New poker rooms face steep challenges: building player liquidity, earning trust, and competing with established brands. Without active tables and reliable software, retention plummets. So to survive early years, rooms must offer soft fields, generous bonuses, reasonable rakeback, and strong mobile apps—if possible. We'll look at 6 different platforms who recently popped up and are making an effort to become big fish in the poker ocean.
1WIN Poker
1WIN Poker is part of the larger 1WIN brand, a high-traffic international sportsbook and casino operator. While well-established in sports betting, the poker branch of the company only launched in 2022. Still, 1WIN is already known in global markets, operating successfully in countries like Turkey, India, Chile, Colombia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and several African nations.
Hows the poker on this site?
This poker room appeals to fans of casino games, roulette, and sports betting, which helps form relatively soft poker tables. Available formats include classic Texas Hold’em, Omaha (including 5-card Omaha), MTTs, and a newly added variant—PO6. Roughly 90% of the traffic is in Hold’em cash games, primarily up to NL2, though action can sometimes be found up to NL5K. Heads-up games appear occasionally at limits as high as NL2K. While the MTT schedule isn’t large, it includes well-structured tournaments with buy-ins ranging from $0.02 to $50. Spin formats are mostly inactive.
Peak traffic occurs during the evening (GMT time). The platform is well optimized for mobile play, and there’s a full-featured desktop client. Players can use the built-in HUD to view essential statistics and hand histories. Hand histories are exportable and compatible with trackers for post-session analysis.
Although there is no deposit bonus, players can enjoy jackpots in Hold’em and Omaha, along with a rakeback program that starts at 15% and can go up to 50% depending on player volume. All players must reach $7,000 in rake before September 1 to unlock the higher rakeback tier—after which status resets. GipsyTeam players get a significant boost from the start, with rakeback of 45% (versus the default 15%), and a combined maximum rakeback of up to 80%.
An exclusive promotion is also available through our agency: a $2,000 leaderboard race, with the top 10 players earning prizes and $600 awarded to the winner. Competition remains light, giving new players a strong chance to earn rewards.
Deposits and withdrawals depend on your country of residence but typically support both bank cards and cryptocurrency. Players frequently praise the soft fields, generous rakeback, hand history access, and the rare inclusion of a built-in HUD—all wrapped in a convenient mobile client. Altogether, these features make 1WIN Poker a compelling destination for recreational players.
QQ Poker
QQ Poker is the title sponsor of the Triton Series and a major partner for other tournament series. The room is clearly focused on casual players, particularly in Asia, and frequently refreshes its player pool with new recreational traffic.
Hows the poker on this site?
The platform works with Tom Dwan and features both mobile and desktop clients. Players can join up to six tables at once, but only two per stake level. Nicknames are visible before seating, and the in-built HUD provides basic statistics. A key downside of QQ is that hand histories cannot be exported, which complicates study and improvement.
Rake is charged from the preflop stage, and QQ Poker only supports cash games and MTTs. The bulk of traffic is in Hold’em, played at 6- or 8-max tables. QQ Poker uses the "SnG format," where the small blind equals the buy-in amount, creating a distinct dynamic that appeals to some players. NL2 runs regularly, and higher stakes like NL510 and NL1020 are also active. Occasionally, tables run as high as NL5K. 4-card Omaha tables are available, but not yet regular. 6+ Hold’em (Short Deck) tables exist but remain unpopular at the moment.
The room attracts most of its traffic from China, although some international players also join high-stakes games. The tournament lobby features a limited MTT schedule, with buy-ins starting as low as $1, making it suitable for low- to mid-stakes players. Overlays are common, reaching as high as 25%. All MTTs use dynamic turbo or hyper-turbo structures.
Peak activity is during the daytime and evening (GMT time). Although there’s no loyalty program, GipsyTeam players can receive 40% rakeback. An additional 20% rakeback is available for 90 days through the first deposit bonus, bringing the total to 60% during that period.
Deposits and withdrawals are reliable via USDT, but our agency also offers a cashier service that supports Luxon, and crypto—processed quickly and without hidden fees. Player reviews often note that while the field is soft, it requires a period of strategic adjustment. Other nuances include a small time bank (which can be extended for a fee) and the lack of exportable hand histories. Rake is taken preflop, and nearly all action takes place in fast fold format.
In conclusion, QQ Poker is well-suited to recreational players, particularly those interested in Hold’em cash games or looking to play during the day.
Connect with our Support Team to get help joining QQ Poker.
Vang Poker
Vang Poker is the flagship room of a small, emerging network aimed primarily at recreational players across Southeast Asia. You'll find players from Taiwan, China, Japan, South Korea, and even Brazil, Cyprus, and other regions.
Hows the poker on this site?
Visually, the platform closely resembles GGPoker—featuring soft color palettes and similar table layouts. However, there are notable differences: no PVI (Player Value Index), no rake taken on the flop, and lower overall rake than GG. The built-in HUD supports up to 12 customizable stats, and each stat can be assigned its own color. External software is banned, but hand histories are downloadable for off-platform analysis.
Traffic peaks during the daytime and early evening (GMT time). Current cash games include 6-max Hold’em tables from NL25 to NL500, with a few heads-up NL100 tables. Fast-fold poker is available at NL25 with about 30–40 concurrent players. Daily leaderboards are split by stake level across both regular and fast tables, with a combined prize pool of $2,000.
Omaha is underdeveloped, with just one table running at PLO10, but this could grow with time. VIP tables are also present, with buy-ins ranging from $2,000 to $20,000 for Hold’em, Omaha, Short Deck, and Chinese Poker.
Games in spins and Chinese Poker are rare. The latter variant uses two jokers and runs on 3-max and heads-up tables. The MTT lobby remains under construction for now.
