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There is no doubt that online poker is still one of the most revered games on the internet, even though gaming revenues have taken a drop over recent years after a golden period of explosive growth. That ongoing popularity can be confirmed by searching the term in any of the major search portals and seeing the return of many millions of results.

There are a huge number of poker websites devoted to covering every aspect of the game – and this is a game with endless variations in game types or strategies. The respected, well established poker rooms offer an astounding choice to help get the best from your online poker experience. They offer all of the favourite versions of poker games and much more, in a secure and trustworthy atmosphere.

With such a vast amount of online poker information available, you might easily face an information overload. You want to be playing poker right, and not searching for the most valuable information.

So on this page of RealMoney.games we’re starting on building an online poker guide which aims to provide beginners and experienced players alike with a one stop resource – helping you to understand the basics and choose from the best online poker sites, or give you valuable poker articles written in an easy to read style. 

Rules

Online poker rules are easily understood, with many of the poker websites providing articles or tutorials. Understanding the rules of poker is critical to success, and this should be first on the list of requirements for any poker beginners.

How Easy Is It To Play

Online poker rules are easily understood, with many of the poker websites providing articles or tutorials. Understanding the rules of poker is critical to success, and this should be first on the list of requirements for any poker beginners.

Game Types

Online poker offers you a massive choice in types of poker games, with Texas Holdem the most popular. All of the leading rooms offer Texas Holdem games, but most also cater for players wishing to play Omaha, Razz, 7 Card Stud, 5 Card Stud, and other Stud varieties. There are also many types of casino poker games where you’re playing one on one against a dealer.

There are also lesser known Lowball poker games where the aim is to get the lowest hands possible, while Blackjack Poker is gradually becoming more popular.

Add to this the choice between tournaments and cash ring games, and the different types of staking such as fixed limit, no limit, and pot limit, and you can see that the combinations of game types open to you are exhaustive.

In recent years there’s been significant development of fast-fold poker games which are designed to speed up play and avoid waiting to play a new hand if your current one is no good. Rush is one to remember and gives fast hands where folding gets you moved to a new table and a new hand instantly. Zoom is another to note – different, fast, and a lot of fun.

Chances Of Winning

There are two things you want to be asking yourself first before playing any games for cash prizes – am I going to enjoy it and/or can I make money from it.

With poker it’s a fair bet you’re going to get the entertainment value!

Your chances of winning though heavily depend on how you approach the game, your own personal discipline and skill level, and how much practice you’re prepared to put in to hone your skills.

Plus of course the skill level of your opponents, how they play, and whether they have any advantages which you don’t such as access to some form of software. Playing against poker software (or a bot as it’s sometimes known) can decrease your odds because it’s essentially a computer program that’s making playing decisions.

It’s possible to play poker off the bat with minimal instruction and get some winning hands…and maybe even come out of a session ahead. But in the long run you’ll need to put the effort in to get a positive return.

So the chances of winning? They’re good, provided you can put in the focused effort that playing the game well consistently calls for. Of all the different ways to win money online, anyone who can play poker well stands a very good chance of being successful…and of having a great time doing it. 

How Much Can You Win

The sky is the limit!

It’s possible to play cash games against opponents for low stakes where you can win anything from a few dollars up to maybe a hundred in one hand. It’s also possible to play higher stakes games where the bet limits go up from a few dollars to tens or hundreds and win bigger pots.

But the bigger money either comes from grinding away over many hours in those cash limit games or by hitting a payout position in a tournament. Tournaments can mean very big prizes, ranging from hundreds to thousands to millions.

Who Can Play

Poker is usually categorized as a game of chance,although it’s clear that in fact skill does play a huge part in your ability to play successfully. The rules and regulations surrounding your ability to play online poker vary from country to country. Check with any operators Terms and Conditions before you register with any poker room or make deposits to any gaming sites.

But if you’re legally eligible, the reality is that anyone can play as long as they’re of the required age. 

Where To Play

Either as a beginner or an experienced player, you want to use a room which uses effective software and has a wide choice of games,  tournaments, and incentives….and is highly regarded and trustworthy.

You’ll quickly realise that many poker rooms operate on shared networks. One or two operate on their own proprietary network, but often you could be playing at different rooms but against the same player base and for the same prizes.

The poker rooms themselves are where the action takes place.  Pokerstars are one of the most famous and Bet365 is another, but there are dozens to choose from. 888, Pacific Poker, PokerStars, and Full Tilt Poker are all worthy of a mention. These all have dedicated websites for players each offering different benefits and strengths.

