It’s possible to play online poker in Malaysia, despite the country’s seemingly anti-gambling stance. We’ll explain how it all works shortly. But first, let’s look at the best online poker sites in Malaysia.
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Having seen the best online poker rooms for players in Malaysia, it’s time to learn a little more about the leading sites.
According to our expert team, CoinPoker is the number one choice for online poker in Malaysia. One of the main attractions is the 33% rakeback deal that’s available to all players, regardless of how long you’ve been registered.
Although the Hold’em cash tables are always quite busy, CoinPoker is really the unofficial home of Omaha. Pro player Tony G is just one big-name regular, and he famously claimed the biggest pot in poker history – $7.75 million – at these tables.
Both the mobile app and desktop client are among the best-looking pieces of poker software around. Sadly, there’s no live chat facility at CoinPoker, but the email support agents are quick to respond and they’re available 24/7.
Another highlight is the extremely quick withdrawal process. That’s down to a number of well-known cryptocurrency tokens, like BTC, ETH and the site’s own unique coin, CHP.
ACR Poker, a brand that dates back to 2001, is next on our list of the best online poker sites in Malaysia. This highly reputable site provides one of the best Android poker apps around. It’s just a shame there’s no iOS equivalent at the moment – but watch this space.
The standard is slightly higher at ACR than some other online poker sites. But it’s part of the busy and well-established Winning Poker Network, so there’s no shortage of opponents.
It’s also one of the few places that still runs busy Seven Card Stud cash games, including Stud Eight Or Better tables. ACR Poker is famously home to some of the world’s biggest and best tournaments, most notably the Venom.
In April 2024, that particular event featured a guaranteed prizepool of $12.5 million and drew in over 5,000 players. The site also hosted a Venom Mystery Bounty worth $8 million, plus a special PLO tournament with a $2 million guarantee.
Betplay is a slick online poker room which looks fantastic, lets you deposit and bet with crypto, and runs a ton of promotions and series.
If you join enough games to get into the VIP scheme you’ll unlock 10% cashback each week. The player pool is large but the quality of play isn’t too high, which is largely down to the fact that there are a lot of casual players making a daytrip over from casino or sports betting.
Betplay often run series which include freerolls and other cool promotions. The guarantees are modest by comparison to some sites, but the bonuses and player level more than make up for this. Any winnings can be withdrawn right away, as Betplay uses the Bitcoin Lightning Network.
If you run into any issues, you can access live chat in one tap. You’ll find it in the bottom-right of the screen on desktop. You can’t always find live chat at the best Malaysian poker rooms, but it’s more common when they double up as a casino, so that’s definitely a perk of playing here.
There are a lot of similarities between Black Chip Poker and ACR, which both run on the Winning Poker Network. For example, both use the same high quality desktop software which is extremely user-friendly and rich in features. It also offers the same fantastic Android app.
As a Black Chip Poker player, you can enjoy a varied selection of innovative tournament formats, including Jackpot SNGs, Mystery Bounties and Progressive Knockouts. In addition, you’ll also have access to the aforementioned Venom events.
If you’re looking for the best poker bonuses, Black Chip is an excellent choice. Aside from the $2,000 welcome offer, which is the biggest in the industry, you can also benefit from the Elite Benefits loyalty scheme.
Alternatively, you may opt out of the rewards program and take a flat 27% rakeback instead. CoinPoker is the only online poker site in Malaysia which can better than rate.
Rounding off our list of the top five poker sites in Malaysia, we have BetOnline. Best-known as a sportsbook, this leading brand also boasts one of the best online poker sites and an impressive live casino.
Part of the busy Chico Poker network, you won’t be short of opponents at the low- to medium-stakes tables. It’s especially noticeable how soft the Hold’em cash games are, due to the steady stream of sports bettors trying poker for the first time.
Use any of the 16 different cryptocurrency payment options and you can expect same-day withdrawals. Four leading card processors are also available, including Visa and American Express, as well as bank wires.
Other key features include a helpful 24/7 live chat service, plus the RISE rewards program. Reach the highest tier for a guaranteed 25% rakeback, among other perks.
All of the best online poker sites in Malaysia offer bonuses, and our recommended brands are no exception. As we mentioned in our reviews, a number of these sites deliver industry-leading promotions. Keep your eyes peeled for the following bonuses and rewards.
