CoinPoker’s month-long 100% rakeback promotion just got better halfway through. After players pushed back against the original Phase 2 plan, which would have swapped daily withdrawable cash for indirect rewards starting March 16, CoinPoker reversed course. Direct 100% rakeback stays through March 31.
On top of the extension, CoinPoker is activating $1,000,000 per week in CoinRaces leaderboard prizes for cash game players. CoinRaces winnings count toward the 100% rakeback total rather than stacking on top of it.
If you’re not chasing leaderboard spots, nothing changes from Phase 1: every dollar of rake back in your wallet by 07:00 UTC the next morning.
Three new ambassadors also joined ahead of Phase 2: Papo MC ($15.9M in live earnings, WSOP bracelet), Abby Merk (Global Poker Awards Rising Star), and WisternJL (ex-PokerStars Team Pro, 27K Twitch followers).
Below, we break down exactly how Phase 2 works, where the value sits for each player type, and what these signings mean.
- Direct rakeback extended: 100% of rake credited daily as withdrawable USDT at 07:00 UTC, same as Phase 1.
- CoinRaces activated: $1M/week in cash game leaderboard prizes across twelve 2-hour sessions per day.
- Level Up Series: Zero-rake tournaments through March 31 with multi-day Main Events starting March 22.
- New ambassadors: Papo MC ($15.9M earnings, WSOP bracelet), Abby Merk (GPA Rising Star), and WisternJL (ex-PokerStars Team Pro).
What Changes in CoinPoker’s Phase 2 Rakeback
Phase 1 vs Phase 2: The Key Difference
Phase 1 (March 2 to 15) was straightforward, as we covered in our CoinPoker 100% rakeback launch breakdown. You played, you generated rake, and 100% of it landed in your wallet as withdrawable USDT the next morning at 07:00 UTC.
Phase 2 was originally designed to replace that direct cash with indirect rewards: Splash pots, CoinRaces leaderboard prizes, and Level Up Series credits. Players pushed back, and CoinPoker reversed course around March 13.
What does that mean in practice? If you’re grinding CoinPoker cash games or tournaments right now, nothing negative changes on March 16. You keep 100% daily rakeback, with the only addition being $1M/week in CoinRaces leaderboard prizes running alongside it.
The official promotion window runs from March 16 at 00:00 UTC through April 1 at 00:00 UTC, covering every second of March 31.
Note: CoinPoker’s own pages show conflicting end dates (FAQ says March 29, headers say March 31, T&C says April 1). The T&C governs, so plan through March 31.
Where Your Rake Goes in Phase 2
Phase 2 returns value through three channels. Here’s how each one works and who benefits most.
| Channel | How It Works | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Direct Rakeback | 100% of rake credited as USDT to your Rewards Balance daily at 07:00 UTC. Fully withdrawable. | Everyone. This is the baseline. |
| CoinRaces Leaderboards | $1M/week across twelve 2-hour sessions daily. Four stake tiers, separate NLH and PLO boards. Prizes within minutes. | Cash game volume grinders across all stakes. |
| Level Up Series | Tournament series (March 8 to 31) with boosted guarantees, multi-day Main Events, and 100% of fees refunded via rakeback. | MTT grinders looking for zero-rake tournament entries. |
The CoinRaces Deduction Rule
This is the one detail that matters if you’re grinding both cash games and leaderboards. CoinRaces winnings count toward your 100% rakeback total, not on top of it.
How it works in practice: $100 rake + $50 CoinRaces win = $50 rakeback + $50 prize = $100 total. Your return never drops below 100% of rake paid. If you’re not finishing near the top of any session, the deduction doesn’t affect you and you get full 100% rakeback same as Phase 1.
How to Maximize EV in Phase 2
Cash Game Grinders
The combination of direct rakeback and $1M/week in CoinRaces leaderboards creates one of the strongest short-term value environments in online poker right now. Here’s how to get the most out of it.
- Volume is king: CoinRaces points scale with rake generated. Even a mid-table finish at the boosted $1M/week level adds value on top of 100% rakeback.
- Pick your sessions strategically: Twelve 2-hour windows per day from 00:00 UTC. Off-peak sessions have less competition and better points-to-prize ratios.
- Four stake tiers, separate NLH and PLO boards: Micro, Low, Mid, and High. You compete at your own stakes, not the full player pool. Note: $0.50/$1 and $5/$10 players should verify tier placement in-client due to conflicting boundaries on CoinPoker's page.
- All formats qualify: Cash, AoF, and heads-up all earn points. Splash pots active on AoF from March 16 (Regular: 3BB to 49BB; Mega: 50BB to 1,000BB) with 100% of Splash fees returned.
Tournament Players
For MTT grinders, Phase 2 might actually be the better half of March. The Level Up Series runs through March 31 with up to five featured events per day, and every tournament fee is returned via the 100% rakeback promotion. That means every Level Up Series entry is effectively zero rake.
- Multi-day Main Events start March 22: Three concurrent Main Events at Low, Mid, and High buy-in tiers. Day 2 (March 23) pays larger prize pools.
- Bubble protection: Register early (via cash or satellite ticket) and bust on the bubble? Full buy-in refund.
- Blind rollback at final tables: Low average stacks at the final table trigger a blind reduction to restore real poker decisions.
- Find events: Search 'LUS' in the tournament lobby. Side events run Sunday, Monday, and Thursday.
Papo MC tested the Level Up Series in his first Sunday session on CoinPoker and finished 4th out of 280 entries for 10,080 USDT. The fields are growing as CoinPoker adjusts guarantees based on daily traffic.
