Like poker in any other country, poker is a card game which involves some strategy and a lot of luck. The basic rules of poker are the same in Spain as everywhere else: there are different types of bet, and players must form the best possible poker hand combinations using the cards they are dealt. The main aim of the game is to win chips (or money), so players must act shrewdly in order to maximize their winning chances.
In Spain, the most popular poker variants are Texas Hold’em and Omaha. Both can be played in tournament formats or online at Spanish poker sites. In tournament poker, the rules differ slightly from regular poker play as players have the option to pay a buy-in to re-enter the tournament, or pay a higher fee to gain additional chips.
Poker rooms in Spain can only be found in real-world casinos. Additionally, there are also online poker rooms specifically for Spanish players, such as Jiuece Poker and PokerStars.es.
Online poker is also popular amongst Spanish players, though the legality of real-money poker gambling on the internet is a little unclear in the country. Despite this ambiguity, the Spanish government have not done anything to stop online players hosting real-money games and placing real-money bets.
Real-money internet poker is not available at online casinos in Spain, however, the Spanish government is expected to regulate online poker in the near future. If the government adopts this regulation, more Spanish-based online poker rooms may become available for Spanish players.
Most Spanish-based online poker sites operate on the Playtech’s iPoker network and offer a variety of cash game and tournament games, giving players a wide choice of game types to explore.
The minimum age to play in Spain is 18, and players must be 18 or over in order to play poker online in Spain.
In addition to the most popular online poker game variations such as Texas Hold’em and Omaha, there are other poker variations and variants popular in Spain. These include:
Grand Poker: Also known as Extension, Grand Poker is similar to Texas Hold’em but is more strategic. In this game each player is dealt three hole cards and five additional community cards are drawn. Players must make the best 5-card hands using these two sets of cards.
Chinese Poker: Also known as Pusoy, Chinese Poker is a game of card combinations rather than poker hands. Players aim to compose their hand into three sets of cards (two sets of pairs and one three-of-a-kind) rather than a flush or straight.
Pot-Limit Omaha: PLO is another variant of Omaha that is popular in Spain. In this game, all bets are capped at the size of the current pot.
Like in many other countries, Responsible Gambling is an important issue in Spain. The organization Juego Responsable monitors Spanish online poker rooms and gambling websites to ensure that players who struggle to control their gambling behaviour are identified and helped.
Many Spanish online poker rooms are signed up to the Responsible Gambling initiative, and offer players the chance to ‘Cool Off’ away from poker sites for a period of time. This allows them to take a break from gambling, and control their behaviour in a safe and responsible way.
Poker is hugely popular in Spain, with a variety of games and variations played both online and in real-world casinos. The Spanish government is looking into the regulation of online poker, which may open the door for more Spanish-based poker rooms. In addition to this, responsible gambling initiatives are in place to ensure that people play in a safe and responsible way.