This Ya Poker review is a comprehensive look at all of the site’s features and if there is an available Ya Poker no deposit bonus. Each section will be rated based on our personal experience and our knowledge of what you are looking for when choosing a home for online poker.
This review is just one of the many available here at PokerScout, as we look to give you the very best breakdowns of a plethora of online poker sites so you can make the best informed decisions of where to play.
Ya Poker Overview
- License: Laws of Curaçao
- Platforms: Android, PC
- Payment: Luxon Pay, Bitcoin and Crypto Transfer, Person-to-Person (P2P), Ewallet, credit/debit card and check
- Rakeback: 4.5%
- Poker Network: Winning Poker Network (WPN)
- Owned: America’s Card Room (ACR)
- Established: 2013
- Accepted: Brazil, Costa Rica and several other countries in Central and South America
- Website: www.yapoker.com
Ya Poker joined the Winning Poker Network in 2013 after having been around since as far back as 2001. It is a quickly growing site that serves a burgeoning poker market in Central and South America. Ya Poker is not available to players in the US, instead mainly focusing on players in Latin America and some in Europe as well.
Spanish and Portuguese-speaking support staff is available for inquiries about deposits and more. You can also access a PC and mobile version of Ya Poker. More detail about these options are covered later in this Ya Poker review.
We have reviewed other offshore poker sites which you can also take a look at after reading this Ya Poker review.
Competitive Ya Poker Rake
The Ya Poker rake is competitive with other sites. The cap on rake for the cash games at the fixed limits is set at 4.5% for the smaller stakes up to the $.50/$1 blind level.
At the higher stakes, the rake cap is lower at 2%, and finally at just 1% at the very highest stakes offered on the site.
No-Limit Hold’em cash game rake is calculated by the number of players in the hand and the size of the pot. The rake cap is 5% and capped at a maximum of $3.
Ya Poker Bonus 4.5/5
Both new and existing poker players should always be on the lookout to claim online poker bonuses. At Ya Poker, you can get your hands on a generous welcome offer and rakeback, which we detail in full below.
Sign Up Bonus
One of the things that many online poker sites do to attract new users is offer a poker bonus and the same concept is present here.
Ya Poker gets players going right out of the gate with a 100% first deposit bonus up to $2,000. All you have to do is make your first deposit of $25 or more and your bankroll will be boosted.
The bonus is then paid out in increments of $1 for every 27.5 award points earned.
Keep in mind that this deposit bonus can only be claimed once per new player who has never used Ya Poker before.
There is no Ya Poker bonus code required for this offer, it is activated automatically once you deposit and start to play.
Bonus Name: 100% Welcome Bonus
Bonus Amount: $2,000
Min. Deposit: $25
Max Withdrawal: N/A
Ya Poker Promo Code: N/A
- Step satellites for popular tournaments
- Check players at tables with rail tickets
- WPN - US friendly poker network
Ya Poker Leaderboard
Ya Poker has a variety of leaderboard competitions that run throughout the year.
- OSS XL Leaderboard competition with an overall $15,000 reward.
- Winter Online Super Series which has $1,500,000 GTD with $2,650 buy in.
- High Five Leaderboard Competition holding $53,000 total value.
- OSS Leaderboard competition with $30,000 in cash and tournament tickets.
- Online Super Series XL which offers $40,000 in GTD prizepools.
Ya Poker No Deposit Bonus
Currently, there isn’t a Ya Poker no deposit bonus to claim.
We’re not aware of such Ya Poker promotions being offered in the past, either. Still, we’ll be the first to inform you if things change and if a Ya Poker promo code is also needed for this no deposit bonus.
Ya Poker Rakeback
Ya Poker players are eligible for rakeback.
Players that sign up can get up to 27% rakeback through MTTs, SNGs or cash games.
How to Claim Ya Poker Rakeback
The Ya Poker rakeback is made on demand. It can be collected fairly simply by clicking a few buttons. Here is a step by step guide:
- Launch the Ya Poker site.
- Tap the “Ya Poker Login” button and enter your user ID and password.
