Help
Questions people ask about Stakes. For the rules themselves, see how to play.
Is this real-money gambling?
No. The chips are play money with no real-world value, there is nothing to buy in the app, and nothing can be cashed out. It's a poker table for friends, not a casino.
How do I play with a friend?
Tap Play Online, then share the six-digit room code — read it out, send the QR code, or use Invite Friends. Your friend taps Join with Code and takes a seat.
Can we talk while we play?
Yes. Start a FaceTime call first, then open the game and choose Play on FaceTime. You talk over FaceTime and play at the same time.
What's the difference between tournament and cash game?
A tournament raises the blinds every few hands and ends when one player has all the chips. A cash game keeps the blinds where they are, and a player who busts buys back in for the same stack they started with.
What happens if I lose signal?
The table waits for you and your chips stay where they are. Rejoin and you carry on; if you're away too long the computer plays your seat until you're back.
Where are my saved games?
Saved Games on the home screen, kept on your device and synced through iCloud to your other devices. Swipe a game aside to delete it.
Someone was abusive in chat
Tap and hold their message and choose Block, and they can't reach you again. Please also write to us — we read every report and act within 24 hours.
Write to us
A person reads every message: [email protected]. We answer within two working days, and within 24 hours for anything about another player's behaviour.
It helps to say which game and which version you're on — Settings in the app names the version at the foot of the screen in TestFlight builds, and the App Store page names it too.