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Switch Poker is regarded as one of Europe’s most popular poker rooms. It is being promoted as an iPhone, iPad, iPod, and Android poker room. It offers a variety of bonuses. It supports multiple payment methods. More importantly, it accepts bitcoins. It’s just unfortunate that it is not accessible for players in the United States and France.
Switch Poker’s mobile compatibility is something we really like. The guys behind this poker room appear to be well adept with what mobile playing really means. Too bad they still couldn’t have their Android app listed on the Google Play Store because of the prevailing policy that gambling apps that enable the registration of accounts and the depositing of money are not to be accepted.
Get to know Switch Poker better as you read further into our Switch Poker review. Find out if this is the poker room you have been looing for.
Straightforward Registration Process
Although there are a quite many fields to fill out on the online registration form of Switch Poker, the process is rather straightforward. Actually, you can just fill out inaccurate details. You will still be able to get an account after doing so. Switch Poker is unlike other sites that strictly evaluate the submitted forms before granting accounts. Of course we’re not encouraging you to provide incorrect or falsified information. This is just to explain that the registration process can be quickly completed.
Once you’re done registering, you will be automatically logged in to your account. Your account is not yet verified, though, until you make a deposit of more than €20.
Account Dashboard
The account dashboard is easy to figure out. We just find it odd that it also has its separate language selector. The language selector for the entire Switch Poker website works across the board, including the account dashboard, so it’s really unnecessary having a separate language selector here. There’s a separate Cashier page or dashboard but the functions can actually be accessed from the Account dashboard. There’s already a Deposit Bonuses button as well as a Withdrawal section at the Account dashboard. It’s still advisable doing deposits and withdrawals through the Cashier page, though, because of the guides available there.
It is possible to change the account password but not the screen name, email address, and mobile phone number. You have to contact customer support to have these details changed.
The Account dashboard comes with options for automating your stack topup while playing. It’s also possible to enable one tap deposits.
The Games
At the moment Switch Poker only offers no-limit hold’em games with six and two seats. However, there’s a plan to offer more games. The following games are expected to be added soon. The expected availability of these games are as follows (in the order presented):
- 9-seater ring games
- Sit and Go or single table tournaments
- Multi-table tournaments
- Fixed-limit hod’em games
- PLO or Pot Limit Omaha
If you are new to playing poker, the Switch Poker site features various articles and guides to help you. Also, the site features a poker glossary and a comprehensive guide on how use the Switch Poker site.
Switch Poker uses its own proprietary software for its games. So far, we have not encountered problems with this poker gaming platform.
One of the Most Mobile-Friendly Bitcoin Poker Sites We Encountered
Switch Poker is one of the few bitcoin gambling sites we have encountered that provide a full mobile playing experience. It does not only have a mobile-friendly website. It also offers Android and iOS device owners mobile apps to use in case they prefer to have a dedicated app for playing Switch Poker. These mobile apps may have not been approved to be listed on iTunes and the Google Play Store but they have been tested to work fine on most devices.
It’s likely that you would think that the site implies that there is an iOS app for Switch Poker. However, there is none. The iPhone, iPad, and iPod access is merely through the device’s web browser. It’s different with the Android version, though. There is an actual Switch Poker Android app, which can be downloaded from the site, on the Android page in particular. Switch Poker, by the way, claims that their Android app is the world’s most functional Android poker app.
Switch Poker is one of the gambling sites that seem to have a real grasp of what it means to be mobile-friendly. It is claimed that the transmitted data for the Switch Poker games played on mobile are compressed by up to 93%. This means that the games don’t take a lot of bandwidth so it is not necessary to always connect to LTE connections. The games have been optimized to only use a limited amount of data.
Are Players Protected from Disconnection Problems?
Unfortunately, there is no disconnection protection. Players are expected to be responsible for the stability of their Internet connection. Other online casinos usually assure players that they can pick up where they left off as they got disconnected or that their bets will be refunded in case connection problems occur. We can’t compare Switch Poker to these sites, though, since the game of poker works differently. Hence, it’s important that if you play on Switch Poker, you must make sure that you are able to maintain your connection.
Currency Used and Deposits/Withdrawals Handling
Switch Poker uses euros and bitcoins. All amounts are expressed in euros on the site. Bitcoin deposits are automatically converted to their euro values.
There are various payment methods supported. They are as follows (with their corresponding maximum and minimum requirements):
For Deposits:
- Skrill Moneybookers min €5.00 max €1,000.00
- Neteller min €10.00 max €600.00
- Credit Card min €5.00 max €1,000.00 (Visa and MasterCard)
- Moneta min €5.00 max €600.00
- Visa by Skrill min €10.00 max €1,000.00
- MasterCard by Skrill min €5.00 max €1,000.00
- Bank Transfer by Skrill min €5.00 max €1,000.00
- OBT by Skrill min €5.00 max €1,000.00
- Maestro by Skrill min €5.00 max €1,000.00
- Laser by Skrill min €5.00 max €1,000.00
- PostePay by Skrill min €5.00 max €1,000.00
- CartaSi by Skrill min €5.00 max €1,000.00
- POLi by Skrill min €5.00 max €1,000.00
- Giropay by Skrill min €5.00 max €1,000.00
- Nordea Solo by Skrill min €5.00 max €1,000.00
- iDEAL by Skrill min €5.00 max €1,000.00
- ePay.bg by Skrill min €5.00 max €1,000.00
- Dankort by Skrill min €5.00 max €1,000.00
- Enets by Skrill min €5.00 max €1,000.00
- EPS by Skrill min €5.00 max €1,000.00
- Sofortuberweisung min €5.00 max €1,000.00
For withdrawals, the payment methods supported are Visa credit card, Skrill, Moneta, and bank transfers. Minimum withdrawal amounts for Visa credit cards, Skrill, and Moneta are set at €20.00. For bank transfers, the minimum requirement is significantly higher at €200.00.
