PokerStars, along with 888Poker, is one of the best online poker websites nowadays, however, it is not available everywhere. To access the website outside the US or even in certain states you need to play PokerStars with VPN. Nevertheless, to ensure a smooth game you should also know the PokerStars’ policies and some risks while using a VPN to play poker online.

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The PokerStars website is available in the United States, but only players in a handful of states can access the real money games listed there. They are the ones who can help you go back and play real money games with thousands of other players like you on the PokerStars software.
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Short on time?

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NordVPN– The Best and well-rounded VPN for PokerStars
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What is the PokerStars VPN policy

First, let’s take a look does PokerStars (and many other poker websites) actually allow you to use their service with a VPN. To use a VPN to play PokerStars is not forbidden until you play it without real money, but they warn that you should not use it since some website functionalities such as the game itself might not work (which is rarely the case).

However, when it comes to playing with real money and playing from a jurisdiction where it is prohibited, the PokerStars VPN policy states that “customers who attempt real money gaming activity from inside a prohibited jurisdiction with the aid of VPNs or other technical workarounds will lose their privileges and/or funds in their account”.

So, in short, if you want to play real money you are risking to get banned and lose all the funds in case they detect you using a VPN. But can it really detect it?

Can PokerStars detect a VPN

Playing PokerStars with a VPN comes with a certain risk, but many people do it anyways. It is indeed possible not only for PokerStars but for other online poker websites to detect a VPN connection. When you use a VPN to play poker you can be detected in a few ways:

The website might know that IP address belongs to a VPN provider
Seeing multiple connections coming from the same VPN server IP address
Many different IP addresses are used to connect to your account (switching servers)

PokerStars might have a monitoring system that detects the IP addresses used to connect to the website. By knowing the IP address they know your true location and this way block the access to the website. Using a VPN to play poker for sure hides your IP making you appear from the place where it is legal to play it. However, some IPs that belong to a VPN provider might be blacklisted.

When you are using a VPN there is a chance that other people use the same server to connect to PokerStars. It raises a red flag – multiple connections made from the same IP to log in to different accounts look very suspicious, therefore they can tell that a VPN might be used.

Many websites monitor and log the IP addresses from which you are connecting to your account in order to prevent fraud or your account from being stolen. Each time you connect from a different VPN server means you are connecting from a different IP. Frequently switching IP addresses might indicate that you are using a VPN.

Let’s now look at a few tips on how to circumvent these detection algorithms and to minimize the possibility to get banned.

Tips on playing online poker with VPN

Even though a VPN is not allowed on PokerStars it is still possible to use it to access the website. To limit the risk of losing all your funds and getting your account banned here are a few tips on how to play poker with a VPN:

Quick tips on playing PokerStars with VPN:

Use a VPN with a Dedicated IP
Deposit only the amount you need
Cash-out as often as you can
Consider playing CryptoPoker
Use a VPN that disables IPv6
Use a VPN with a kill switch

Use a VPN with a Dedicated IP

In many cases where it is needed to mask a VPN connection, a dedicated IP is used. Using a static IP address will ensure that you are the only one who is connecting to the website from the same IP address all the time.

Having a residential type of IP masks unusual traffic that most websites detect when a regular VPN server is used. Having this type of IP would make you look that you are based in a country to which you are connected and the prevent poker websites detecting the fact that VPN is used. With this type of IP address, the websites have no idea that a VPN is used.

There are some really good VPNs like NordVPN that offer dedicated IP addresses and help in such cases where you need to mask your location.

Deposit only the amount you need

Since there is a risk that your account might be canceled, it is best to deposit only the amount of money you are planning to use. You should also use an international transfer service such as PayPal, that would not expose your real details about where your bank is located. Some websites allow depositing money in cryptocurrency as well.

Cash-out as often as you can

Due to the same risks that your account might be canceled is best to withdraw as often as possible. You never know when PokerStars can detect the usage of a VPN and block you not only from playing the game but also from withdrawing the funds.

Consider playing CryptoPoker

As mentioned before, some websites such as Coinpoker allow to deposit and withdraw money with cryptocurrencies. Of course, playing crypto poker comes with different risks involving cryptocurrency volatility. However, there are usually no restrictions on using a VPN when playing, and depositing or withdrawing funds usually does not require any identity verification as well.

Use a VPN that disables IPv6

Many poker players are unaware that your connection even with a VPN has another type of IP address called IPv6. Just like your regular IPv4, this type of IPv6 address can expose your true location to the websites as well. It is important to use a VPN that handles IPv6 addresses as well and prevents them from leaking.

Use a VPN with a kill switch

Speaking of IP leaks, a VPN kill switch is the feature that is must-have when playing online poker. Any unexpected disconnect from a VPN server would leak your real IP address and

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