Ya Poker Review - LATAM's Biggest Poker Tournaments Online

Professional Rakeback YaPoker Review

YaPoker is a Spanish and Latin oriented online poker room, one of the Winning Poker Network skins.  YaPoker defaults the language to Español but can be set to English as well as Português.  If you have ever had the pleasure of visiting a Latin Poker Series (formerly the Latin Series of Poker LSOP) live tournament then you may have seen this new brand advertised.  YaPoker is marketed heavily in countries like Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Panama & Costa Rica as well as many other Central American, South American and Caribbean nations. 

YaPoker is owned and operated by the folks over at the Winning Poker Network and players at this saucy skin enjoy all of the benefits that players on WPN have come to appreciate.  Ya has the full complement of Texas Holdem, Omaha, Omaha High Lo online poker cash games offered, which includes 6max, full ring and heads up games from the penny stakes of 0.01/0.02 up to 50/100 blind levels.  Despite the Latin flair, all games are denominated in United States Dollars or USD, as that is the native currency of the WPN.

The Winning Poker Network has caught up with its competitor iPoker by introducing 6+ Hold'em games. These tables remove all cards lower than a 6 from the deck, leading to more all-in confrontations and bigger pots because the new starting hand values run close together in equity. Due to the intricacies of probability, flushes now beat full houses while sets are better than straights, lending new strategic imperatives to the standard NLHE formula. You can access 6+ cash games from $0.01/$0.02 through $50/$100, and there are sometimes tournaments held in this format too.

Players who compete in these cash games will also compete in the world's largest rake race known as "The Beast"  That's right, this Spanish poker sites also participates in this absolutely free weekly rake race where the top players each week receive a cash prize.  The highest-ranked players also get a tournament satellite coupon to whatever live tournament / tropical vacation package is up for grabs that particular month. Talented world class grinders will want to set their sights on first prize which is $2,500 per week, which multiple individuals win each week. 2nd-tier winners get $1,000 per week and so on.  There is quite a bit of No Limit Holdem and Pot Limit Omaha cash game action available each day, centered mainly around the North and South American timezones as well as European peak traffic times as the network is most popular in North America, South America, and Europe.

YaPoker also has quite a bit to offer sit and go players and double or nothing players. There is action daily at games up to the $50 buyin levels and sporadic action above has improved as the network has grown in size. This network also has a special type of SNG called an "on demand tournament" whereby a game starts up with 9 players (as a SNG) and then a short late registration period takes place after the game launches and more full tables can be added. These OnDemand games are favored at the network, for recreational players love them, and as such, more rewards points are earned when players frequent the OD SNGS.  SNG players are also in luck as they too have their own weekly progressive rake race dubbed aptly, "Sit and Crush!"  The Sit and Crush race is also a free poker promotion whereby all forms of SNGs and OD SNGs award points for cash prizes as well as the same type of satellite tournament tickets which ultimately lead to exotic poker tournament destinations. First prize in Sit and Crush is $1,250 each week! 

Heads up sit and go players will enjoy games ranging from $1.1 all the way up to $1,050 buyin games.  And there is surprisingly reasonable volume and soft competition to be had. Games pop off daily even at the higher stakes HUSNG and there are few pros fishing the waters.

Multi-table tournament players, we have not forgotten about you. The Winning Poker Network, and by extension YaPoker, has a good deal of tournaments filled with fishy American players who come from other operators on the network. There are daily tournaments ranging from $100 guarantees all the way up to the daily High Roller with a guarantee between $20K and $40K. On the weekends, the Sunday Major is a 150k, and the Sunday PLO major is a 35k event!  The MTTs come in slow deep stacked formats, standard speeds as well as a decent amount of turbo speed tournaments for those seeking a quicker playing experience. 

The Winning Tournament Network is something that YaPoker participates in as well. This growing global online tournament network contains not only the players from the Winning Poker Network, but players from other independent poker sites and networks. The WTN, in conjunction with WPN, and available on YaPoker, offers $500,000 and $1,000,000 USD guaranteed tournaments, typically every other month. If you join today you can being playing satellite tournaments for these monumental events that are sure to attract droves of fishy American players who haven't had access to a $1 million dollar guaranteed tournament since April 2011! This seven-figure tournament is appropriated named "Million Dollar Sunday," and there is sometimes a substantial overlay, delivering unprecedented value to the participants!

YaPoker Rakeback and VIP Program

YaPoker also has a poker VIP program which will be familiar to many seasoned online poker grinders.  It is called Elite Benefits and it is an exact copy of the old PokerStars VIP program (circa 2012). This program yields rakeback percentages up to 70% just like Stars!  But wait, it gets better. The Beast and SitandCrush promotions are added on top of the Elite Benefits VIP with NO deductions!  High volume players switching from PokerStars to YaPoker to grind could end up earning more than the biggest and baddest SuperNova Elites could dream of clearing in a year.  Oh, and they frequently have monthly reload bonuses worth a couple hundred dollars as well.

If the Elite Benefits VIP program is not what you seek, there is also a flat rakeback program available for YaPoker. Professional Rakeback offers you the maximum allowed by Winning Poker Network rules, which is a flat twenty-seven percent rate. YaPoker WPN rakeback is calculated using the weighted contributed methodology. One of the main benefits of the flat rakeback program is that players have access to their rakeback at any time. With YaPoker Rakeback, a player can request their rakeback be paid at any time of day or night, seven days a week, via a few clicks in the poker client. The automated rakeback payment, paid directly by YaPoker and WPN, shows up instantly. Players can claim this 27% daily rakeback at any time or save it up for larger lump sum payments, whatever they want, the rakeback never expires, just accumulates until you are good and ready to redeem it!

