GGPoker vs PokerStars: where is it better for CIS players to play poker in 2025?

A few years ago, PokerStars was considered the undisputed leader in online poker. It was the best poker room for CIS players, both amateurs and professionals. However, with GGPoker’s growth, the situation has changed, and the online platform gained massive popularity through aggressive marketing, a wide range of tournaments, and a focus on recreational players.

🔥 By 2023, GG had surpassed PokerStars in active users. An attractive bonus program and a large number of tournaments and various promotions drew many recreational players from around the world, while unique high‑stakes games attracted millionaire amateurs and top-level pros.

Still, you can’t write off PokerStars. The room has a strong security system, stable software, and a familiar interface that many still prefer . Stars remains a platform for quality play, especially at mid and low stakes, and provides access to signature series like SCOOP and WCOOP.

GGPoker is a modern poker model: dynamic tables, built‑in statistics, mobile adaptation, and—most importantly—a huge player pool including Asia and South America. This yields more traffic and “soft fields,” especially at low and mid stakes.

However, it’s important to understand that GG uses a closed system with limited access to third‑party tools.

Now, choosing between GGPoker and PokerStars depends not only on preferences but also on the player’s specific goals. Below, we’ll examine where each room excels and which conditions are best suited for CIS players.

Stake limits

⚡ GGPoker covers the full range: from micro‑stakes $0.01/$0.02 to high‑stakes $200/$400. Especially heavy traffic exists at stakes up to $2/$5, with games running around the clock. Special cash promotions are frequent.

PokerStars also offers all stakes, but traffic at low and mid levels has decreased. Nevertheless, at $0.25/$0.50 and above, there remains a high density of regulars, and at NL $1,000+ it is still one of the strongest pools.

Game variants

GGPoker focuses on NLHE and PLO, but actively develops less popular disciplines—Short Deck, 6+ Hold’em, All‑In or Fold, Rush&Cash. It also offers Spin & Gold.

PokerStars maintains the widest variety: besides Hold’em and Omaha, it offers Stud, Razz, Badugi, and Mixed Games (8‑Game, HORSE). This is a key advantage for fans of unconventional formats.

Number of tournaments

• GGPoker runs hundreds of tournaments daily, including Daily Guarantees, High Rollers, Bounty Hunters, and exclusive events. WSOP Online, Bounty Series, and MicroMillions occur regularly, giving it the highest tournament traffic of any room.
• PokerStars is known for a dense MTT schedule: Sunday Million, Hot, and Bounty Builder, as well as major series SCOOP, WCOOP, and Stadium Series. However, GG has already surpassed PS in total tournaments.

High‑stakes play

GGPoker in 2025 is the hub of high‑roller online poker. Players like Trueteller, Bendy, Malinov, and other top pros play here. Stakes of $25,000+ are available in both tournaments and cash games.

PokerStars rarely hosts super‑high‑roller events outside of promotions or series. NL 2000+ cash games appear only occasionally, primarily within special events. In this respect, GG is noticeably ahead.

Restrictions for players from Russia

• GGPoker officially does not serve users from Russia—access from Russian IPs is blocked.
• PokerStars has also imposed restrictions, though less severe. Some Russian accounts remain active, but new registrations are unavailable. Players who have relocated from Russia can play on PokerStars by notifying security and changing their region.

GGPoker prohibits third‑party software (HM/PT, HUDs, scripts) but offers a built‑in Smart HUD with EV, VPIP, and C‑Bet graphs.

PokerStars allows trackers like h2n, Holdem Manager, and PokerTracker, making money play more comfortable for CIS regulars, especially at low and mid stakes.

Hand history mining

GGPoker is fully closed: hand histories are stored only for the account owner. No mining is possible.

PokerStars limits mining, but HH files are available to download into trackers for opponent analysis, which is important for regulars.

GGPoker uses a single global pool. Europeans, Asians, and Latin Americans play here. This makes the field softer, especially at micro limits.

❕ PokerStars segments players. The pools for France, Spain, and Italy are separate (PS.eu), so there is less overall traffic.

The CIS mainly plays on PokerStars.com, but the proportion of strong regulars is higher.

✔️  GGPoker  offers cryptocurrency, cards, Skrill, Neteller, Jeton, and local methods; payouts are fast, but verification is mandatory.

➕  PokerStars  supports bank cards, e‑wallets, and cryptocurrency; withdrawals are stable, often commission‑free; verification is standard, with possible first‑withdrawal limits.

➕  GGPoker  is suitable for those seeking more traffic, soft fields, and modern features—especially outside Russian IPs.  PokerStars  is for those who value stability, a variety of game types, and software support.

CIS players should consider accessibility, withdrawal convenience, and long‑term goals in training or grinding.

And you can always check the latest data with our managers, available 24/7 ▶️ Write to us:  https://t.me/ccpoker_bot  ! 😊