- Click on the “Rewards” tab near the top of the screen and select “Rakeback”.
- Tap the “Click Here to Redeem” button.
- Your rakeback payment will then be deposited directly into your account.
Expert Tip – Play the games and tournaments that have the highest % of rakeback in order to build up the most for a rakeback payment. Play the most hands that you can within your bankroll to maximize the rakeback.
Ya Poker Lobby 4.7/5
After getting all of the information to decide to join Ya Poker and making your Ya Poker account, it will be time for you to enter the Ya Poker lobby and get familiar with the layout.
The Ya Poker lobby has an easy to follow set-up with a black colored top that uses colors to differentiate the areas of the site.
Blue tabs display the options ‘poker’ and ‘casino’ followed by sub tabs of the different game types. Each tab you select will highlight in red to make it clear where you are on the site at any moment.
This Ya Poker review will recount our immediate takeaways from navigating the Ya Poker lobby. There are several types of poker games available, and we’ll take a look at each one of them.
Texas Hold’em
Texas Hold’em is the most popular form of poker in the world. The presence of Texas Hold’em on TV and online streaming has made it the most popular variant of poker, with lots of strategy written about the game.
No-Limit Hold’em is the most popular form of Texas Hold’em and prevalent on Ya Poker. In NLH, the bets are not restricted as players can make any size bets on straight as long as it hits the minimum bet of the blind level.
We noticed that the amount of NLH poker on Ya Poker is very high. The majority of users were at the NLH tables battling it out.
Omaha
Omaha is the second most popular form of poker these days with a growing amount of interest every year.
The key difference between Omaha and Texas Hold’em is the amount of cards you get in the hole.
In Omaha, you receive four cards but you must use only two of those cards to make the best hand (you cannot use just one like you can in Texas Hold’em).
There is also Omaha Hi/Lo where half the pot goes to the best qualifying low hand and the other half goes to the high hand.
Stud
Stud was once the most popular form of poker but that was before the advent of the poker boom and since the 1990s, the game has decreased in popularity overall.
However, there is still plenty of stud action available and it can be found on Ya Poker. You are able to play seven card stud, and stud hi/lo. Stud poker revolves around fixed limit betting.
Blitz Poker
This is Ya Poker’s version of fast fold poker. It is for players who are looking to play as many hands as possible as quickly as they can.
Every time you fold, you will be given a new table with new cards instantly. No need to wait for the table to play out the hand.
This format is available in Texas Hold’em and Pot-Limit Omaha.
Cash Games
Ya Poker has a wide variety of stakes for cash games which we were able to observe.
There are micro stakes games with blinds at $0.01/$0.02 ranging all the way to nose-bleed stakes of $50/$100 blinds.
Cash games can be played at a 9-player table, 6-player table as well as heads up, which features two players who are battling each other one-on-one for the money.
The variety of cash games on Ya Poker is one of the positives that we liked on the site.
Ya Poker Tournaments
Ya Poker tournaments have an exciting amount of variety on the daily.
We went into the tournament lobby and witnessed it all. There is a vast span of stakes and choices in all parts of the day.
The stakes range from as low as $33 to as high as $1,050 in the once a week Sunday tournament. The tournaments are further broken down in the below table:
Tournaments: | Guaranteed, Satellite, Venom, Freeroll, Steps, Private |
---|---|
Games: | No-Limit Hold’em |
Buy-ins: | Freeroll, $16.5, $21, $33, $44, $55, $66, $88, $104.5, $109, $215, $320, $630, $1,050 |
Ya Poker Annual Tournament Festivals
Ya Poker offers a lot of annual tournament festivals throughout the year, not limited to:
- The Venom: This ever-popular online poker festival on ACR Poker can be qualified for through Ya Poker. It is held in the 2nd half of April. This event features massive prizepools, including the $12.5 Million GTD. Ya Poker hosts a venom fever series that gives players a chance to qualify for the Venom.
- Online Super Series (OSS): There are different versions throughout the year, winter version, for example. These festivals are compelling as they offer a wider range of buy-ins and Mystery Bounty tournaments.
