A new skin has joined the WePlay Network, a popular organization focusing on the European market. Surf Poker came online recently, and our reps logged in to find out what it could offer players.
Creating a Surf Poker Account
Surf Poker only works in a browser, so you'll need to visit the website to register. However, this isn't possible from all countries, including Canada and the USA:
You won't be able to log in from IP addresses of countries on this list.In the registration window, you need to select a nickname, enter an email address, and enter a password.
After registration, you will be asked to choose the account currency between the US dollar and Taiwanese dollar – we recommend the first option.You can enter GTPLUS directly in the "Bonus Code" field — this will give you the opportunity to receive all the room's bonuses, as well as take part in our exclusive rake race.
After creating an account, we recommend immediately completing verification. To do this, go to "Account" → "Verification" (link in the upper left corner of the menu). The standard requirements include your first name, last name, address, postal code, and city of residence, a photo of your passport's main page, and a bank statement with an address from a country not on the blacklist. To speed things up, send your username to Surf Poker support via the Telegram bot or email it to support@surf.poker.
During the test drive, identity verification took about a day.
Deposits, Bonuses, & Withdrawals
The "Cashier" section is located in the upper right corner of the lobby. You can only top up your account with crypto:
● BNB
● USDT (TRC20 and BEP20)
● BTC
● TRX
● ETH
There's a fee of about $4 for depositing USDT into the TRC20 network, so we recommend using BEP20 or another currency, which has no fee. The minimum deposit is $10.
But it's better to verify and deposit $25. For that, the room will add another $10 on top, which you don't even need to unlock. It's immediately available for play.
Withdrawals aren't possible right away, but the terms are generous: you only need to generate $25 rake within 60 days. Along with this nice little bonus, there's a standard first deposit bonus of 200% up to $500. Essentially, this is an additional 20% rakeback, paid out in 20% increments.
You can track your progress in the "Promo" section. Bonuses are combined with weekly rakeback from the loyalty program, so new accounts can earn up to 90% of their commission in the first few months.
Deposits arrive almost instantly. Withdrawals are made to the same wallet and take up to 24 hours.
Software & Ease of Play
You can play Surf Poker on your PC exclusively in your browser; there's no separate client for Windows or Mac. Technically, you can click "Open in App" in the address bar to add a shortcut to your desktop, but this will open the same browser window.
It's the same story when playing on a smartphone: When you visit the site, you'll be prompted to download and install an app, which in practice turns out to be a shortcut to launch the page in your browser. However, the site is perfectly optimized for touchscreens, and all the features of the PC version are available on phones.
The software was developed by EvenBet, so the look and functionality will feel familiar. The same software is used in 1Win, PokerPlanets, and many other rooms. The interface is simple and user-friendly
At the top are tabs for games: Cash, MTT, and Spins. In the upper right are the cashier and a gear wheel with table settings, buy-ins, sounds, and chat. The menu on the left includes account settings, game history, and active tables.
A basic set of necessary settings is available:
- Bet buttons
- Convert chips into BB
- Insurance offers
- Tables and card themes
- Automatic buy-ins
- Automatic rebuys
- Run it Twice
- Straddle
You can also mute the sound and transfer chips to and from BB format during a game using the table changer tab. You can have up to four tables open at once.
There's also an option to automatically switch to the table you're currently at. You can view your hand history in the top left, and at the bottom are the chat and Smart Fold options, where you can set a range of hands that will automatically fold preflop.
Tables can be arranged in a tiled or cascaded configuration using the button in the top-right menu. General settings and the tournament lobby are also located there.
Surf Poker doesn't offer any kind of stats at the tables, and trackers are prohibited. Clicking on an opponent's avatar only displays notes and color-codes. There aren't any basic VPIP and PFR stats either.
Cash Games on Surf Poker
Cash games feature Hold'em and Omaha tables, while other MTTs and Spins only feature NLHE.
Surf Poker's main draw is the casual players who come from the casino. Fortunately, they don't limit player selection yet. The lobby is open, and there are waitlists, so to find weak players, you can open all the tables the old-fashioned way, evaluate the stacks and the game, and queue for the desired table.
There are 6-max and 8-max tables available, and bomb pot tables marked with a special icon. At these tables, 3-5 big blinds are taken from all players every 6-7 minutes, and the hand begins with the flop. Play is primarily at NL20, NL50, and NL200. During prime time, you can find two to six tables per limit. From time to time, NL500 games go on. There is action at NL4, NL10, and NL100, but it's usually less busy, around one or two tables.
During the test drive, we hardly played Omaha, although the client does have tables: from PLO2 to PLO500, including 5- and 6-card variations.
The action picks up between 2:00 PM and 11:00 PM GMT time. There are very few active tables in the morning, but they start filling up in the early afternoon.