In what is a highly competitive industry, it’s only natural that online poker sites work hard to attract new players. A generous sign-up incentive is, therefore, a key piece of the marketing strategy.
All of our top five featured poker sites in Malaysia supply new players with a competitive welcome offer, which is paid over time.
At Black Chip Poker, for instance, you’ll receive a 100% match bonus of up to $2,000 on your first deposit. This is released in $1 increments, for every 27.5 award points collected. These are earned simply by playing cash games and tournaments.
This is another common bonus at online poker sites in Malaysia, which seeks to reward loyal players.
Rake is the fee paid to take part in cash games and tournaments. Rakeback, therefore, is just what it sounds like – the poker site voluntarily returns a portion of whatever was paid by each individual player.
The exact percentage varies by brand, but the best we know of is CoinPoker. Play using the site’s own cryptocurrency and you’ll receive 33% rakeback every week. ACR Poker and Black Chip Poker both offer a 27% arrangement.
Some sites like to hand out free tournament entries to players. At BetOnline, for instance, new registrants will receive up to 21 free tickets to step satellites to the weekly $100,000 Sunday Showdown.
However, free poker tournament tickets aren’t exclusively reserved for new players. Some sites have a structured loyalty program, and it’s sometimes possible to pick up free entries that way.
Not to be confused with free poker tickets, a freeroll is a special type of tournament that’s open to anyone. There’s no buy-in requirement, yet it’s possible to win real money prizes, thanks to the generosity of the online poker room.
Freerolls are a great way for new players to start putting together a bankroll, as they don’t cost a cent to enter. It’s also a good way to learn the basics of poker, since they’re much more competitive than play money games.
The best online poker sites in Malaysia reserve special freeroll events for players who’ve recently signed up. These tournaments often require a password.
Just like online sportsbooks and casinos, many poker sites pay a bonus if you recruit your buddies to play.
Everyone has their own unique referral code or URL. If your friend registers using these, they’ll be linked to your account, meaning you’ll receive some goodies once they meet the terms and conditions.
Most of the time, your friend will need to deposit and play a certain amount before you receive your referral reward.
What’s in store at online poker sites in Malaysia? Pretty much the same level of choice as you’d find at any of the best real money online poker sites, which is awesome news for players in Malaysia!
Here’s what you can find at Malaysian poker sites online.
In a cash game, every chip on the table has a real world value. If you win or lose, you’re accumulating or giving away actual money. You’re welcome to buy in whenever there’s a space, and you may cash out at any time.
There’s usually a minimum and maximum chip requirement, but you’re essentially free to buy as many or as few chips as you like.
Although cash game strategy is broadly similar to that of a tournament, you can afford to speculate a little. If you bust out chasing a draw, simply buy another stack of chips and try to recover your losses.
The other way to play online poker in Malaysia is to take part in tournaments. Here, everyone pays the same initial entry fee and starts the game with an identical number of chips.
Unlike cash games, the chips are worthless outside of the tournament. They are assigned nominal amounts purely to facilitate gameplay, but you can’t cash them out.
If you lose your entire stack, you’re out of the tournament. The winner is the player left with all of the chips at the end.
Prizes are determined entirely by the number of entries, with the winner receiving the lion’s share of the prize pool. There are usually rewards for other players too, depending on how big the event is.
All tournaments employ this same basic concept, but there are different types.
An MTT, or multi-table tournament, can potentially involve thousands of different players. All of the world’s biggest events, such as the World Series of Poker tournaments, are MTTs.
Although the action takes place over multiple tables, everyone’s competing in the same event. As players bust out, the number of tables gradually reduces, and players will find themselves moved to other tables.
There are many types of MTT poker in Malaysia, including the following:
A Sit ‘N Go (or Sit and Go) is any kind of tournament that starts whenever the number of required participants has been met.
Most MTTs begin at an advertised time, regardless of the number of registered players. But an SNG requires a set number of entrants before it can begin.
Many SNGs are single-table tournaments, or STTs. They could be heads-up games, short-handed 6-max tables, or full games with either nine or ten seats. However, some sites also run SNG MTTs.
Jackpot SNGs are a relatively recent innovation, and they can also be found at sites offering online poker in Malaysia.
Unlike regular SNGs, where players compete for a standard prizepool, these involve a randomly selected amount. You may end up playing for a small prize, but equally, it could be much more.
