The Honest True Poker Review

Bethany Jones
by Bethany Jones  |  Reviewer and Columnist

Play Now at True Poker

NAME

True Poker

WEBSITE

USA Players

Yes

NETWORK

Winning Poker Network

ONLINE SINCE

2001

BONUS

100% up to $2,000 welcome bonus, and 27% rakeback

TRAFFIC

#2 in USA market

LICENSED BY

Cyrpus Gaming Authority

OWNER

CEO Phil Nagy

LOCATION

Costa Rica

GAMES

Texas Hold'em, Omaha, 7 Card Stud

SOFTWARE

Windows, Mac

DEPOSITS

Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin, Ria, Cash Transfer (WU and MG), many other cryptocurrencies

PAYOUTS

Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, other cryptocurrencies, Paper Check, Cash Transfer (WU and MG)

True Poker
Overall
3.9
  • Bonus
  • Fish Rating
  • Deposits
  • Payouts
  • Tournaments
  • Software
  • Player Traffic
  • Support
  • Mobile Software
  • Rakeback

Pros

  • Accepts USA players for real money
  • Part of a large and stable network
  • #2 in player traffic for USA poker sites
  • High 27% rakeback paid automatically every week
  • Excellent rakeback interface
  • Substantial 200% bonus if depositing with cryptocurrency
  • The largest tournaments in the American market

Cons

  • No mobile software is inexcusable
  • Almost every tournament allows re-buys and add-ons
  • Does not restrict HUDs or third-party tracking tools
  • No anonymous tables
  • No credit card deposits
  • No telephone support

True Poker Overall

True Poker is one of the oldest available online poker sites, dating back to 2001. Initially on the Yatahay poker network, this platform offered novel-at-the-time 3D software that attracted US players.

The poker platform used its proprietary software during the early years that, however popular at the time, became outdated after a couple of years. Yet, the platform was back on its feet when it became part of the Winning Poker Network, the second-largest poker network in the USA right now.

The WPN’s flagship site is Americas Cardroom. has improved quite a bit in recent years. Now being part of the same network, True Poker shares quite a bit of qualities with ACR. The main benefit of going with True Poker is the built-in 27% rakeback our players receive.

True Poker Reviewed
True Poker has the best rakeback bonus in the US market and excellent player traffic, but still lacks mobile software and protection against HUDs.

Once you download the True Poker client you’ll be able to access a wide variety of Hold’em, Omaha, Stud, and Blitz online poker options. There’s also a huge selection of tournaments and Sit and Go’s as well as built-in sports betting.

Overall, True Poker’s best features include very high traffic up to the highest stakes, the largest online poker tournament prize pools in the US market, and quick cryptocurrency payouts.

On the other side, I would like to see True Poker eventually offer mobile app, a crackdown on third-party software, and more freezeout tournaments. The lack of an app from True Poker is especially unacceptable.

True Poker Bonus Referral Code

By default, new True Poker players who don’t enter a referral code won’t receive any rakeback and may not receive any bonus.

However, if you enter the True Poker bonus code BTFTP at signup, you’ll receive 27% rakeback as well as a traditional 100% bonus on any first deposit. Use a cryptocurrency to deposit and the bonus doubles to 200%.

True Poker Referral Code
After downloading the software, enter BTFTP as your True Poker referral code here in order to get the 27% rakeback attached to your new account.

Besides releasing your bonus as you play, every time you contribute to a cash game pot or pay tournament fees, True Poker will pay 27% of it back to you. That is, by far, much more than fellow WPN site ACR gives with their promotional code.

How to get 27% True Poker Rakeback

The True Poker platform is packed with various one-time offers, special tournaments, and freerolls. However, I want to point out a significant rakeback promotion that clearly stands out.

Using the BTFTP referral code at True Poker, you get official above-board rakeback that you can track for yourself in real time. No under-the-table deals, wondering when you’ll get paid, or guessing how much you’re earning.

True Poker Rakeback
Simply go to the rewards section in the True Poker software and you’ll see a ton of details on your rakeback. Kudos to True Poker for developing a slick interface that works this easily.

Essentially, players will get back 27% of the fee they paid for playing cash games and tournaments on True Poker. This is a weekly promotion, meaning rakeback is credited every week directly to players’ accounts.

The rakeback percentage is based on the net rake that is calculated like this: Net Rake = Rake + tournament fees – bonuses.

All fees from Monday to Sunday of the previous week are taken into the equation and the final rakeback sum is paid to you the following Wednesday.

Frequently Asked Questions
✅ Which True Poker referral code gives the most rakeback?

If a player signs up normally, True Poker doesn't give them any rakeback. However, when you're creating your account, if you use referral code BTFTP you'll get 27% rakeback automatically attached to your account. This is the maximum amount of rakeback that True Poker allows.

✅ Is True Poker a legitimate poker site?

