When Bitcoin made its debut in 2009, nobody knew that it would become the No. 1 way for online poker players to do business. We were one of the first poker rooms to develop the Bitcoin deposit method, and that hard work has paid off. With more and more banks getting cold feet when it comes to gaming, cryptocurrency is without a doubt the easiest and most reliable way to deposit and play poker now – no fuss, no muss.

That’s because you don’t need the bank’s permission for transactions. Bitcoin is a decentralized currency, one that lives on the internet using open-source code that keeps everything both secure and transparent. You don’t have to be a computer programmer or an investment whiz to understand it, either. We’ll show you how to play poker online right here at Ignition in just a few easy steps.

How to Deposit With Bitcoin

There are four things you’ll need to play poker online at Ignition using Bitcoin, some of which you may already have:

1. An account at Ignition Poker

2. An account at a certified cryptocurrency exchange

3. A cryptocurrency wallet

If you haven’t already taken care of step No. 1, make sure to sign up for your free account at Ignition Poker–this will also give you access to all of the great games at Ignition Casino. Once you’re approved, you’ll be able to make your first Bitcoin deposit at Ignition, which is where the other two items come in.

There are many different crypto exchanges and wallets out there. To keep things secure, we recommend choosing from this list of top-rated exchanges, and we recommend downloading a digital wallet like BreadWallet, preferably onto your mobile device; this will allow you to scan the QR codes (those big square blotches that work like UPC codes) that are generated when you make your deposit.

Speaking of which, when you’re ready to make that deposit, all you have to do is use your digital wallet to move funds from your bank account to the crypto exchange, then from the exchange to your Ignition account. To withdraw, simply do the same thing in reverse. It only takes a few taps or clicks to get the job done – and you’ll pay far less in fees than you would using standard credit cards.

Download and Play Online Poker

Once your deposit has been processed, the funds will be placed directly in your Ignition Poker account – converted to US dollars, so you can play all the games at Ignition without having to worry about doing any conversion math. Chances are you’ll be playing mobile poker, which you can access instantly by visiting our home page and logging in. Our industry-leading web app also works for desktop computers; if you prefer, you can download our free poker client for a more traditional online poker experience. This is your best option if you’re going to play multiple tables at the same time, as many of the pros do.

When the time comes to cash in, Bitcoin is also your best withdrawal method at Ignition Poker. We’ll convert your US dollars into crypto, then you can use your wallet to move those funds to your exchange, and back into your bank account. Or you can keep your crypto “stored” in your wallet if you prefer. The choice is yours. To find out more, check out our growing archive of poker and Bitcoin articles here at Ignition, and we’ll see you on the felt.