- Step satellites for popular tournaments
- Check players at tables with rail tickets
- WPN - US friendly poker network
Playing at Ya Poker: Tips and Tricks
Based on our overlook of the tournaments and cash game offering in this Ya Poker review, we have devised a selection of tips and strategies if you wish to start playing regularly.
Over 95% of the traffic on Ya Poker appears to be in No-Limit Hold’em and therefore, the best use of your time is to focus on where the most action and money is.
Ya Poker market is majority Latin America. When you sign up to the platform, make sure to check if a Ya Poker promo code is required which could unlock unique bonuses.
If you wish to play tournament poker, make sure you know what are the best options for your bankroll. Ya Poker has a large selection of tournaments and you can range from high to low stakes easily.
Ya Poker freerolls are available now and again, which are a great way to get your feet wet with some competitive tournament poker while not risking any money at first.
The pool of players at Ya Poker is largely made up of inexperienced players who are coming over from the sports betting or casino client.
Even if you are just a beginning-level player, there is a good chance to win against such opponents and therefore, you can maximize your advantage with a lot of play.
When playing regularly, you should also claim any available Ya Poker promotions to secure some free bonus funds.
As discussed previously in this article, the Ya Poker Rakeback offer is fairly generous, so it is wise for you to take full advantage of it.
In addition, don’t forget to keep an eye out for any Ya Poker promo codes and Ya Poker no deposit bonuses to boost your bankroll.
Deposits & Withdrawals 4.5/5
Ya Poker provides quite a few options for making quick and easy deposits and withdrawals. Here, we take a look at some of the available methods:
Luxon Pay
This method requires you to create a free Luxon Pay account on your PC or mobile device to send funds. You can fund your Luxon Pay account with a credit card or cryptocurrency.
An advantage with Luxon Pay is that deposits and withdrawals are instantaneous.
This method is available for 120 countries, but notably, not the United States.
Cryptocurrency
Another Ya Poker withdrawal option is cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Tether. There are more than 60 different crypto options to choose from.
As one of the best crypto poker sites, Ya Poker allows fast and unlimited payments. There is also a high maximum deposit limit of $25,000.
Person-to-Person (P2P)
This is a simple transfer method if you have friends that are also registered on Ya Poker. The minimum deposit amount required is $50.
To cash out funds with this option, you must generate 10% rake of the amount before you can request a cashout.
One of the slower methods as processing deposits can take up to eight hours and payouts can take as long as 3-5 business days.
Ewallet
This cross-border payment solution offers a free account sign-up and instant deposits from as little as $10, up to $25,000.
Cashouts reviews can take up to 72 hours, but once they are processed, you’ll receive your winnings instantly.
Credit/Debit Cards
One of the more popular methods. Available in a wide array of countries and regions. Fees may apply for certain card types.
Checks
This withdrawal option is only available in the US and Canada. There is an allowance of one free check by mail per month.
Checks by mail take up to 8 weeks to arrive whereas, when using FedEx it’ll arrive between 7-15 business days. Any additional checks are subject to a $55 fee.
Ya Poker Withdrawals
Here is a closer look at the available Ya Poker withdrawal methods to choose from:
Method | Min. Withdrawal | Withdrawal Fee | Withdrawal Time |
---|---|---|---|
Luxon Pay | €20 (or equivalent) | N/A | Instant |
Bitcoin and Crypto | $50 | Varies (Miner’s fee) | Less than 1 hour |
Player to Player | $50 | N/A | 3-5 Days |
Ewallets | $50 | N/A | Up to 72 Hours |
Credit/Debit Cards | Varies | N/A | Instant |
Checks | $100 | N/A (Free per 30-day period) | Up to 8 Weeks |
Money Transfer for Pick Up | $100 | $60 fee on withdrawals of $100 to $299 $70 fee on withdrawals of $300+ | N/A |
Interface & User Experience 4.2/5
Ya Poker has a fairly straightforward user interface. The traditional table is a basic look with a black background and a green table. There are optional different skins as well to spice up the look of the table, such as a cityscape background.