Starting at 10:00 AM GMT, there's already some actionThe minimum buy-in is only 30 big blinds, but that's what makes it easy to spot the real players. The frantic action peaks between 6-7 PM GMT time. On Friday evening, the most action was found at NL20 and NL50, with two active NL200 tables and a partially full NL500 table also in play.
Weak players can be found at all limits. Flags aren't displayed on profiles, but the chat is full of messages in multiple languages, and amateurs don't deny themselves the pleasure of going all-in from the SB for 60 blinds at NL200:
The Bad Beat Jackpot is visible in the upper right corner of the table. In Hold'em, you must lose with a full house ( or better), while in Omaha, you must lose with or better.
The payout amount depends on the limit. At NL4, the loser receives 0.25% of the jackpot, the winner receives 0.125%, and the remaining players also receive 0.125%. At NL200, the rewards are more substantial: the victim of a bad beat receives 4%, the winner receives 2%, and the other players receive a combined 2%. At the time of the test drive, the Bad Beat Jackpot was almost $89,000.
In summary, we can confidently recommend local cash games to micro and mid-stakes players. Despite playing in a browser, you can easily add 1-2 tables to your total load without experiencing any significant inconvenience. And NL 20-50 regulars who play fewer tables might consider Surf Poker as their main room, given the decent rakeback, bonuses, and the GipsyTeam race. In the evening, finding four tables with amateurs won't be too difficult.
Tournaments on Surf Poker
As with cash games, Surf Poker tournaments pick up in the late afternoon GMT time. In the morning, you can only count on $1 or $2 MTTs with 30-50 players. Satellites and freerolls are plentiful. Five freerolls are held daily, which, given the low AFS, allows you to quickly build a starting bankroll for micro-stakes.
Often in these freerolls you will be the only live player at the table:
In the evening, a couple of tournaments with higher buy-ins and guarantees appear:
| Day of the Week | Tournament Name | Time (GMT) | Buy-in ($) | Guarantee ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Afternoon Prime | 16:00 | 11 | 1,600 |
| Monday Main | 5:00 PM | 55 | 10,000 | |
| Tuesday | Knockout Countdown | 16:00 | 11 | 1,600 |
| Tuesday Main PKO | 5:00 PM | 55 | 10,000 | |
| Wednesday | Midweek Booster | 16:00 | 11 | 1,600 |
| Wednesday Main | 5:00 PM | 55 | 10,000 | |
| Thursday | Mystery Bounty Warmup | 16:00 | 11 | 1,600 |
| Thursday Mystery Bounty | 5:00 PM | 55 | 10,000 | |
| Friday | Friday Kickoff | 16:00 | 16.5 | 2,700 |
| Friday Main PKO | 5:00 PM | 75 | 15,000 | |
| Saturday | Saturday Smash | 16:00 | 16.25 | 3,000 |
| Saturday Mystery Bounty | 5:00 PM | 75 | 20,000 | |
| Sunday | Sunday Launchpad | 16:00 | 22 | 3,200 |
| Sunday Main | 5:00 PM | 109 | 30,000 |
The network also hosts tournament series with more impressive guarantees.
For example, the ILWP kicks off on February 9th with a $50,000 main event and a $40,000 mystery bounty. Qualification is available through satellites and freerolls, with tickets as prizes.
Surf Poker's structure is turbocharged. In tournaments that start at 4 PM, blinds increase every 6 minutes, and in those that start at 5 PM, every 8 minutes.
The level of play is exactly what you'd expect to see in rooms where the main traffic comes from the casino. We saw constant limps, all-in bets on any two cards, and an absolute reluctance to part with even a third pair.
Overall, only nostalgic fans of micro-stakes SnGs will be able to secure a large load on Surf Poker. For everyone else, there are a couple of evening tournaments with extremely weak fields but a fairly high-volume structure. However, given the ease of use of the software, adding them to the evening load wouldn't be a bad idea. And freeroll fans will likely be delighted with the tournament schedule.
Spin & Go on Surf Poker
There are three limits available:
| Stakes | Maximum multiplier |
|---|---|
| $1 | 10,000 |
| $3 | 30,000 |
| $5 | 50,000 |
Unlike cash games and MTTs, you can open five tables at once. Traffic is tricky, and finding opponents during the day is a challenge; even in single-table tournaments, there were long waits. Players increase in the evening, but the room isn't suitable for regular grinding.
