South-East Asia is one of the hottest areas in the rising worldwide poker boom, powered by gambling centers located in Macau, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Australia, and Indonesia. Online poker in Indonesia is quickly gaining traction, thanks to expats and the world’s fourth-largest population, with multiple online poker sites open to Indonesian players.
The poker industry is also expanding rapidly, with new Indonesian sites springing up all the time to attract an eager new player population. Hurdles to a fully legalized poker in Indonesia are likely to exist for a while, yet the poker community increases despite the obstacles with each passing year. Read on for the full online poker in Indonesia guide.
Legal Status of Online Poker in Indonesia
There is no getting around this one: online poker (or gambling in general) is not legal in Indonesia. It is unlikely to become legal anytime soon as well. Despite the fact that poker is clearly a skill game and far distant from true “gambling,” it is nonetheless associated with casinos and gambling and is, by definition, illegal. Having said that, Indonesia has a massive population of nearly 261 million and widespread love for sports betting and poker alike. while you’re unlikely to find live poker at a Jakarta casino, there’s no shortage of individuals eager to play poker online. Many people in Indonesia use social media such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter to learn more about the game of poker and follow all the news. If you want to learn more about poker, then this strategy article about poker hands will be helpful.
The sole online poker regulation in Indonesia is designed to prevent individuals from playing on online poker sites. But, thanks to the power of the Internet, the Indonesian government hasn’t been able to restrict access to many foreign online poker sites as of yet. Although you are unlikely to discover a poker site in the local language, the big international poker sites listed later in the article may still be accessed from Indonesia. That may change in the future, but with the government focusing on sports betting and casino activities, online poker appears to have a brief window of opportunity in Indonesia.
Top Indonesian Poker Players
It is fair to say that North America has a significant advantage in terms of elite poker players, it does not have a full monopoly on the game. Players from all over the world are swiftly demonstrating their ability, and the burgeoning industry in Indonesia has already generated some top-tier talent. Along with John Juanda, an Indonesian/American legend, Darus Suharto, a Canadian/Indonesian, Michael Sampoerna, Sandhy Rafael Sitepu, and Satrya Teja all have remarkable live poker tournament scores.
With a staggering $25 million in total live tournament earnings, John Juanda is still the most accomplished Indonesian poker player in history. Juanda has five World Series of Poker bracelets and a World Series of Poker Europe championship to his name. In addition, he has managed to win the inaugural tournament on the now-defunct Professional Poker Tour. Juanda received his highest career payout when he won in the 2017 Triton Poker Macau HK$1,000,000 Main Event for $2,870,092.
But, let’s not forget about Darus Suharto. Suharto was born in Indonesia and currently resides in Canada. He is most known for finishing sixth in the 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event, won by Peter Eastgate. Suharto is a poker millionaire, although he considers himself a casual player and even works as a Certified Public Accountant in Ontario, Canada. With $2.5 million in tournament earnings, he is in the top 300 on poker’s all-time money list thanks to his enormous success in 2008.
Best Online Poker Sites in Indonesia
If you sign up through YourPokerDream at one of the following sites, you will enjoy adding to the normal promotions of the poker room a lot of exclusive extras from YourPokerDream. We also offer the highest possible rakeback for players from Indonesia.
Our recommendation for Indonesian poker players: Our partner GGPoker from the ggnetwork. Many fish from all over the world, 24/7 action at all limits and a fantastic Rakeback Deal and many interesting promotions. We offer our players an unbeatable VIP Deal for players from Brazil!
We recommend GGPoker! Use our Bonus Code YPD when registering at GGPoker and enjoy every month 6.000$ in private tournaments.
In Indonesia, there is a large underground market for online casinos and card games, which the government is working hard to prevent. The Indonesian ministries of Social Affairs, Religious Affairs, and Communications and IT revealed plans in 2012 to ban illicit gaming sites for its population. Despite their best efforts, however, several large gambling sites remain accessible to Indonesian gamers.
500$ Bonus/Up to 45% Rakeback
600$ Bonus/YPD VIP Deal
400$ Bonus/VIP System + Freerolls
2.000$ Bonus/Up to 55% Rakeback
ShenPoker
ShenPoker is a flagship poker room of the IDN Poker network, which is the largest Asian poker network. According to PokerScout rankings, this network is currently third in the world in terms of traffic only behind such giants as PokerStars and GGNetwork. ShenPoker flies under the radar of most European and American news agencies, as IDN Poker is not making attempts to attract players worldwide. The focus of this poker network is to remain genuinely Asian.
Because of this, ShenPoker remains unknown for most players, however, it does have many benefits. For example, it features arguably the softest playing field in online poker. This room offers hundreds of uncapped poker games around the clock at stakes from NL5 and PLO5 up to NL6000 and PLO300.
ShenPoker also offers Live Texas Hold’em poker with a whole new poker experience and live dealer poker games. The action here is even wilder than at the regular tables and offers a great gaming experience that is not available anywhere else.
GGPoker
GGPoker is arguably the best poker room in the world. Even though GGPoker is a relative newcomer in the online poker sphere, it has shown immense growth (and continues to grow) and development over the last few years. It is best known for its insane traffic, soft cash games, and the best loyalty program on the market. There is something for everyone. Regulars will appreciate its soft field with high payouts, while casual players will benefit from its rakeback program. As mentioned previously, GGPoker is a great poker room for both casual players and regulars. Their loyalty program is built on a principle that every player will receive decent rewards, no matter whether they are winning or losing. In a nutshell, GGPoker encourages weaker players to keep on playing while also providing many bonuses to those who are more skilled and win more.
888poker
888poker is one of the most well-known and trustworthy poker rooms. They dislike regulars, although there have been no cases of banning without cause. 888poker offers a range of promotions to attract new players! Actually, the local field is largely casuals, which more than compensates for the comparatively big rake and the almost absolute absence of rakeback.
It has a lot of traffic. The room is consistently ranked among the top ten most popular poker sites. There is a lot of action at micro stakes. Because the bulk of the players at the tables is amateurs from European countries, the busiest hour is in the evening GMT.
Winning Poker Network (WPN)
Winning Poker Network has been operating for more than 20 years. Throughout this time, WPN was able to achieve a superb reputation in the poker community. This network includes PokerKing. It offers large traffic 24/7 even in fast-fold formats. This network also has a flexible approach when it comes to rakeback. Players can either choose fixed amounts or go with the classic benefits program. WPN is known for its US-friendly poker sites, therefore, you will have an opportunity to play with US players. It will be a great choice for regular players and grinders. Some of their bonuses and promotions include: 100% welcome bonus of up to $2,000, rake races, and reload bonuses. If you are a true grinder, then you can count on an excellent return.