The gameplay has the stats down in the left hand corner of the screen which keeps track of the action around the table during a hand. It allows you to choose your action before action gets to you, which is just like most other online sites.
There is also a player chat box where you can chat with other players. What you say in that chat box is up to you, whether you choose to talk trash or have actual conversations.
Ya Poker is compatible with multiple types of software. Microsoft Windows from Windows 7 and onwards is supported. It is also available on Mac.
One of the key things that you need to pay attention to on any online poker site is the security. Ya Poker has a multitude of security features to ensure play privacy and safety from any third party.
For example, the site does not allow two accounts from the same IP Address to play at the same time to avoid any potential collusion.
Ya Poker Mobile App 4.1/5
Like many other poker sites with mobile poker apps, there is a Ya Poker mobile app available to you for some quick poker play. One of the notable features of the Ya Poker App is its convenience.
The download for the mobile app can be found on the Ya Poker site. You can download the Ya Poker Android app onto your device if you want to take a break from using a PC.
With the Ya Poker app, you can play single table Hold’em cash games, Omaha cash games, tournaments, etc. In addition, you can play up to 4 tables at the same time on the app.
Why Ya Poker is a Reliable and Safe App
Here are the three top features of the Ya Poker mobile app which makes it a secure download:
- A team of security professionals monitors every table.
- Unusual patterns of play are detected immediately for the security personnel to review.
- The Ya Poker Android app is confirmed from the official site and paired directly with it.
How to Download the Ya Poker App
It is available for download on Android only as there is no version for iOS or Mac yet. Here is a step-by step-process of how to download the app:
- Click “Download” on the standard APK file inquiry.
- Tap “Open” then “Install”.
- Enter your Ya Poker login credentials to access the YA Poker account.
- Go to your “Inbox” and find the email to verify your Ya Poker Android mobile app.
Ya Poker Customer Service & Safety
Ya Poker is dedicated to making sure you have a safe poker playing environment every time you log on.
Safe poker gambling is key to any online site and Ya Poker is no exception. Every player must be above the age of 18 as no underage gambling is allowed.
Ya Poker is granted licensing under the laws of Curaçao with the jurisdiction being from Costa Rica.
One of the keys of security and integrity is Ya Poker’s Random Number Generator (RNG), which is monitored by the independent organization, iTech Labs. They confirm that Ya Poker RNG meets or exceeds best practices in generating unpredictable and statistically random values for dealing cards.
There is a variety of Ya Poker customer service options available to users:
- FAQ (available from the poker client)
- Phone (1-866-905-7088)
- Email ([email protected] for general inquiries, [email protected] for inquiries about Ya Poker affiliates, [email protected] for marketing queries)
Where Ya Poker is Legal
Ya Poker is one of the main poker sites for many Latin American countries. The vast majority of the user base hails from those countries, most notably from Costa Rica and Brazil.
But outside of Latin America, it is also legal in several European countries including;
- Austria
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Denmark
- Germany
- Greece
- Ireland
- Italy
- Malta
- Romania
- United Kingdom
- United States
Ya Poker download is not available in several countries including Australia, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Turley, Israel and Sweden.
Nonetheless, you can safely access Ya Poker from different GEOs with a VPN.
Pros and Cons
Here is a brief summary of the pros and cons that we’ve touched on in this Ya Poker review.
What We Like
- Strong regional feel for Latin American players.
- Great for beginners as most players will be at the same level.
- Many tournament festivals and series with different stakes.
What We Don’t Like
- Mobile app not available for iPhone users.
- User interface is basic compared to other poker sites.
Ya Poker Review – Final Thoughts
In this Ya Poker review, we conclude that the poker site is a great option for Latin American players who wish to play against beginner-level players.
It offers the classic options for tournament and cash game poker. The multitude of rotating tournament series gives an exciting feel and a sense that they are part of big events and provides an incentive to play more.
The Ya Poker sign up bonus after completing the Ya Poker download is a great hook for new players and will entice you to jump right into the action. The regionality of Ya Poker creates a fun environment for the players in those regions.
- Step satellites for popular tournaments
- Check players at tables with rail tickets
- WPN - US friendly poker network