The amount of play can be estimated by the list of winners of the latest tournaments on the right side of the lobby.Rake and Rakeback at Surf Poker
The room charges a 5% rake at cash tables. The commission for tournaments is 10%.
| NL Hold'em | Cap for 2-3 players in BB | Cap for 4+ players in BB |
|---|---|---|
| $0.02/$0.04 | 14 | 14 |
| $0.05/$0.10 | 12 | 12 |
| $0.10/$0.20 | 10 | 10 |
| $0.25/$0.50 | 6 | 6 |
| $0.50/$1 | 5 | 5 |
| $1/$2 | 4 | 4 |
| $2/$4 | 3 | 3 |
| $3/$6 | 2 | 2 |
| $5/$10 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| $10/$20 | 1 | 1 |
| $25/$50 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| $50/$100 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| $100/$200 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| $250/$500 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| PLO | Cap for 2-3 players in BB | Cap for 4+ players in BB |
|---|---|---|
| $0.02/$0.04 | 10 | 10 |
| $0.05/$0.10 | 10 | 10 |
| $0.10/$0.20 | 9 | 9 |
| $0.25/$0.50 | 6 | 6 |
| $0.50/$1 | 4 | 4 |
| $1/$2 | 3 | 4 |
| $2/$4 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| $3/$6 | 2 | 2 |
| $5/$10 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| $10/$20 | 1 | 1 |
| $25/$50 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| $50/$100 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| $100/$200 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| $250/$500 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| PLO5 | Cap for 2-3 players in BB | Cap for 4+ players in BB |
|---|---|---|
| $0.02/$0.04 | 10 | 10 |
| $0.05/$0.10 | 10 | 10 |
| $0.10/$0.20 | 9 | 8 |
| $0.25/$0.50 | 6 | 6 |
| $0.50/$1 | 4 | 4 |
| $1/$2 | 3 | 4 |
| $2/$4 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| $3/$6 | 2 | 2 |
| $5/$10 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| $10/$20 | 1 | 1 |
| $25/$50 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| $50/$100 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| $100/$200 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| $250/$500 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| PLO6 | Cap for 2-3 players in BB | Cap for 4+ players in BB |
|---|---|---|
| $0.02/$0.04 | 10 | 10 |
| $0.05/$0.10 | 10 | 10 |
| $0.10/$0.20 | 9 | 8 |
| $0.25/$0.50 | 6 | 6 |
| $0.50/$1 | 4 | 4 |
| $1/$2 | 3 | 4 |
| $2/$4 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| $3/$6 | 2 | 2 |
| $5/$10 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| $10/$20 | 1 | 1 |
| $25/$50 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| $50/$100 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| $100/$200 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| $250/$500 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
The loyalty program consists of nine levels, with payouts made weekly.
All GipsyTeam players receive 30% rakeback from the start, with no rake requirements. Theoretically, you can earn up to 50% for a $3,000 commission per week, but this requires a more expensive game selection.
In addition to rakeback and first deposit bonuses, you can reduce your rake burden with the help of promotions.
Only on GipsyTeam: $1,000 Rake Race
Until February 1st, players who create a Surf Poker account using a GipsyTeam promo code will be able to participate in an exclusive rake race with a prize pool of 1,000. No separate registration is required. Race conditions:
- $1 of rake = 1 point
- All disciplines and stakes are welcome
- The scoring period runs from 21:00 January 19 to 20:59 February 1 GMT time.
- The top ten are awarded prizes, and the winner gets $400
- Prizes are paid to your account within a few days after the race ends.
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1 | $400 |
| 2 | $250 |
| 3 | $125 |
| 4 | $75 |
| 5-10 | $25 |
Considering the low online presence in the room, this is a good opportunity to get an increase to the starting rakeback, which is already quite impressive.
The current leaderboard is published in the promotions section.
What's Our Final Verdict on Surf Poker?
Registration and Verification: Good
They're not much different from any other platform: convenient, clear, and familiar. But don't expect lightning-fast speeds; identity verification took a day.
Deposits and Withdrawals: Good
The deposit was credited instantly, and the withdrawal took about an hour. Having only one deposit and withdrawal method may not be suitable for some, but by 2026, crypto is definitely worth mastering.
Software: Fine
Although the game is played in a browser, no serious bugs or lags were observed during the test drive. Don't expect the convenience of Euro rooms, but compared to other browser-based rooms, Surf Poker's software performs well.
The Field: Excellent
There are plenty of recreational players in all formats and at any limit. And they often differ greatly from the amateurs from the classic poker rooms. When your next opponent calls on the river with 8-high, you start to wonder if they've really learned the rules.
Traffic: Light
The peak hours are in the evenings and nights in Moscow. During these hours, 10-15 cash tables are available at all limits, and a couple of MTT tournaments with 200-300 players are available. During the day, cash games are only available on weekends. Tournaments outside of prime time are $1-$2 head-to-heads with 50-player guarantees, freerolls, and satellites. There's not much to play besides Hold'em.
Rakeback and Promotions: Great
The room offers quite generous first deposit bonuses, which can significantly boost your rakeback, and GipsyTeam is also running an exclusive rake race.
Regular Treatment: Fair
Any software is prohibited at Surf Poker, and players can only play at a maximum of four tables at a time. However, the cash game lobby is open—you can choose a suitable table, see players' nicknames, and join the queue, which will rarely exceed one person.