Uncle Finney’s Poker is a new poker app for Android and the first to use ether, a cryptocurrency based on the Ethereum blockchain (https://www.ethereum.org/). How does it work? Ether can be traded using ‘smart contracts’, independently executable open-source programs that can serve (among other things) as escrows. Rather than handling player funds directly, as other online poker rooms do, Uncle Finney’s Poker uses a smart contract called E4ROW, which charges a 2% escrow fee on all distributed funds, to handle player’s ether. This means that you will never have to deposit or withdraw any funds. Uncle Finney’s Poker does not charge any rake – in fact, it can’t, because it never has access to player funds. What’s more, you don’t even need to register an account: just head to Uncle Finney's and click “Download Now” to get started.
As of writing, Uncle Finney’s Poker only offers heads-up 5 Card Draw. If you are not too serious about poker strategy, then one of the benefits of this variant is that it has been almost completely solved, so it is easy to play optimally if you find the relevant resources online. As Ethereum becomes more popular, which seems likely given how fast it has taken off, new game variants and formats may be added in the future. The user interface is very simple and the in-game graphics are reminiscent of Solitaire. If you are serious about poker, this site is no competition for actual poker rooms, but if you’re looking for a quick and casual poker experience, and are already using or are interested in using ether, we recommend giving Uncle Finney’s Poker a go. Getting the app up and running and joining a game takes only a few minutes, and because it uses E4ROW, the ‘rake’ (or rather, E4ROW’s escrow fee) is very low.
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