash prizes.
If you plan to play at a sweepstakes casino with the hope of walking away with cash prizes, then you will use Sweeps Coins.
Gameplay
Once you have registered, you will be able to redeem your first no deposit bonus. This bonus will offer you your first batch of Gold Coins and/or Sweeps Coins to use across your sweepstakes poker site. From here, you will be able to enter tournaments and play
sweeps casino games online, as you would at any real money alternative.
Are online poker sweepstakes legal?
Playing at a sweepstakes poker site is completely legal across the US, except in Washington. Sweepstakes poker games are considered to be games of skill and so fall under slightly different laws to traditional real money online poker sites.
However, although it is perfectly legal, not all states allow it.
The best sweepstakes poker sites
In this next section, we take a closer look at the very best social and sweepstakes casinos that offer poker games to its users.
Stake.us
Stake: Pros & Cons
- Over 300 casino games
- Top software
- Exclusive bonus
Stake.us is a sweepstakes casino that has just unleashed its own poker sweepstakes game that is simply called Poker. This sweeps coin poker game offers you a refreshing update on the classic game of Texas Hold ‘em, and you will also be able to play a great video poker game.
All of this is enough to show why Stake.us could be one of the best sweepstakes poker sites out there. What’s best is that these Stake Original titles can be played online or through your mobile browser and are available to those playing for fun or with Stake Cash.
Both Gold Coins and Stake Cash can be unlocked as part of the daily login bonus.
- First-time visitors will also be able to make use of our exclusive promotional code
BALLISLIFE
and unlock a welcome offer that provides 55 Stake Cash, 260,000 Gold Coins and 5% Rakeback.
Perfect for getting a great start at one of the best sweepstakes poker sites.
- Alongside its original poker and video poker titles, Stake.us shows that it isn’t just the best online poker site as it also has over 500 casino games covering slots, scratchcards, live dealer games, table games and feature spins.
The bulk of the portfolio is backed by Pragmatic Play and Hacksaw Gaming, providing a fast-loading and smooth sweepstakes gaming experience.
Those playing sweepstakes poker with Stake Cash will need to meet a 3x playthrough and minimum withdrawal requirement before any Stake Cash can be exchanged for merchandise, vouchers or digital cash.
It is also worth noting that like many social poker sites, Stake.us is currently unavailable in Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Kentucky, Vermont, Michigan and New York.
$55 Stake Cash + 260K Gold Coins + 5% Rakeback
Stake.us Highlights
- Exclusive promo code:
BALLISLIFE
- Redeem Stake Cash for cryptocurrency
- Unique Stake Originals games!
Global Poker
Global Poker: Pros & Cons
- Available in 49 states
- Varied buy-ins
- Ongoing bonuses
Global Poker is the only dedicated sweepstakes poker site available in the US. Unless you’re in Washington state, you can enter games and tournaments, play Omaha and Hold ‘em, with micro, low, medium, or high buy-ins.
- For all new verified players, a $20 Gold Coin package purchase that includes $20 of Sweeps Coins (SC) will be released into your account.
No
Global Poker promo code
is required; however, you will need to play through the bonus once and meet the minimum withdrawal limit of 50SC before any Sweeps Coins are eligible to be converted into cash.
Beyond the welcome bonus, you’ll also be able to unlock further free coins by posting a letter to HQ, entering competitions on Facebook, making further Gold Coin package purchases and logging in daily.
Although poker is clearly the main focus here, you can also find 26 slots to enjoy. All games and tournaments can be loaded and entered both online or through your mobile browser. As things stand, we are still waiting for an app to be launched.
Global Poker Tournaments
Global Poker is one of the few, if not the only, sweepstake poker site that hosts thrilling tournaments. Over a hundred of different tournaments are hosted each day in different poker formats, such as Texas Hold’em and Omaha, you might even find a HORSE game or two.
Knock-out games are the most common, but you will also find tournaments that enable rebuys should you suffer a bad beat. Just make sure you don’t go on tilt afterwards and covet your chips carefully.
If you are looking for a lengthy and in-depth poker experience, then there are plenty of deep stack tournaments to be found. If you don’t have the budget for tournaments with a hefty buy-in, then don’t worry, there are plenty of satellites to go around.
- For a more up-pace style of playing poker, you can opt for any of the turbo or hyper-turbo tournaments.
Buy-ins are available for as little as 1 Sweeps Coin, which is perfect for beginning players or players wishing to play satellites.
- High stakes games can range up to 128 Sweeps Coins, however the prize pools will range into the tens of thousands.
Perhaps the highlight of the weekly schedule is the Sunday Scrimmage.
Which sweepstakes poker site is best for Texas Hold’em?
For a long time, sweepstakes poker sites were a poor imitation of their real-money counterparts. But Stake.us has changed all of that with its recently launched poker game.
- This offers you a great way to play poker sweepstakes in a way that offers an innovative update of the likes of Texas hold’em.
What’s best is because Stake.us is one of those social poker sites, you can always play for free and you also have the potential to redeem real-world prizes like crypto, gift cards and merchandise.