These sites all have special sections for poker rules and tutorials, with many also offering a massive amount of other useful information covering bonuses, promotions, and other game advice.

Outside of these there are thousands of other online poker sites offering valuable information on strategies and playing skills, or combining information on poker bonuses and promotions into easy to read formats.

If if you’re ready to play and want a high class recommended poker room you won’t go far wrong by heading to Pokerstars or 888Poker.com. These two rooms are widely recognised as members of the ‘top 10 online poker rooms’ club, with many reasons why they could in fact be named the number 1. 

Networks & Software

Poker rooms generally run on poker networks which share prizes, player bases, tournaments, and software. These networks mean that often you can be playing at one room against opponents at a different room, unless you’re playing on one of the proprietary poker rooms such as Pokerstars.

You can get more details on the different networks at the ‘poker networks’ page of this site.

Software platforms run the poker sites, ensuring the smooth operation of the games, cashiers, and support – in general the entire operation is held together by the poker software. Obviously this makes it a key element of an online poker room, and one which you’ll need to look into carefully.

Software also refers to the poker tools you can use to help make decisions during games or to see detailed statistics on your opponents – both valuable additions to any serious poker players armoury.

Ring/Cash Games

Cash games are a source of knife edge thrills, playing against real opponents with the aim of winning the pot. Low stakes poker games (and of course high stakes if that’s what you want), are running throughout the day at all of the poker sites….and when the action is slow and you’re patiently waiting for the one killer hand, there’s also the option to play many tables at the same time…..

Multi-Tabling

As the name implies, this is where you’re playing multiple tables at the same time. It’s a good way of either increasing profits if you’re grinding out low value wins consistently, or just of speeding up the number of hands you can play.

Multi-tabling increases the pressure and the fun for many players. Focus and attention are prerequisites for successful play, or at least a high acceptance of the risks involved. 

Tournaments

Poker tournaments are a central part of the online poker experience, and can give an exciting experience second to none. It’s a certainty you’ll want to play one at some point. There’s no greater thrill than standing victorious at the final table, and battling through to the final stages of an online poker tournament may well be one of your greatest ever online gaming achievements.

They need a special approach from a strategy perspective, although many of the basic strategy principles still apply.

The choice is amazing, with entries possible via freerolls or for buy ins from as little as a few dollars.  Tournaments of all different types and buy-in levels are freely available at any of the poker rooms – ranging from Sit N Go’s of up to 10 players through to major guaranteed tournaments with player numbers from anywhere between ten and thousands.

In addition to cash prizes, there are also online tournaments where the prizes include free entries to major online or land based events. You can play tournaments in many different variations –  Omaha, 7 card stud, or the fast paced Texas Hold’em with seven cards, the most exciting form of poker played today.

Winning Through To Major Tournament Finals – Satellites

There are a number of players who have gone on to win major poker championships by qualifying in online satellite poker tournaments.

The World Series of poker is the big one. It’s a $10,000 buy-in no limit holdem tournament that lasts a whole tense week. Preceding the main tournament itself, there will have been 3 weeks of other tournaments, covering all types of the different poker games.

Every top poker player wants to win, but only the bravest and best make it to the final table. Winning is almost certainly the ultimate achievement in any poker players career.

And the great thing is, it’s possible for anyone to win.

The 2004 WSOP winner qualified by winning an online poker satellite tournament with entry costing only $250.

Freerolls

Your first experience of online tournaments is likely to be in a Freeroll. That’s a free to enter tournament often offered to new depositors at one of the major online rooms. The poker rooms are constantly looking for new new players, and Freeroll Tournaments are just one of the incentives on offer.

Learning To Play

Learn How To Improve Your Poker Game – Poker Schools, Tuition, and Training 

The growth of online poker schools that offer superb strategy information and learning support means that the numbers of capable players are exploding and the competition for success is growing fiercer. So this is a good place to mention the benefits you can get from joining a good poker school. There are a number online which deliver exceptional quality information and which you can use as an additional learning resource. 

Currently leading the field is the PokerStrategy com poker school, who in addition to delivering high quality strategy material also bring you valuable bonus offers which in a number of cases give you better value bonuses than if you’d gone to the poker rooms directly – plus they’ll give you some free cash to play.

Our advice is to spend as much time as you can studying. If ever there was a game where practice makes perfect, poker is it.

Free Games & Practice

The options for playing free online poker games are endless,  and these free practice opportunities are definitely worth taking. They’re valuable for new players, or just if you want some entertainment with no risk of losing your money.

Playing free is a great way to start off if you’re new to poker, and to gain valuable experience. Totally free fun games are available on all the best sites, and you can find some online poker rooms which offer no deposit bonuses as incentives to join.