If you have no funds to use for playing yet, Switch Poker you can use Play Money. Switch Poker automatically grants 1,000 worth of play money to all players so you can try the games out even if you have not deposited real money to your account. If you have already exhausted your play money, you can request for a top up. You may only do so, however, if your play money balance is already below 200.
Rake Structure
Since this Switch Poker review, obviously, is about a poker site, we need to discuss the rake policy/structure. The rake policy is that pots are not raked unless there is a flop seen. For levels 5c/10 and 10c/25c, the amount charged is 1 cent for every 20 cents and a maximum of €2. For levels 25c/50c and 50c/€1 NLH, the charge is also 1 cent in every 20 cents with a slightly increased maximum at €2.501. For levels €1/€2 to €5/€10 NLH, the amount charged is 1 cent for every 20 cents and a maximum of €3. Lastly, for level €10/€20 NLH and above, the charge is also 1 cent in every 20 cent but with a maximum of €4.
Switch Poker Promotions
Switch Poker offers a variety of bonuses. Upon registration, you will be offered the following bonuses: Free €5, Free €5 Micro Deposit, and a €20 to €600 Bonus.
The Free €5 bonus is discussed along with the referral bonus below. The €5 Micro Deposit Bonus is granted to those who make their first deposits. It requires the code “FREE5.” The €20 to €600 bonus is a bonus obtained by accumulating 2,500 SPPs. It is earned or completed for a period of 6 months.
SPPs refer to Switch Poker Points, which are points obtained after playing at any of the real money tables of the site. These points are automatically earned and accumulated. To make more of it, you just have to play in more pots and play at a several tables all at once. One SPP is earned for every euro paid for the rakes. SPPs are not being redeemed for cash. Instead, they are used to determine if a player can be eligible for bonus games or competitions. These games and competitions are announced at Switch Poker’s official blog.
Switch Poker also has a promo offer called Aeroplane, which allows players to earn up to €2 million by referring friends to the site and earning 5% of the revenue generated by more than 1 million players. Getting referral earnings from 1 million players sounds overly ambitious but Switch Poker explains that this is possible because each of the player referred can also make their own referrals and you can also earn from these referrals. Your referrals’ referrals may then refer more players and these more players can also make their referrals. We of course think that it’s impossible to get close to a million referrals to be able to earn up to €2 million but that’s theoretically how this setup works.
Anyway, this promotion is called Aeroplane because the setup is likened to an airplane being manned by a pilot. The referrals are the airplane’s passengers who in turn can become pilots themselves and benefit from the 5% rake share. It’s not the most sound metaphor but just don’t mind it.
There’s actually more than just the 5% rake share that can be earned from the Aeroplane program. Referring players can also get €5 every time referred players make their first deposits. This is basically a no deposit bonus that involves a deposit, but not a deposit to be made by you (it’s the player you referred who makes the deposit) and it does not require a bonus code. However, to be able to avail of this bonus, you and the players you referred must have verified mobile numbers. The process of mobile number verification is initiated through a link that comes with the confirmation link sent to you during the registration process. You may also contact customer support to learn about the process of verifying your mobile number.
Customer Support
Customer support on Switch Poker is mainly through email. Send your inquiries, complaints, or concerns by going to the Contact page and filling out the online form. Be sure to enter a valid email address so you can receive the replies to your messages. You may also directly send your request for assistance to this email address: [email protected]. Unfortunately, there is no live chat or telephone number available. Switch Poker has Facebook and Twitter accounts, though. You may also ask for assistance through these social media accounts.
Not Intended for Players in the US and France
Unfortunately, Switch Poker is not intended for players who are based in the United States and France. It mostly serves international players, especially those in Russia and Europe. As such, its website is available in a number of different languages. The languages currently being supported, aside from English, are Russian, Spanish, and Portuguese.
The site language toggle is located near the upper right side corner of the site.
Switch Poker License
Switch Poker is operated by Rekopware Enterprises, a Costa Rica based company that has the following registered address: Numero 2385, 100 Metros La Sur Y 275, San Jose Barrio Gonzalez Lahman. It operates under license #5387799.
Important Pages on Bitcoin Blackjack Tables Players Should Visit
Those new to the site should check out the Terms and Conditions page to get acquainted with Switch Poker’s policies, rules, and service terms. There’s also a Privacy Policy page where players that contains information regarding Switch Poker’s handling of information collected from players. For updates about the site, especially regarding bonus games and competitions, Switch Poker has a blog as well as a Switch Poker Facebook and Switch Poker Twitter account you can refer to.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Play money available for all players
- Intuitive user interface
- Multiple payment options supported
- Switch Poker has its own network
Cons
- Complete anonymity not guaranteed as the registration process requires personal details and availing of bonuses requires a mobile number confirmation
- No iOS app
- No live chat and telephone support
