We’re a full month into 2026. Time to see what changed in online poker versus what operators promised would change.
I’ve played professionally since 2009. Survived Black Friday, watched sweepstakes poker fail, and witnessed the slow US state rollout. After spending January running volume across five sites, this is where we are.
More Players, More Games Running
The most obvious change hit during WSOP satellites in December. Traffic spiked 40% higher than December 2024 on ACR and Black Chip. That jump held through January.
You can find $5/$10 No Limit games running at 3 AM Eastern on weekdays now. That wasn’t happening eighteen months ago. Bovada and Ignition saw similar increases in Zone Poker traffic. Fast-fold formats are pulling recreational players who want quick sessions.
CoinPoker’s player count doubled over six months. Their $1M guaranteed tournament filled without overlay for the first time. Crypto adoption is real now, not just enthusiast talk.
The anonymous tables on Bovada and Ignition help. Newer players don’t want to face the same reg four-tabling them across multiple sessions.
Rake Went Up Almost Everywhere
ACR increased rake caps from $3 to $4 at mid-stakes in October. Black Chip followed. Both claimed it was necessary to fund bigger tournament guarantees.
The math doesn’t support that excuse. They’re clearing more rake because traffic is up. Charging more per hand on top of higher volume just pads margins.
GGPoker reduced rake at micro stakes tables under $0.25/$0.50. Probably trying to build recreational player pools. Higher stakes saw increases, though, so winning regs are subsidizing fish-friendly tables.
Ignition kept rake flat. Bovada too. Both sites seem content with current tournament guarantee levels and aren’t squeezing cash game players yet.
For comprehensive looks at current rakeback deals across platforms, Wweek’s 2026 analysis breaks down effective rake costs, including rebates at major sites.
Higher rake matters more than casual players realize. What was profitable at $2/$4 in 2024 might be breakeven at $2/$4 in 2026 after the increases. Run the numbers on your actual win rate.
Tournament Guarantees Growing Without Overlays
ACR’s Venom series in January featured a $12.5M guaranteed main event. No overlay. Filled with 3,400 entries at $3,150 each. That’s real growth, not manufactured numbers.
Black Chip ran a $5M guarantee series alongside Venom. Also filled. Prize pools keep growing because player pools are growing.
Bovada’s Sunday major jumped from $150K to $200K guaranteed. Consistently hits $250K in entries. Their weekend schedule is the strongest it’s been since 2019.
Ignition’s Monthly Milly regularly clears $1.2M in entries now. The $1M guarantee isn’t aspirational anymore. They’re hitting it every month without overlay.
Bigger fields mean more variance. You need bigger tournament bankrolls than three years ago. A $100 buy-in tournament with 500 runners plays different than the same tournament with 1,200 runners.
Software Still Ranges from Decent to Bad
ACR updated their mobile app in December. It’s finally usable. Took them long enough. The desktop client is still clunky but functional. You can multi-table without crashes, which wasn’t always the case.
Bovada and Ignition run the same PaiWangLuo software. It works. Not flashy, not broken. Anonymous tables function smoothly. Zone Poker has zero lag even during peak hours.
GGPoker’s software is overdesigned. Too many animations, too many pop-ups, too much visual noise. But it runs stably and supports multi-tabling well once you turn off the unnecessary features.
BetOnline’s client looks like it was built in 2012. Because it was. Still works though. Some players prefer the simpler interface without modern bloat.
Mobile apps improved across all sites. ACR’s app doesn’t freeze mid-tournament anymore. Ignition and Bovada apps run smoothly. You can play Zone Poker on mobile without issues. Most players still prefer a desktop for serious play, but mobile works for satellites or small-stakes tournaments.
Crypto Became Standard, Not Optional
Every major site accepts Bitcoin now. Most accept Ethereum, Litecoin, and USDT. This isn’t news, but the processing times improved significantly.
Bitcoin withdrawals that took 2-4 hours in 2024 clear in 45-90 minutes in 2026. Litecoin and USDT are even faster. I’ve had Litecoin withdrawals hit my wallet in 22 minutes.
Deposit fees dropped. Most sites charge zero fees for crypto deposits. Some offer bonuses for using crypto instead of credit cards, which still carry 5-10% fees at many sites.
Fast cashouts change how you manage your bankroll. You can move money between sites in under two hours total. That flexibility didn’t exist with bank wires taking 3-5 days. If soft games are running on one site, you can move your roll there the same day.
Sites that embraced crypto early (ACR, CoinPoker, Ignition) are seeing player growth. Sites that resisted it are stagnant.
US Regulation Went Nowhere
Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Nevada, Delaware, and West Virginia – these are the six states that have had legalized online poker since January 2024.
Earlier this month, they were joined by Maine, but it will take a while before we see any actual operators launching there. And even if they do, it’s a fairly small market.
We aren’t likely to see any new states pass the legislation in 2026. The shared liquidity pool between Nevada, New Jersey, Michigan, and Pennsylvania helped. WSOP.com combined player pools across those states. Traffic improved but still trails offshore sites.
PokerStars Michigan traffic flatlined. BetMGM Pennsylvania sees decent volume. But most US pros still play offshore because that’s where the games are.
State regulation helps recreational players access safe sites. Does nothing for anyone who plays seriously or wants bigger tournament fields.
Bot Detection Claims vs. Reality
ACR claims they caught and banned 200+ bots in Q4 2025. GGPoker says their machine learning detection system is catching bot accounts before they play 100 hands.
Hard to verify these claims. Both sites have a financial incentive to say they’re fighting bots even if they’re not doing much.
From the felt, I’ve seen fewer obvious bot accounts at micro stakes. Still encounter suspicious play patterns occasionally at $1/$2 and $2/$4, but less frequently than two years ago.
The real test: can you report suspicious accounts and get action? ACR responds to bot reports within 48 hours now. That’s better than ignoring them like they did in 2021-2022. Whether they ban the accounts is another question.
Where This Leaves Players in 2026
Traffic is up sustainably. Games are easier to find across all major sites. You’re not sitting in empty lobbies hoping for a game to start at 2 AM.
Rake went up at most sites. Factor that into expected win rates before moving up stakes. A $2/$4 game that was profitable in 2024 might be breakeven in 2026 after rake increases.
Crypto payouts are fast enough to actually use for bankroll management. You can move money between sites based on where soft games are running without waiting days for withdrawals to clear.
Tournament fields are bigger, which means more variance. Top-heavy payout structures with 1,200 runners play different than the same structure with 400 runners. Adjust your tournament bankroll accordingly.
Mobile apps finally work reliably. Not ideal for serious grinding, but functional for travel or playing satellites.
Online poker isn’t dying. Player counts are up. Tournament guarantees are up. Software is slowly improving.
But it’s not “growing” the way operators claim either. Traffic is recovering to 2019 levels, not exceeding them. The real growth is in crypto adoption. Players want fast cashouts. They want privacy. They want to avoid bank blocks on gambling transactions.
If you play poker professionally, 2026 is better than 2024 was. More games running, bigger tournaments, faster payouts. Rake is higher but manageable with proper game selection.
If you’re recreational, games are easier to find than two years ago. Anonymous tables protect you from regs with HUDs and other poker tools. Mobile apps work when you’re traveling.
Not perfect. Trending better. Don’t believe the “poker boom 2.0” marketing. It’s sustainable growth, which might be more important.