When you’re ready to move up from free play to cash games, you’ll find plenty of opportunity to play against other players for low stakes poker games (and of course high stakes if that’s what you want).

Strategy

Growing your skills and improving your game.

Understanding basic and advanced poker strategy is as critical in online poker as it is at a live table. Again there are a stunning amount of resources available from thousands of online poker websites that cover these subjects with entertaining and useful articles.

Search ‘poker strategy’ and there will be hours of reading in the results to help with some detailed understanding of poker strategies.

Improving Your Skills – Introduction to Poker Strategy 

Poker Strategy is at the core of any players skills, and covers a wide range of elements ranging from how and why to play certain hands, how much to bet, how to deceive opponents, the fundamental skills of bluffing and knowing when to fold, and a whole number of other critical skills. Mastering poker strategy should be at the forefront of your mind when starting out at playing online poker, and can be broken down into basic and advanced elements.

While a sound strategic approach is essential, the bottom line is that there is no absolutely perfect poker strategy. The balance between having enough information for good strategic play and not enough information to enable anything other than a guess is one of the essential elements of a poker game. The best poker players are able to use different strategies against different players depending on what approach will work best.

Are The Games Fair

Understanding basic and advanced poker strategy is as critical in online poker as it is at a live table. Again there are a stunning amount of resources available from thousands of online poker websites that cover these subjects with entertaining and useful articles.

Search ‘poker strategy’ and there will be hours of reading in the results to help with some detailed understanding of poker strategies.

While a sound strategic approach is essential, the bottom line is that there is no absolutely perfect poker strategy. The balance between having enough information for good strategic play and not enough information to enable anything other than a guess is one of the essential elements of a poker game. The best poker players are able to use different strategies against different players depending on what approach will work best.

Bonuses & Promotions

The poker rooms are constantly trying to attract new players, and apart from building attractive sites with features such as poker tutorials and schools, they all offer other joining and loyalty incentives including poker bonus offers and promotions such as major poker tournament entries, loyalty programmes, and other prizes. 

Online Poker Bonuses

One of the best ways to get free extra cash added to your bankroll. Poker bonuses come in different forms, with the most well known being the first deposit bonus. They’re offered by all the major rooms.

New players receive either a match or a generous percentage of the first deposit as a free gift. This can be either as an incentive to sign up for the first time (hence the term ‘first deposit bonus’), or as subsequent extra offers to encourage you to stay with a particular room and deposit more. These latter named are often referred to as reload bonuses where you’ll get free cash added to your account at intervals. 

Another type of bonus is the free no deposit bonus, which gets you exactly what it says – a free starting bankroll in your account for no initial outlay of your own cash. Sometimes you’ll need a bonus code to take advantage of a bonus promotion.

What To Watch For In An Online Poker Bonus

All bonuses come with rules attached which prevent withdrawals before you’ve played the required number of hands or cash values. The small print will always explain the rules surrounding withdrawals.  It’s always wise to read the rules in the small print so you’re aware of bonus rules before you sign up.

Rakeback

If you’re not taking advantage of rakeback deals, you may be leaving free cash on the table. Rakeback offers a way to get free cash even when you lose, and gives you a percentage of the rake of every hand you’re involved in back into your players account.  Perfect for any player who’s trying to grind out a profit playing online poker.

However rakeback is no longer as popular as it once was, and you may need to look around to find any operators who are still offering deals.

Promotions

Bonuses are of course a type of promotions, but really what we’re talking about here are not the standard offers that you’ll find anywhere, but special one off promotions like giveaways, prize draws, cash races, and occasionally big money competitions.

Is It Legal

In the US, playing online has been restricted for some time. Federal law stated that it was illegal to gamble online, but it was the passing of the UGIEA that finally stopped US players from enjoying the game by restricting banking transactions. Only recently have some states started passing their own state laws that make it fully legal. In most other English speaking countries you won’t have any problems finding somewhere to play.

Pros

There are plenty of positives to be said about getting involved in online poker.

So why is it so good, and so much fun?

The answer lies in many factors. The capacity for development of skill, corporate investment, massive choice, tournaments, TV exposure. Like all good games, poker is fairly easy to play, but can take a players lifetime to master. It is a game where you will always have (until the final cards are turned) incomplete information. Players know their hands, they should know the probabilities of other cards appearing, but they need to have determined their opponents cards through tiny hints, and their actions during play.

