Would you play on an iPoker skin using Bitcoin as a deposit method?

[Koekiemonster]

I'm a pokerplayer myself and I have some connections in this world. I proposed Bitcoin as a payment option and the person I spoke to was pretty interested.
Ipoker is the biggest poker network in the world and has one of the largest playerpools available and 24h cashgame action up to 200NL(blinds 1$/2$) and starting tournaments every hour.
Funds will be converted to a fiat currency(EUR,USD,GBP) so you won't be actually playing with BTC.

As you can see, some answers include gambling. This is just an interest check and the main focus is on poker.
Please elaborate your anwer in a reply and express your feelings about this.

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[Technomage]

I'm definitely interested in this. Poker is one of the strongest possibilities for Bitcoin and now is the time to start capitalizing on that. I hope poker sites understand this as well.

I can guarantee that long-term this is a very good idea for poker skins, I'm waiting for the day that a major skin starts accepting BTC.

[Mushoz]

I'm definitely interested in this. Poker is one of the strongest possibilities for Bitcoin and now is the time to start capitalizing on that. I hope poker sites understand this as well.

I can guarantee that long-term this is a very good idea for poker skins, I'm waiting for the day that a major skin starts accepting BTC.

I voted definitely as well, and I agree with Technomage. The possibilities for Bitcoins combined with online poker (or gambling in general) are enormous. A skin on a major network such as iPoker accepting BTC could very well be the thing that kickstarts the BTC economy. Sounds promising! Keep us up to date on your progress, please!

[SkRRJyTC]

Two words perfectly describe Bitcoin poker.

Killer app.

[2weiX]

Three words perfectly describe Bitcoin poker.

LEGAL TEAM ENEMA

FYP

[Phinnaeus Gage]

I would. I have an idea I would love to share with via PM, so that Matthew doesn't steal the idea.

[SkRRJyTC]

Three words perfectly describe Bitcoin poker.

LEGAL TEAM ENEMA

FYP

Are there some new Bitcoin regulations that have been written and signed into law in the past week or so?

Otherwise Btc != money and current regulations dont matter.

[2weiX]

Three words perfectly describe Bitcoin poker.

LEGAL TEAM ENEMA

FYP

Are there some new Bitcoin regulations that have been written and signed into law in the past week or so?

Otherwise Btc != money and current regulations dont matter.

while that is true, the IRS and any other revenue service with half a brain will be all over any site that opens up that many ways to launder money. look at FullTilt having been closed down. And they didnt even TOUCH bitcoin.

[SkRRJyTC]

Three words perfectly describe Bitcoin poker.

LEGAL TEAM ENEMA

FYP

Are there some new Bitcoin regulations that have been written and signed into law in the past week or so?

Otherwise Btc != money and current regulations dont matter.

while that is true, the IRS and any other revenue service with half a brain will be all over any site that opens up that many ways to launder money. look at FullTilt having been closed down. And they didnt even TOUCH bitcoin.

This was only possible due to the site being a .com right?

[2weiX]

Three words perfectly describe Bitcoin poker.

LEGAL TEAM ENEMA

FYP

Are there some new Bitcoin regulations that have been written and signed into law in the past week or so?

Otherwise Btc != money and current regulations dont matter.

while that is true, the IRS and any other revenue service with half a brain will be all over any site that opens up that many ways to launder money. look at FullTilt having been closed down. And they didnt even TOUCH bitcoin.

This was only possible due to the site being a .com right?

and all operatives living in the US.
just pointing that out.

also - any site that wants to grant access to .com players will NOT REPEAT NOT allow any skin to use bitcoins.

[Portnoy]

What does the word "skin" refer to in this context? 

[ColdHardMetal]

What does the word "skin" refer to in this context? 

Poker sites that share a common backend/network and player pool, but that are operated by independent entities which each provide their own interface/look/bonus programs etc. I would guess the term "skin" comes from the different look each site has despite the common guts as it were.

[2weiX]

What does the word "skin" refer to in this context? 

http://www.pokerlistings.com/poker-room-skins

[Portnoy]

What does the word "skin" refer to in this context? 

Poker sites that share a common backend/network and player pool, but that are operated by independent entities which each provide their own interface/look/bonus programs etc. I would guess the term "skin" comes from the different look each site has despite the common guts as it were.

Thanks.

