Online poker is a fast-paced game of skill and chance that allows players to wager real money against other people from all over the world. In the past most of the action took place in smoky bars or casinos but the advent of computers and internet technology changed all that. Now there are a number of well-regulated sites that offer safe and secure gambling in the comfort of your own home.
One of the most important things to consider before you sign up for an online poker site is how it will handle your bankroll. Most of the major poker sites will require you to prove that you’re actually going to play a fair amount of hands before they release your initial sign up bonus. This is generally done by requiring you to earn frequent player points and usually takes a few weeks before your bonus is released.
Once you’ve decided to give it a go and found a site that you’re happy with the next step is to deposit your cash. This can be done very easily these days as most sites accept a wide range of currencies and offer a variety of deposit methods. You can also withdraw your winnings in a variety of ways such as bank transfers, e-wallets or even good old fashioned cheques in the mail.
Getting to know the game of poker is a process of trial and error at first but the introduction of poker strategy guides and coaching software has made it a lot easier to learn the game with less risk. There’s a huge choice of free lessons available under the ‘Strategy’ menu option at most legal poker websites and there’s new content released just about every day on a wide range of subjects that will help to take your game to the next level.
The best online poker sites have a plethora of games to choose from including all your favourite cash games as well as tournaments of different types. Most of them will have a ‘Beginners’ tab which allows you to be seated at tables with other players that have classed themselves as beginners and can often make the experience much more bearable for people who are new to the game.
Rakebacks can be a huge bonus for break-even online poker players and they’re a great way to make money off of your play. Most of the top US poker sites offer a rakeback deal of some sort and it’s worth looking into these as you can often get up to 60% of your rake back depending on the size of your bankroll.
Although regulation of online poker in the US is still a bit of a tug-of-war between federal authorities and state governments, it has recently looked positive with Michigan becoming the fourth regulated state to join the multi-state poker compact alongside Nevada and Delaware. Other states have passed legislation to allow regulated online poker but this has yet to be implemented.