True Poker has been in operation since 2001, never truly make it into the top tier of poker sites, but remaining quietly dependable. They've been on a number of poker networks before settling in on the Winning Poker Network, the second-largest network open to USA players. I've never seen anything to question the integrity of True Poker and always receive Bitcoin payouts within 48 hours of requesting them.

✅ Which poker network is True Poker on?

True Poker is a member of the Winning Poker Network, which also hosts the flagship brand Americas Cardroom. It has risen in popularity incredibly quickly over the past several years, offering busy cash games into the highest stakes and tournaments that regularly surpass $1 million in guarantees.

✅ What is the deposit bonus at True Poker?

New players will receive a 100% bonus at True Poker, good up to $1,000. However, if you use a cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin to deposit, the bonus is doubled to 200%. Note that the minimum deposit is $25 in order to qualify for a bonus.

The True Poker Bonus

The welcome package on True Poker is quite straightforward: make a deposit of $25 or more and receive a 100% match bonus worth up to $1,000.

As you play cash games and pay tournament fees, you’ll earn True Poker Award Points. For every 27.5 Award Points you earn, you’ll release $1 as cash added to your account. You can check your bonus progress at any time in the Rewards section of the online poker software.

Double bonus for cryptocurrency users

Much like other online poker sites, True Poker has been trying to encourage people to make deposits using Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. That’s why crypto depositors get a 200% match bonus, worth up to $1,000.

True Poker Software

Functionality-wise, the True Poker online poker software is flawless. It’s fast, convenient, and lightweight. On top of that, the client is very intuitive, meaning even complete newbies will have no trouble getting around.

There’s a great overview of available cash games, tournaments, and more. You can also filter the available options by limit and stake size in just a couple of clicks. Once you choose a game and enter it, you’ll also notice how straightforward and intuitive the True Poker design is.

True Poker Software Download
I’m a fan of the table backgrounds and avatar options from the most recent True Poker release, which can be downloaded on Windows of Mac.

The interface is also highly customizable as players can select various themes, card designs, and more.

However, I must admit that True Poker needs to hire a design team to revamp the entire program since it feels very outdated. If you’re into vintage design (and by “vintage”, I mean stuck somewhere in 2006), you might actually like how simple True Poker looks. Personally, I prefer more modern designs.

Lack of Mobile Options

True Poker is unavailable on mobile browsers and there is no app. This is, I believe, the biggest disadvantage of True Poker, as it is simply unimaginable not to offer a mobile version of anything these days.

More and more users prefer playing online poker on the go, which means that, without an app, True Poker cannot reach the huge community of casual mobile poker players.

True Poker Blitz Fast-Fold
True Poker has added their version of fast-fold called Blitz Poker, which allows you to see a new hand with new players immediately after you fold.

True Poker Game Selection

There’s a fair selection of cash games and tournaments on True Poker, with Hold’em being the most popular choice for the majority of players.

Cash Games

The True Poker No Limit Hold’em cash games start at $0.01/$0.02 and go up to $25/$50. Fixed Limit Hold’em games range between $0.02/$0.04 and $40/$80.

Most of the action on True Poker actually takes place in micro and low games, although $1/$2 and $5/$10 games tend to be packed during peak hours as well.

Omaha games are also available for as low as $0.01/$0.02 but I noticed that some games go up to $200/$400, although the official upper cap is $75/$150.

Apart from Hold’em and Omaha, players can also enjoy Omaha Hi/Lo, 7 Card Stud, and 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo.

True Poker Tournament Lobby
Tournament traffic at True Poker is the highest in the USA market, often surpassing 4,000 players in the busiest events and $1 million in the largest guaranteed tournaments.

Quality of Play

Unfortunately, largely as a result of continuing to allow HUDs, True Poker has tougher games than many of their competitors. Flop percentages generally stick below 35% and average pots only reach 10-20 times the big blind, which is paltry compared to an online poker site with anonymous players such as Bovada Poker.

Although veteran players and grinders will appreciate the rakeback at True Poker, that attraction is a double-edged sword. True Poker isn’t terribly attractive to brand-new poker players, as they can’t deposit with credit cards and they’ll likely be up against multi-tabling grinders who punish them for mistakes.

Tournaments at True Poker

True Poker offers a wide variety of multi-table tournaments 24/7 that start at a $0.10 buy-in. High-stakes tourneys can even have entry fees up to $2,500.

Being part of the Winning Poker Network, True Poker is able to offer some of the largest guaranteed tournaments online, with some of them offering up to $1 million guaranteed prizes several times a year.

These usually require a $540 buy-in, but you can also access them via one of the numerous satellites available on the platform.

What I don’t like about tournaments on True Poker is that there are too many rebuy/add-on tournaments, meaning skilled players who are on a budget have a slight disadvantage compared to those with deeper pockets.

Tournament Traffic at True Poker
Although True Poker has massive tournament traffic, I’m not a fan of the huge number of re-buys and add-ons, which dominates the schedule.