Playing poker online is less intimidating than playing in a live casino. You’ll get to enjoy games in a relaxed environment, with the chance to ‘talk’ to your opponents…perhaps congratulating them on a good hand. Of course, it’s also convenient and comfortable to play at home. And you can find a game, tournament, or free practice poker at any time, and play when you want to for however long you like.

Playing poker online means that you don’t have to keep a ‘poker face’…and you won’t give away any obvious tells if you are careful.

Free poker practice online is a great way to prepare for real money games, or for face to face play. …and the hands are dealt much quicker than in live games. You can test your skill without the risk of losing cash. Traditional casino games such as roulette, slots, and video poker are all popular, though with these you play against a machine. There is nothing like the thrill of a poker game where you play against other live players, often from countries all over the world.

Games are fairly simple to play, but when you play online the software prompts you for what action you want to do next. This means that even a total beginner can dive in and start playing some hands, although as we’ve already seen – there’s a lot more to actually mastering the game than just knowing when it’s your turn or how much you need to bet to stay in. 

Cons

Perhaps we can cover off what may be seen as the biggest negative with an illustration…..

I enjoy playing poker. Or at least I did. I’m a recreational player. I’m not that great, but know my limitations. Sure I want to win cash games. I want to get through to tournament end stages. And I was prepared to study poker strategy to try and at least hold my own. But I soon realised that I didn’t know who I was up against in online games. Were they ‘real’ was a question that kept haunting me.

And as I lost game after game, I kept asking myself ”Is this because I’m no good at it? Or is it because some of the other players are well above this class, or worse using software to tilt the odds deeper in their favour?

The answer of course is there’s a mixture of reasons. Strategy and experience in poker are paramount requirements for long term success. But I can take the realisation that I’m not particularly brilliant and still enjoy playing the game, what I can’t take is being at a disadvantage I shouldn’t be in.

So this question of anonymity is important. You generally don’t know who you’re playing. You have no clue who they are or how good they are, and no clue if really you’re playing against a bot or some form of software.

Developments

To maintain its position as a leading online money game, any game will need to evolve. Things become stale, players move on to the next big thing.

With poker this is less of a problem. It’s almost timeless and the nuances of the gameplay will keep it at the forefront of gamers interest for some time.

It’s worth keeping an eye open for new developments though.

The poker operators are constantly working to provide even more variety and electrifying features. The superlatives assigned to the leading online poker rooms may seem like pure marketing ploys, but the reality is that they’ve earned them by offering superb gaming experiences – ”the home of online poker, the world’s biggest poker tournaments, amazing 3D gaming” – these are all adequate descriptions of the services on offer from the top operators.

• At one point it looked like 3D gaming would be the next big breakthrough. 3D poker was popular for a number of years but its prospects for growth have taken a nosedive recently with the demise of PKR.

• Virtual reality poker has yet to make a real appearance, but its only a matter of time before one of the poker operators release a VR gaming interface.

• Mobile use will continue to grow, perhaps having the greatest potential to bring the game to a wider number of players in future.

• We’ve already mentioned the potential for Power Up gaming to make a huge impact and bring in potentially millions of new players to the game.

• Changing attitudes and regulations in some regions of the world are also introducing the game to a new generation of players. India in particular has an untapped volume of card players that have potential to become lifelong fans, while legislation changes in US states also look set to return poker across America to its old glory.

Resources

Poker Blogs – Read About The Exploits of Popular Poker Writers and Players

It’s always worth following some of the more popular poker blogs run by professional players, online poker rooms, and avid enthusiasts. No need to search for them imdividually though, the best of them are here.

The Written Word – Poker Books

You’ll find plenty of poker info online, but for ease of use books still have their value. There have been some outstanding poker books published which would have a place in any reading collection.  TwoPlusTwo have a strong list of useful titles.

Visual Entertainment – Poker Videos

You can find online poker videos on a number of different websites – the Youtube collection of online poker videos is a perfect example – covering anything from clips of great hands played during tournaments right through to specific in depth strategy videos. You’ll get entertaining and informative videos on strategy, cash games, and tournaments. 

Get Social With Online Poker Players From Around The World – Poker Forums

Participating in poker forums is a great way to learn. There are some well respected and popular forums where you’ll find many knowledgeable players congregating. Cardschat is a good example but there are a handful more equally as valuable.

 Forums offer a superb way to get advice on your game, with most having sections for posting specific hands so you can get feedback on how others would have played them. 

Forget The Videos – Watch Poker TV

The next best thing after playing live or online – watch poker on TV. Hugely popular with poker enthusiasts the world over, there are some great TV shows which cover live poker cash games and tournaments. Many of them are listed on CardPlayer.com