Not only that but Stake.us has a competitive welcome offer to give you a helping hand when you play its sweeps coin poker.
- All you have to do is to sign up to the site using our exclusive BALLISLIFE code and you’ll get 55 Stake Cash, 260,000 Gold Coins and 5% rakeback.
This will give you the ultimate start when you play sweepstakes poker at Stake.us and go a long way in helping you to redeem some real money prizes. All of which shows why this is easily one of the best sweepstakes poker sites out there.
Which sweepstake poker site is best for Omaha?
Although not as popular as Texas Hold’em, lovers of Omaha are plentiful. This type of poker requires a lot more foresight because you’re playing with two hands instead of one.
That being said, that also means that your opponents are playing with two hands and have a much higher chance of holding a winning hand. Omaha poker is volatile and requires a lot of practice, logic and probability calculations to master.
When deciding on the best Omaha sweepstakes poker site, it is simply a matter of availability, as many sweepstakes casinos do not offer this format of the game. At the moment of writing, Global Poker is the only sweepstakes casino that offers Omaha poker.
Which sweepstake poker site is best for Tournaments?
Global Poker is by far the best sweepstake poker site if you are looking to play tournaments. As mentioned above, they have a myriad of different poker formats and structures available.
- Whether you are a fan of a quick game of hyper-turbo poker or a slow drawn-out deepstack tournament, Global Poker has it all.
To top it all off, Global Poker also offers exclusive tournaments on their weekly schedule like the Sunday Scrimmage. They also host a yearly open tournament called Rattlesnake Open, which is by far the biggest within sweepstake poker tournament on the web with a prizepool of 1 million Sweeps Coins.
Get Stake.us free rolls to play sweepstakes poker online
Stake.us is well on its way to becoming the best online poker site in the US.
- This is because the sweepstakes casino has just launched its poker product and what’s best is that you can get plenty of free rolls to play with.
After all, you will always be able to play poker sweepstakes for free as these social poker sites should always let you enter their sweepstakes with no purchase necessary.
- Plus you can sign up here to play some of the best online poker with real money prizes redeemable too.
All you need to get suitably rewarded for playing sweeps coin poker.
How to play Sweepstakes Poker
Playing poker at sweepstakes casinos works pretty much the same as it does at regular online casinos. The only difference between the two is the buy-in method.
At regular poker sites, you use real cash to enter any type of poker game or tournament, while at sweepstakes poker sites you use Sweeps Coins or whichever name is the equivalent at the site you’re playing at.
In reality, anyone can learn how to play poker. All it takes is practice, probability calculation, and a bit of luck at times. For many beginners, the game may seem daunting at first because they’ve probably only seen professional poker players going at it.
- All it takes to get started is simply dive in and start playing with low stakes to get a good look and feel of the game, as well as memorize the different poker hands and how to play them wisely.
Poker Hands Rankings
Knowing the poker hand rankings by heart is the bread and butter of any beginning poker player, no matter if you’re playing for real cash prizes or Sweeps Coins.
While it looks like a lot of work in the beginning, the more you play, the more you start to recognise which cards can make a winning hand and the value of the hand.
If you are a beginner, then we recommend keeping open this tab while playing poker to keep track of the different poker hand rankings. They are as follows, ranked from lowest to highest:
- High Card:
(the card with the highest number wins if no other players has a better hand)
- A pair:
(Any pair of the same number. A pair can be made with the cards in your hand or with one on the table)
- Three of a kind:
(Three cards of the same number or suit)
- Straight:
(Five cards in a straight sequence - for example 1,2,3,4,5)
- Flush:
(Five cards all of the same suit - they do not need to be in a sequence)
- Full House:
(A combination of Three of a Kind plus a Pair)
- Four of a kind:
(Four cards of the same number or suit)
- Straight Flush: (Five cards in sequence, all of the same suit)
- Royal Flush:
(Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and 10 in the same sequence, plus of the same suit)
Also keep in mind that the value of the poker hands are based on their probability - the higher the value, the lower the probability to land any of the hands mentioned above.
Play poker online for free
Sweeps Poker
Know when to fold
Not every hand is a winning hand, no matter how lucky you think you are.
- On average, you will be folding your hands 66% of the time.
You do not need to join every pot for every round, especially not if the cards you were dealt are drab.
It is also important to count your losses when someone raises too aggressively. Not all raises are bluffs and it is very likely your opponent has something good in their hand that will be yours.
Keep an eye on how other players at the table are playing
In the beginning, you might be too preoccupied with your own chances of winning and which cards land on the table and that is fine. The more you progress in your skills at the game, you will be able to divert your attention to how other players are playing.
For example, a certain player can go all-in every single pot, which means they are likely just bluffing.
- A player who mostly folds and then suddenly plays a hand probably has some good cards in the hole.
- A player who aggressively raises constantly just wants to steal the pot money constantly.
By time you will be able to pick them off one by one and place your bets in a calculated way.
Avoid going on tilt
It’s easy to get swept away in a game of poker, especially when you were so close to winning the pot and your opponent beats you on the River.