CoinPoker Signs Three New Ambassadors
Alongside the Phase 2 transition, CoinPoker added three new faces to an ambassador roster that now includes 13 confirmed names. The signings happened on March 6 and 7 and reflect a clear pattern: reach across different audiences and regions.
Welcome to @CoinPoker_OFF Papo! Super happy to have you on board! Absolute legend of the game! https://t.co/CwRUP4RkkF pic.twitter.com/tfJdO4VlVC
— Mario Mosböck (@mariomosboeck) March 7, 2026
Papo MC: $15.9M in Earnings and a WSOP Bracelet
Alejandro “Papo MC” Lococo is the headline signing. Born in Mar del Plata, Argentina, he’s built parallel careers as a freestyle rap champion and a high-stakes poker player.
- Live tournament earnings: $15,924,975 across 64 cashes (Hendon Mob). Ranked 97th on poker's all-time money list.
- WSOP bracelet: Won the $1,000,000 Triton Million at WSOP Paradise (December 2024) for $12,070,000, defeating Ben Heath heads-up.
- WSOP Main Event: Finished 7th in the 2021 WSOP Main Event for $1,225,000.
- Argentina #2: Second only to Nacho Barbero (nearly $30M) on Argentina's all-time live earnings list.
- Freestyle career: Won Red Bull Batalla de los Gallos Argentina (2016) and FMS Argentina Season 4 (2022-23). Over 2.5 million YouTube subscribers.
- Former PokerStars ambassador: Named to Team PokerStars in 2021.
We previously broke down his WSOP Main Event bluff against Karim Rebei in our Papo MC vs Rebei hand analysis.
His signing gives CoinPoker credibility with Latin American players and high-stakes tournament regulars. This is not a content creator hire: nearly $16M in tracked earnings speaks for itself.
Abby Merk: Rising Star and Content Creator
Abigail “Abby Poker” Merk was announced on March 6. Chicago-based, Wake Forest graduate (Philosophy major, Mathematics minor). She left a career in finance and options trading to play poker professionally.
- Content creation: Won 'Rising Star in Content Creation' at the 6th Global Poker Awards (February 2025). Most-viewed reel: a skit with Tom Dwan at 5.9M views.
- Tournament results: $73,620 in live earnings across 33 cashes (Hendon Mob). Won her WSOP Main Event seat via a $200 satellite.
- Women's poker advocacy: President of the Women's Poker Association. Former Poker Power instructor.
- Previous sponsorship: Former BetMGM Poker ambassador (signed March 2025).
Merk’s signing is a content and community play. Her social reach grew from 3,000 followers in January 2024 to over 100,000 combined by early 2025. For CoinPoker, she fills the female ambassador gap and brings a creator audience that skews toward newer players.
WisternJL: Danish Streamer and Ex-PokerStars Team Pro
Lasse Jagd Lauritsen, known online as WisternJL, rounds out the March signings. He’s a Danish poker streamer who previously served as a PokerStars Team Pro and maintains a Twitch channel with roughly 27,000 followers.
Lauritsen’s social media activity slowed between late 2025 and early 2026, but he continued streaming regularly. His signing reflects CoinPoker’s push into the European streaming audience, a demographic that GGPoker and PokerStars have traditionally dominated.
Full CoinPoker ambassador roster (March 2026): Benjamin “Bencb” Rolle, Patrick Leonard, Mario Mosböck, Nik Airball, Jean-Robert Bellande, Faraz Jaka, Mariano Grandoli, YoH Viral, Brantzen Wong, Alex Duvall, Abby Merk, Papo MC, and WisternJL. That’s 13 confirmed names spanning high-stakes cash games, MTT grinding, freestyle rap, and content creation.
Is Phase 2 Worth Grinding?
Short answer: yes. Phase 2 is at least as good as Phase 1, and for cash game volume players, it’s better thanks to the $1M/week CoinRaces addition.
For tournament grinders, the equation is equally clear. Zero-rake Level Up Series entries through March 31, multi-day Main Events starting March 22, bubble protection, and blind rollback at final tables.
| Player Type | Phase 1 Value | Phase 2 Value |
|---|---|---|
| Cash game (micro/mid) | 100% daily rakeback | 100% daily rakeback + $1M/week CoinRaces |
| Cash game (high stakes) | 100% daily rakeback | 100% daily rakeback (leaderboards paused at high stakes) |
| Tournament grinder | 100% of fees refunded | 100% of fees refunded + Level Up Series Main Events |
| Casual / recreational | 100% daily rakeback | 100% daily rakeback + Splash pots on AoF tables |
CoinPoker reported 7,000+ concurrent players on launch day, and ambassador Mario Mosböck stated publicly that 700 real-money tables were running simultaneously across all stakes. Traffic has stayed elevated throughout Phase 1, and Phase 2’s extended rakeback plus CoinRaces should keep those numbers strong through the end of March.
VIP-Grinders Exclusive: Sign up through us with promo code VIPCOIN for a 150% bonus up to $2,000 (paused March 2 to 31; reactivates April 1) plus access to our exclusive CoinPoker VIP-Grinders promotions including monthly freerolls and rake races. If you’re signing up for CoinPoker without our code, you’re leaving value on the table. Check our full crypto poker hub for more options.
The 100% rakeback promotion runs until April 1. CoinPoker has said a new rewards structure will be announced for April, built on the data gathered during March. If you’ve been waiting to test the new software (we previewed the full CoinPoker March update before launch), the next two weeks are the window.
For the latest rakeback deals across all rooms, check our deals hub.