Phenom Poker
Phenom Poker is an ambitious new project launched in 2024 by well-known American pro Brian Rast. The room has quickly gained momentum by signing several notable players and influencers. Recent ambassadors even include the great Isildur, aka Viktor Blom, along with Alec Torelli, Brian Rast, Sergio Aido, and Ben Heath. With over 15 ambassadors already on board, Phenom clearly has serious plans to expand its footprint in the online poker market.
Hows the poker on this site?
The room accepts players globally, including the U.S., and offers a wide variety of games: classic Hold’em, Omaha (including 5-card Omaha), and more niche formats like Fixed Limit, Stud, Draw Mix Games, Big O, and Fixed Pot Limit. Most tables seat six to nine players, though heads-up games are also available. Since U.S. recreational players are rare, peak activity happens at night and early morning (GMT time). Currently, games at higher stakes—like Hold’em, 5-card Omaha, and Fixed Limit—are assembled more reliably.
Phenom plans to launch Spins and a downloadable PC client soon. For now, play is browser-only, with a mobile app also available. Hand histories are viewable only during the current session, and external trackers are unsupported. However, you can sort tables by tiles and customize the interface, including card backs, table layout, and bet sizes. A recent update also improved multi-tabling significantly. One standout feature is the 3D avatar system: players can create a custom avatar using their own photo.
Bonuses include a 25% first deposit bonus and a "Reload Bonus" offering 33%. A weekly leaderboard race has also launched, starting with a $500 prize pool and awarding 20% rakeback to the winner.
The room’s loyalty program begins with a weekly 15% rakeback, maxing out at 35%. Rewards are paid in Phenom Tokens—an internal currency based on Ethereum. Only 50 million tokens will be issued. Tokens can be stored or exchanged for USDT, and their value is expected to rise (currently $0.84 per token, with a projected target of $2 or more). Each week, 50% of all rake is redistributed to token holders in USDT.
GipsyTeam players receive an additional 5% rakeback, making it possible to start with up to 45% total rakeback.
Phenom supports only USDT deposits via its in-house cashier. Strengths include the availability of high-limit games in Fixed Limit, Mixed Games, and 5-card Omaha, quick deposits and withdrawals, generous rakeback offers, and frequent promotions. Downsides include the lack of text-based hand histories, a relatively new platform, and modest rakeback for players not participating in promotions.
NutsPoker
NutsPoker is a poker app developed by the creators of PPPoker, and it shares the same player pool as traditional club-based apps. It features a consistently active user base with players from Brazil, Canada, New Zealand, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. Action is available nearly 24/7.
Hows the poker on this site?
Game types include Hold’em, Omaha (including 5-card), Spins, MTTs, Short Deck, Chinese Poker, and All-in/Fold. Cash games range from NL5 to NL2000. Fast poker is available at NL5, NL20, and NL100. There are a dozen active heads-up NL100 tables, and 5-card Omaha is played up to PLO500.
The MTT lobby offers around 20 daily tournaments with buy-ins up to $50. All-in/Fold games run up to NL2000, while Spins go up to $30t limits. Chinese Poker runs heads-up only, without jokers, with buy-ins up to $500.
The platform can be accessed via mobile or a browser-based desktop version. Trackers are not yet functional, but VIP cards can be purchased to unlock a built-in HUD and player stats. Currently, players are limited to three simultaneous tables, and tables are arranged vertically—something users may need time to adjust to.
Deposits and withdrawals are available via USDT or internal PP transfers. New players can choose from multiple welcome bonuses:
- A no-strings bonus of up to $100
- A traditional first deposit bonus of up to $1,000 with 10% rakeback
The standard loyalty program provides 5% rakeback, but players can reach up to 50% through leaderboard promotions in PLO, All-in/Fold, Fast Poker, and MTT formats. Rake is calculated using a special PVI (Player Value Index) coefficient, which may significantly reduce effective rakeback for winning players.
NutsPoker is clearly built for mobile-focused recreational players. Its strengths include generous promos, active leaderboards, frequent jackpots, and solid traffic at nearly all hours. Weaknesses include table layout limitations, table cap restrictions, and the PVI-based rake model, which may reduce earnings for strong players.
Connect with our Support Team to get help joining Nuts Poker.
Stake.com Poker
StakePoker is the poker room extension of the well-known gambling company Stake, initially popular for its online casino and sportsbook. Its main player base consists of European recreational players. Notably, ambassadors include Israeli pro Sanya Kun, as well as footballer Sergio Agüero and Canada's Drake, who occasionally stream their games.
Hows the poker on this site?
Players’ nicknames are visible before they join a table. The client is browser-only and doesn’t support external trackers. However, tables can be arranged flexibly for comfortable multi-tabling. Unfortunately, hand histories cannot be exported, as this functionality is not available.
Active games include Hold’em and classic Omaha. Hold’em is played exclusively on 9-max tables from NL10 to NL100. Omaha is limited to 6-max tables with stakes up to PLO50. The site runs cash games nearly 24/7, with up to 10 active tables per stake in Hold’em and up to 3 per stake in Omaha.
The tournament schedule is modest, offering daily tournaments with buy-ins ranging from $0.55 to $110. Most events do not have guarantees. Four $500 freerolls run daily, attracting many casual players.
StakePoker offers no first deposit bonus. Its default loyalty program gives a flat 5% rakeback. However, GipsyTeam players are eligible for 15% rakeback, provided they play consistently.
Transactions are processed in all popular cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDT. While StakePoker is frequented by casual players, it also features a fair number of regulars competing for pots. Combined with high rake and limited rakeback, this makes the site more challenging for profit-seeking grinders—especially since there are no trackers to evaluate expected value.
Still, the platform is growing steadily and offers consistent traffic across cash and tournament formats, making it a viable option for players seeking variety and simplicity.