“Going on tilt” just simply means you are annoyed because you could have won, but you lost in the end, losing a large amount of chips. In turn, you will play much more aggressively the next rounds to win back your money regardless of the value of the cards you were dealt.
More experienced players will pick up on this and can easily outplay you this way. Try to keep a cool head, even after a bad beat.
Things to consider before joining sweepstakes poker sites
Before we leave you to make use of our dedicated social and sweepstakes casino reviews, we've created this below list catered specifically to those wanting to unlock a top sweepstakes poker experience.
As we know, all
new sweeps casino sites
are legally required to ensure you can play for free. So, it’s always wise to focus on how your social or sweepstakes poker experience will begin and what perks lie beyond the new customer no deposit bonus.
The size of the blinds at your chosen sweepstakes poker site will determine your minimum entry point. Some sweepstake poker sites will also make use of buy-ins, so make sure you check the average before using your Sweeps Coins.
Whether you are playing a game for fun or entering a large tournament with Sweeps Coins, understanding the kind of prize pools available will help you choose the right sweepstakes poker site for you.
There are some fantastic online sweepstakes poker games and tournaments readily available to enter. However, sometimes it’s nice to give sweepstakes poker a break and load up a play-for-fun slot. With this in mind, we believe that it may be worth finding a sweepstakes poker site that offers
other games, like Global Poker.
If you are fortunate enough to acquire additional Sweeps Coins, you may find yourself in a position to make a prize withdrawal. To avoid any disappointment, make sure you check the kinds of prizes available.
Comparing the best online poker real money sites with sweepstakes poker sites
By now you’ll probably understand that you can either play poker online with real money or play at social poker sites with virtual credit.
So here is a quick overview as to how these two kinds of poker platforms compare:
| Criteria |
Real Money Poker Sites |
Sweepstakes Poker Sites |
| Player pool sizes |
Even the best sweepstakes poker sites may struggle to match the player pool sizes of their real money counterparts |
Smaller player pools due to the nature of the sweepstakes model |
| Poker networks used |
You’ll recognize some of the largest poker networks at real money poker sites |
Playing poker sweepstakes will usually involve a smaller network |
| Legality |
Regular real money poker platforms have to comply with the online gambling authorities to offer a fully licensed and regulated service |
Sweeps coins poker sites will have to comply with the sweepstakes gaming laws of the states that they operate in |
| Coins |
Regular online poker sites let you deposit your own cash and then use those funds as stakes for poker and if you win, you can make a cash withdrawal |
Playing sweepstakes poker means that you can always play for free, and if you play with Sweepstakes Coins you could win more and then redeem them for real world prizes |
| Eligible states |
Even the best online poker site will only be available in a handful of states at best |
Social poker sites are usually available in 40+ states |
Look out for loose players at sweepstakes poker sites
There are plenty of social poker sites launching at the moment, and while this is good, they do seem to be largely populated by loose players.
These are those rookie gamers who have barely played sweepstakes poker before and therefore play without truly understanding what they are doing.
While this sounds like it makes it easy to make some simple wins from your sweeps coin poker, such unpredictable gameplay could cause you to make some surprise losses too.
So be sure to bear this in mind when playing at the best sweepstakes poker sites.
Playing against fish at the best sweepstakes poker sites
Chances are that you already know that ‘fish’ is the term for a weak or lesser-skilled poker player, and it’s worth figuring out where these fish are.
- After all, by playing against fish, you should stand a better chance of getting a win when you play sweepstakes poker.
So the good news is that many of the newer social poker sites are filling up with fish. These are players who are pretty inexperienced and they want to use these sweepstakes poker sites to play for free before they risk their own cash.
Perfect for allowing you a better chance of getting a win when playing poker sweepstakes and redeeming some real-world prizes along the way.
Conclusion - enjoy sweepstakes poker in the US
Sweepstakes poker is legal across the majority of the US and mimics the experience found at real money alternatives. You never need to make a purchase to play and you will be presented with regular bonuses, in order to keep your virtual currencies topped up.
Gold Coins are play-for-fun only and Sweeps Coins present you with the chance to walk away with cash prizes.
However you plan to play, we are certain that we have got a social or sweepstakes casino review that will suit your style - just remember to check out the bonuses, blinds, and prizes before signing yourself up.
Sweepstakes Poker FAQ
🃏
Where can I play sweepstakes poker?
Although
real money sweeps casinos
are off the table, you’ll still be able to play poker for real money prizes at dedicated sites like Global Poker. You’ll also be able to join top social and sweepstakes casinos that offer video poker games to its users.
📱
Can I play sweepstakes poker on my phone?
Sweepstakes poker sites are growing in popularity and the need for mobile accessibility is inevitable. Already we have seen many top social and sweepstakes casinos provide a dedicated experience through mobile browser or mobile application, allowing you to play on the go.
💯
What bonuses are available at sweepstakes poker sites?
Due to the very nature of sweepstakes poker sites, you’ll be able to enter competitions without ever making a purchase. With this in mind, you’ll find
similar sites to Global Poker
will all make use of virtual currencies that can be acquired by unlocking daily login bonuses, referring a friend, and opting into the rewards program.
BALLISLIFE.COM