Ya Poker Payouts

All these promotions are great, but what about the cashier?  Are the poker payouts fast?  Are the poker deposits easy?

The cashier offers swift deposits and withdrawals via name brand ewallets we've all come to love and trust such as Skrill Moneybookers and Neteller.  Also available are bank wires and Ecopayz as well as myriad local options depending on your country of origin.  Ewallet deposits are instant and ewallet withdrawals are often processed and in hand in under 48 business hours!

Those who stay up-to-date on the latest tech trends will be gratified to learn that Ya Poker is a big supporter of crypto-currency. This extends beyond the standard Bitcoin-friendliness that's now commonplace in the online gaming world. Yes, this poker room does permit you to fund your account and request payouts through BTC, but this is just the beginning of the story. You see, Ya Poker's cashier actually lists dozens of crypto coins that you can use, among them Litecoin, Dash, Ether, and Monero. Avoid government meddling and cumbersome banking rules by transacting in crypto!

PROFRB monitors YaPoker payouts in its monthly Poker Payouts Report, check out the entry for ACR Poker / Winning Poker Network (YaPoker, being network owned, shares the same cashier).

YaPoker is owned, operated, and staffed by the Winning Poker Network, in the same way that it's sister skins ACR Poker, Black Chip Poker, and True Poker are operated.  Promotions such as The Beast and Sit and Crush are alive and active on the Ya brand as well as reload bonuses, Elite Benefits, 50k Sunday Major multi-table tournament and more - it's the WPN that you've come to love, with a Latin feel!

YaPoker Bonus Codes & Information

The bonuses on YaPoker are typically pretty generous when compared to other online poker sites. For example, the YaPoker deposit bonus available through Professional Rakeback is a 100% match bonus up to a maximum of $1,000. We offer this deposit bonus to both our VIP Elite Benefit players as well as our flat 27% YaPoker rakeback players. YaPoker also tends to offer reload bonuses from time to time, typically 100% or 50% matches that can be as big as $1000 and clear at an additional 23% effective rakeback rate! If you carefully follow the instructions below and be sure to clear your cookies, the signup link we provide will automatically guarantee that you receive the maximum $1,000 deposit bonus.

STEP 1:  Clear your cookies - This step is mandatory to insure that you receive your initial deposit bonus! Click the links below for instructions.

Step 2:  If you've previously installed the software, you must uninstall it now before continuing.

Step 3:  Click the banner or the text links below it depending on which program you'd like to sign up for:

Text link: Click here to sign up at Ya Poker Elite Benefits VIP - Click here to sign up for YaPoker 27% Rakeback

Step 4:  Download and install the poker client.

Step 5:  Create account and username (leave bonus blank - it's automatically credited when you sign up through Professional Rakeback).

Step 6:  Create your tablename.

Step 7:  Skype or Email us your login name and registered email address for confirmation of your new account.

NOTES:  If you desire larger deposit limits, you will need to verify your account with standard photo ID and proof of address documentation.  - If you have any further questions, please try the FAQ - you can also contact Professional Rakeback directly with any and all questions related to YaPoker or any other of our safe and legal poker sites.

Support Information

Ya Poker is built from the ground up for Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking players. Support staff speaks both languages, and English, fluently.

There used to be a number of local telephone numbers for South Americans in virtually any region, but these appear to have been discontinued possibly as a consequence of COVID-19. Another popular feature that has disappeared is Live Chat. The only form of “Live Chat” now available is one wherein you interact with an automated software agent, which is equipped to handle the most basic inquiries that customers make.

Should you want to get in touch with a real, live person, then you can send an email or use the contact form on the YaPoker website. The email address for Yapoker is support[at]yapoker.eu.

Ya Poker Players Chime In

On internet poker forums, there are many statements made concerning Ya and its poker room. While the majority of users are fully satisfied with their experiences, there are a few who are less than thrilled. You can read a selection of the posts made about Ya Poker below.

Country and State Restrictions for YaPoker

Unfortunately Ya Poker can not accept players from the countries of France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, or the United States of America. American's looking to play on this network would be advised to stick with ACR Poker, Black Chip, or True Poker - all of which are network owned brands that service US players.

Ya Poker FAQ

I imagine Ya offers the same 27% rakeback that other WPN rooms do? - Spanish poker room YaPoker does in fact offer 27% rakeback. All Winning Poker Network skins are only allowed to offer 27%.  If you see a deal higher than that somewhere else, it is either a shady marketing falsehood or out of date information!

Is there an initial deposit bonus and if so how do I activate it? - Yes there is. It is a 100% match up to $1,000.00. It activates automatically upon your first deposit, no need to enter any codes.

How long do I have to clear the First Deposit Bonus (Initial Deposit Bonus)? - YA has a 60-day expiration timer on the initial deposit bonus.

How does the First Deposit Bonus (Initial Deposit Bonus) clear? - It clears at a rate of $1 for every 27.5 Award Points earned. It is released into your account live as you earn it, $1 at a time! This is great because it means that even if you reach the 60-day time limit for the bonus, you'll still get to keep whatever $1 portions you were able to collect.

Are bonuses deducted from my rakeback? - Yes, bonuses are partially deducted from rakeback players (but not from VIP players), and here's the formula: [(Ring Rake + Tournament Fees) - (Bonus Earned out)] * 27% = rakeback.

At what point is it better to be on Elite Benefits VIP program as opposed to the 27% rakeback program? - Read all about this, thoroughly broken down, here! ProfRB.com highly recommends that tournament, SNG players, and recreational cash game players should take advantage of the rakeback system while mid- to high-stakes cash grinders who put in a lot of time at the tables remain on Elite Benefits.