My vote would be in the 'other' category.  I like poker and gambling but wouldn't do it online because I wouldn't trust any of them...
( there are no open source poker sites are there? ) 

I might try out something like Dragon's Tale, only because you don't have to bring in your own btc and can use it as a way of
getting free coins, which you can use to play with there, or withdraw.

[smiles]

Funds will be converted to a fiat currency(EUR,USD,GBP) so you won't be actually playing with BTC.

Why can't we play with BTC?

[Melbustus]

Are there some new Bitcoin regulations that have been written and signed into law in the past week or so?

Otherwise Btc != money and current regulations dont matter.

The problem is not the definition of btc as a currency or not... I believe the US gambling/sweepstakes laws, etc, consider gambling to occur when "something of value" is wagered. Clearly that's vague, and intentionally so. Thus any site providing access to US players, whether funding and/or play occurs in $, EUR, BTC, or corn, will be subject to US Department of Justice UIGEA enforcement action.

That said, international BTC poker play should work fine, legally. The US was only 50% of the market on Black Friday.

[GideonGono]

I am most definitely interested. I'm having an issue with a poker room where my usual withdrawal method has been removed for my area (not USA) and I have no way of withdrawing my funds. Not to mention support is being worse than useless through all this.

It will be a huge relief to have an easy cash in/out method in a high traffic room.

[dooglus]

Funds will be converted to a fiat currency(EUR,USD,GBP) so you won't be actually playing with BTC.

Why can't we play with BTC?

I would think that's because the iPoker network doesn't support playing with BTC.  Lots of different companies use the iPoker network and provide their own 'skin' to make it look like their own site.  The players often don't realise they're playing on iPoker, because everything is branded to look like the site they registered with.  The different companies are responsible for handling deposits and withdrawals, which iPoker provides the games.

If you want to play for BTC, http://sealswithclubs.org/ offers that.  They have hourly freerolls (with a 0.05 BTC prize to the winner).  The rake on ring games is cheap too, at only 2.5%.  The biggest problem is that there are very few players.  Currently (11:20pm PST) it's saying: "Join 23 Bitcoin Poker Players Online at 3 Live Tables"...

[Koekiemonster]

I think I should clear some things up. Adding BTC as possible deposit method does not mean US players will be accepted. Ipoker didn't allow US players on their network and will not until the US regulate poker. This would -at first- just be an additional deposit method.

Funds will be converted to a  t try out something like Dragon's Tale, only because you don't have to bring in your own btc and can use it as a way of
getting free coins, which you can use to play with there, or withdraw.
fiat currency(EUR,USD,GBP) so you won't be actually playing with BTC.

Why can't we play with BTC?

I would think that's because the iPoker network doesn't support playing with BTC.  Lots of different companies use the iPoker network and provide their own 'skin' to make it look like their own site.  The players often don't realise they're playing on iPoker, because everything is branded to look like the site they registered with.  The different companies are responsible for handling deposits and withdrawals, which iPoker provides the games.

If you want to play with BTC, http://sealswithclubs.org/ offers that.  They have hourly freerolls (with a 0.05 BTC prize to the winner).  The rake on ring games is cheap too, at only 2.5%.  The biggest problem is that there are very few players.  Currently (11:20pm PST) it's saying: "Join 23 Bitcoin Poker Players Online at 3 Live Tables"...

This is correct. iPoker only supports GBP, EUR and USD ingame for now. If BTC would grow it might be added of course, but this is a looong time from now.
If you would like to play for BTC I would recommend sealswithclubs as well. I played some hands there and it's quite nice and easy. As dooglus points out the playerspool is shallow and this is what an iPokerskin accepting BTC could solve.(in the end it doesn't matter in which currency you're playing right? You're only less open to volatility risks!)

My vote would be in the 'other' category.  I like poker and gambling but wouldn't do it online because I wouldn't trust any of them...
(there are no open source poker sites are there?)

If you don't trust online pokersites you should definitely not play live. Pokersites hardly have any incentive to rig the game since they take a percentage of the pot, regardless of the outcome of the hand.(they actually might prefer splitpots or losing players lose less, but simple data analyses would discover this and this would destroy their business). Live games on the opposite have been filled with people trying to cheat and this still is a problem. I recently played a tournament where a fake reporter signed his partner what cards other players at the table had. This was discovered, but imagine all the frauds succeeding?!

[Ponies]

Bitcoin as a deposit/withdrawal method for a US player site would be a huge deal. Deposits for a non US site is not really a big deal since non us players don't have problems depositing. Maybe if ipoker does it some US sites will do it so it would still be a good thing.