Posted on 05/27/2009 11:11:13 AM PDT by OldCorps
I'm thinking of playing on line poker for money. I've never done so. Can anyone give advice on which venues to use and which ones to avoid? Which ones charge the least overhead? I'm talking abut modest amounts of money--less than $5k. Can anyone give me some advice here?
I would suggest Full Tilt. I have had no trouble with them. Play their free side before you invest. When you feel you are good enough invest only $50 and see how you do before you put it any more in.
I thought online poker was illegal in most states?
Yes, there have been some problems with bot players, primarily in the low limit limit holdem games. The sites have ways of detecting bot players using mathematical algorithms, and they are promptly banned.
It’s actually a bit of luck to find one of these bots playing, since they are highly exploitable :).
You won’t run into bots at the NL tables, since NL holdem is too complicated for bots.
It’s very hard to make money playing poker.
Very few people are good enough to do that, maybe about 3-4 percent IIRC.
If you have any reservations at all about doing it, you should probably just play in tournaments, where all you can lose is a small entry fee.
The online games are the toughest due to the higher skill levels and possibility of collusion between other players.
There have been several sites involved in cheating scandals, including some of the bigger, supposedly reputable sites. I believe Ultimate Bet and Full Tilt were a couple of them.
If you enjoy the game and play your best, you should be able to make your roll last indefinitely with tournament play.
But don’t expect to make any real money, or you might be very disappointed.
For more information, go to a poker forum and see what the players say. Most of the books I’ve read say that only a small percentage of people are able to win regularly.
It’s not just betting your good cards or bluffing when advantageous. You have to think about outs and pot odds and all that, which is why so many winners have been math geniuses.
“Can anyone give me some advice here?”
Uh...wait until it’s legal?
I have been playing small limit on line for years. I recommend to start playing micro limits at Ultimate Bet or Full Tilt. Competition is soft.
I’m still playing on my initial $100 deposit.
Its been reported that Ultimate Bet has been caught cheating by having some players that had a super user password. This allowed them to see all the cards for all the players. So if you see someone who wins too much, take note and change tables.
There are some very skilled players on line. If you get in too deep to fast you could loose it all very quickly.
A good web site for poker is:
http://www.twoplustwo.com/
Good points Califreak.
That’s why I recommend the training sites and playing low stakes relative to the money you have. Low level tournaments are a great place to start and a lot of the players are still horrible in those :).
Full Tilt wasn’t involved in a scandal as far as I know. The two sites were Ultimatebet and Absolute.
Technically it’s still legal to play online, as the Wire Act doesn’t cover online poker, and the UIGEA didn’t close the loophole either. Check out the legal forum on www.twoplustwo.com for that discussion.
Oh-yeah that’s it. I couldn’t remember the other one.
I believe Absolute and Ultimate are under the same umbrella.
I haven’t played in ages.
Hubby likes Players Only.
Way back in the day, we both used to like Paradise.
I lost interest and no longer have the stamina for those really long tournaments, which were my favorites because they’re so cheap. I haven’t been in the best of health for several years and my play suffered. I just can’t string it together anymore, but it used to be fun.
Hubby still plays, but he always goes for the single table tournaments.
Thanks.
You need to think of ways to deposit money into an account first. You can’t use credit cards.
There's nothing to prevent that scenario.
Actually, there is. Big time venues like PokerStars use sophisticated software to detect collusion. Violators are banned and their assets confiscated. I have received refunds because such activity was detected in games in which I participated.
Forget playing online. It’s too much like work if you’re going to make any money. :-). Hands come superfast so bad players don’t hang around too long and all that left is solid rocks.
The softest games will always be in casinos.
Before pi&&ing away your money, here are a few recommended books to read:
Super System and Super System II by Doyle Brunson
Hold ‘Em Poker by David Sklansky
Hold ‘Em Poker For Advanced Players by Sklansky & Mason Malmuth
Don’t trust ANY of the online poker rooms now. Before Congress banned online betting, there were several very legitimate shops (I liked Pacific Poker myself). Now, the only shops around are those that don’t deal with any U.S. financial institutions. It is my understanding that they are thinly audited for fairness, prone to cheating and collaborating, and iffy on actually paying winnings.
Still, I have more faith in the abilities of the crooks and hackers than I do in the integrity of the gaming sites.
bump for later
Advice for on-line gamblers?
Safeway makes the best shopping carts. Don’t wait until it starts raining to find the best spot underneath the bridge.
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