The best online poker sites in Malaysia offer multiple versions of the game. In this section of our guide, we’ll run through the most popular types of poker you’ll find at Malaysian poker sites. However, there are dozens of poker variants out there, so this list is by no means exhaustive.
If someone says they know how to play poker, the chances are they’re referring to Texas Hold’em. The most common poker game in the world, the feature event of almost every major series is a No Limit Hold’em tournament.
The mixture of hidden and community cards lends itself perfectly to bluffing and psychology. Four possible rounds of betting give players space to make creative plays.
All of the best online poker sites in Malaysia offer Omaha cash games and tournaments, as it’s the second-most popular form of poker. Closely related to Texas Hold’em, the majority of its rules are the same.
The key difference is that players start with two additional cards. When forming your five-card hand, you must use exactly two of your hole cards. The extra cards lead to many more permutations, so disciplined hand selection is required.
Seven Card Stud, for example, involves a starting hand of three cards, two of which are turned face-down. Four more cards can be dealt, all of which are face-up, aside from the seventh and final card.
Stud poker games can be played with a Pot or No Limit betting structure, but they’re almost always Fixed Limit. Popular variants include Seven Stud Eight Or Better, Razz and Five Card Stud.
Popularized by Malaysian high-stakes pros like Paul Phua, Short Deck is a more exciting version of Hold’em. The deck is 16 cards short, since all of the 2s, 3s, 4s and 5s are removed. That’s why the game is sometimes known as Six Plus, or 6+ Poker.
With so many cards missing, you can throw the standard Hold’em poker strategy and rules out of the window. It’s also harder to make a flush, meaning that hand now beats a full house.
Gambling is shaped by the Betting Act of 1953, which criminalizes pretty much everything except for lotteries. However, there is one place you can legally play live poker in Malaysia – Sky Casino, in Genting Highlands.
You need to make an appointment in order to gain access, but there are cash games available. A second venue within the same complex – Casino De Genting – occasionally hosts big poker tournaments, but not cash games.
Since the country’s gambling laws revolve around the Betting Act of 1953, they are quite outdated and make no reference to internet wagering.
As such, online poker is not technically legal. But it’s also not really illegal, since there’s nothing in Malaysian law that explicitly forbids it – for non-Muslims, at least.
With no legal framework in place for online poker in Malaysia, there are obviously no locally-licensed sites. But it’s very easy to register and play with casinos and poker rooms based offshore.
Malaysia’s Income Tax Act (1967) clearly states that gambling winnings fall under income. Therefore, whatever personal income tax bracket you’re in, that rate also applies to your poker profits.
If you’re playing at one of the best Malaysia poker sites on our list, you’ll be responsible for declaring your own winnings and income as part of your tax returns.
If you wish to try playing poker online in Malaysia, it’s a good idea to use cryptocurrency.
Since it’s not technically legal to gamble, it never hurts to have the extra layer of security provided by anonymous digital currencies like bitcoin. However, the main benefit of crypto poker sites is the speed of withdrawals.
The best crypto and bitcoin poker sites will process your withdrawal on the same day. CoinPoker is a particularly good example. It almost never takes longer than 24 hours to complete a withdrawal, and it could even be ready in less than 30 minutes.
In addition, if you use Chips (CHP) – CoinPoker’s unique cryptocurrency token – you’ll also receive 33% rakeback.
Wondering how we chose the best online poker sites in Malaysia? There’s plenty for our expert researchers to think about, but the following points are the most important considerations.
Here are the key factors we looked for when ranking the top 5 poker sites in Malaysia.
Despite the country having produced some well-known high-stakes players, there’s not much of a live poker scene in Malaysia. Certainly not a legal one, anyway.
Only two places offer any sort of poker in a live environment. Both are located in Genting Highlands, roughly an hour’s drive from Kuala Lumpur.
Sky Casino runs a private cash game that requires an invitation. The nearby Casino De Genting occasionally hosts big tournaments, such as the annual Poker Dream, whose main event has a 2,400 MYR buy-in.
A popular casino game, video poker is a solo pursuit played against the house. Think of it as a cross between five card draw and a slot machine.
There are no video poker machines at Malaysia’s only land-based casinos, but it’s possible to play at several online sites based overseas.
We recommend BetOnline and Ignition, two trustworthy offshore casinos with video poker, that also offer poker tournaments and cash games.
Before we conclude our guide to online poker in Malaysia, let’s learn a little more about the country’s top players.
Here’s a summary of the key points from our guide.
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