Sit and Go’s fill up quickly

Sit and Go tournaments are the most popular on-demand tournaments on True Poker, meaning they can even become multi-table competitions if there are enough interested players.

Players can also take part in three-handed jackpots and double or nothing sit and go’s in addition to traditional ones.

True Poker Sit and Go Tournaments
Thanks to the high player traffic on Winning Poker Network, True Poker Sit and Go’s fill up quickly, all the way up to the $500 level.

Traffic

True Poker has had significant player growth over the last several years, giving their network the current #2 traffic slot for USA poker sites.

There are dozens of active cash tables around the clock, with several up to the $5/10 No-Limit Hold’em range. Sit and Go’s fill up to the $100 within minutes and there are several multi-table tournament per hour, attracting several hundred players each.

True Poker Player Traffic
Player traffic has become excellent at True Poker, with active games up to the $25/50 No-Limit Hold’em level. Unfortunately, they also allow HUDs, which help make the games tighter and tougher.

HUDs

This is a polarizing subject, usually with the line in the sand being if you currently use a HUD or not.

True Poker currently supports all poker HUDs (heads-up displays), which track and display information about opponents in real time. At True Poker, you can see the names of all players at every table as well as the stats on every cash table.

I would love to see True Poker adopt anonymous tables in the future to better protect inexperienced players.

True Poker Cash Game
At True Poker, all player names are still displayed in the lobby and at every table, making it easy for HUD users to hunt beginners.

Deposit Methods on True Poker

In an interesting twist, despite True Poker offering a huge number of cryptocurrency deposit options, they currently don’t accept credit cards at all. Although I greatly advocate for online poker players to use Bitcoin alone these days, True Poker is alienating players who still rely on credit cards.

That being said, I give True Poker credit for supporting almost every cryptocurrency. Apart from Bitcoin, users can also use 60+ other cryptocurrencies as a payment method, including Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Dash, and others.

True Poker Deposit Methods
Even though they don’t accept credit cards, True Poker accepts dozens of obscure cryptocurrencies aside from Bitcoin.

Cryptocurrency users are allowed to deposit as little as $10. If you choose to use Ria Money Transfer or regular money transfer, you must deposit a minimum of $60 or $50, respectively.

The upper deposit limit may vary depending on your deposit method, with cryptocurrencies being the best possible option. True Poker players can deposit up to $25,000 without paying any fees.

Withdrawal Methods on True Poker

To withdraw money from True Poker, you must use cryptocurrencies, a bank draft, or money transfer.

Once again, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies seem to be the best option, as you can cash out as little as $50 per withdrawal. The maximum amount of money you can withdraw is $10,000, and the pending time is usually around 48 hours before I receive Bitcoin to my wallet.

On the other hand, withdrawing with a bank draft or money transfer will result in a 15-day wait, and the minimum you can withdraw is $100.

True Poker Payouts
The Bitcoin deposit minimum is only $10 at True Poker. Minimum Bitcoin payouts start at $50 and don’t incur any fees.

I’m just going to state the obvious here: if you want to get the most out of True Poker, you should consider using cryptocurrencies instead of traditional payment methods.

True Poker payouts are handled by the WPN cashier, which is a good thing. Their Bitcoin payouts are extremely reliable, never taking more than 48 hours and only requiring documentation if you withdraw more than $5,000.

Although True Poker isn’t sending Bitcoin in 12-24 hours like they used to, I can live with 48 hours if I know that’s the longest I’ll wait.

True Poker Customer Support

Although True Poker has an FAQ section, I think it needs to be a bit longer, as it covers only the essentials. Therefore, if you need specific information about the platform or the games, feel free to contact the customer support team by sending an email. There’s also a separate email for inquiries regarding payouts.

The most convenient way to contact the True Poker support team is via live chat that’s available on the site (not within the actual poker software). Even if you navigate to the Help section in the program, a browser page will pop up with available options for getting in touch.

True Poker Overall Score
It’s tough to do much better than True Poker if you’re a desktop grinder looking for maximum rakeback, but casual players will notice the tougher games and inexplicable lack of mobile software.

Final Verdict on True Poker

True Poker has a long history filled with ups and downs. It seems that ever since it was acquired by the Winning Poker Network, the platform has been on the upward trajectory in every possible aspect.

What I like the most is the huge choice of tournaments with large guaranteed prizes. Being part of the WPN really proved useful for True Poker, helping them attract more players than before.

The bonus and promotions at True Poker are also quite generous and there are quite a few of them, with the best one being the 27% Rakeback program.

I also love the fact that there are so many cryptocurrency banking options. If the crypto industry becomes more popular, True Poker might hope for an even brighter future.

The biggest downside I think is the lack of a mobile app. Hopefully, the team behind True Poker will start thinking about reaching mobile poker players in the future.

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