Primer for Online Poker From Home

Poker is huge now ! On-line poker is a way to get your fix without ever leaving home.

Not a day goes by that you don't see several versions of hold-em being played on T.V. Major tournaments like the W.S.O.P.'s month long list of events and the World Poker Tour are recording record entries. On-line poker is also huge and even though you might have heard they took a hit with the latest U.S. anti-on-line gambling bill, on-line poker is alive , well and thriving as a matter of fact. Besides that, only the U.S.A. has been thrown a curve ball. The rest of the world still has the freedom to gamble billions on-line. The U.S. is still a place where legal on-line gambling is easy, fun and quite legit. Although a few sites have shut down to U.S. customers. The best sites in my opinion are still up and running. Full Tilt Poker, Ultimate Bet, and Bodog are unrestricted just to name a few and there are many more. I play on Full Tilt Poker, but any large poker site uses the same basic software and random card generator. Have no worries about fraud or cheating on any major site. The reality is that if any site did cheat the cost of getting caught is so high that it is just not worth it. These sites make so much money on a daily basis that the thought of cheating their huge well paying customer base is a ridiculous risk they are not willing to take. As far as players cheating, all sites have software to check for the kind of tools cheaters like to use.

After you find a site you are happy with you will need to download and install their software. This process is easy and fast and has help windows that will guide you through the process like any other software you have ever installed. After installing software and creating an account, you will usually need to respond to a an email the poker site sends you. Once you are registered and logged on spend some time familiarizing yourself with the site and its tools. Search site for different games and make sure you feel comfortable with the sites inner workings. Now play poker for fake money. Find your game plunk down some virtual money and your ready to hit the tables. All sites give you "play" money free and will give you more if you loose it all. I suggest playing at least a few days or more with virtual money before moving on.

Once you have played on a site with virtual money for a while and you feel comfortable. Then its time to deposit some real money. Each site has several ways of funding your account. Some sites have there own funding software and others use any of the many "e-wallets" available. Epassporte, Firepay, and many other "e-wallets" still let U.S. customer deposit funds. I have found that some credit card companies still decline transaction to your "e-wallet" of choice, but if you try different amounts , credit cards and are persistent you will eventually get the funds into your on-line poker account with out too much trouble. I have found that $45 is the magic number to deposit for me. All sites have a 1-800 number that you can call and they will help you fund your account if you are having trouble.

Now your ready to play some low limit real money poker. I suggest starting with at least $45 in account and depending on what type of action you are looking for try small buy-in single table sit and go's or small bet NL or limit hold-em. If you are unfamiliar with a particular game you can learn about it right on the particular site you are on. Most sites have tutorials and lots of info on all their games. If you are a more advanced player try bigger bet Hold em, Omaha, Stud , Razz or any variety of Hi/Lo split games. Online sites have much more variety and never a wait for a table. Your general rule should be to have enough to buy in for 20 times the big blind in a live game or never more than 10 times your accounts total value in any one tournament. If you follow these easy and very basic bankroll management skills and play poker as a game and not a "gamble" then you will find a very pleasant trend, your bankroll will start to increase.

I also strongly suggest picking up a book on your particular game of choice. Read the book and understand it's concepts before you ever invest one real red cent into any poker game. Many books are out there for beginners and as you advance so can your poker literature library. Buy books by card players you have heard of and as a general rule stick to the level book which you are. Also never play over your limit. If you can't afford to loose the amount your gambling with then your in too high a limit game. Play with whatever money you put into your account and never deposit more same day. Bad days, cold cards and unlucky beats are a reality. It's very rare you will ever get even the same day if you are down. Be a student of the game and don't gamble. Poker is not craps or bingo its much more like chess with some luck involved. Play the game of poker and you will be sure to succeed.