One of the best ways to learn basic rules is to play poker at an online poker room where you have the option either of playing for free or playing for real money. More than anything else, online poker is responsible for the current popularity of the game. Poker beginners may be daunted – and rightly so! – by playing opposite experienced players in “real” venues such as casinos or poker rooms. Playing against anonymous, faceless opponents in the comfort of their own living room gives these novices a chance to brush up on their strategies without facing personal humiliation.
A 2009 survey conducted by Poker Players Research found that 10 million Americans regularly play poker on the Internet. The majority of these players play for money – despite the 2006 passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA.) But most online poker rooms give players the option of playing for real money or for free. Poker websites all have their own pluses and minuses: Some may lure players with huge sign-up bonuses, while others may offer Texas Hold ‘Em, Seven Card Stud, Five Card Draw, Omaha Variations and a multitude of different games. Look for sites that draw player traffic and offer good customer support.
The top free poker sites are frequently the top sites where you can play for money as well. Take Pokerstars, for example. The number one free poker website on the Internet, Pokerstars often has as many as 100,000 people playing at a time. Pokerstars offers three levels of play: Freeroll tables cost nothing though they offer real cash prizes; there are also play money tables where novices can learn the ropes, while more experienced players can stake their hand against some of the largest cash payouts on the web. Pokerstars’ VIP program awards prizes that range from teeshirts to expensive luxury cars. Poker software is customized for both PC and Mac users. Pokerstars also holds a Guinness World Record as the site of the largest poker tournament ever played with 35,000 participants.
Part of the fun of playing poker is the traditions and myths that surround the game.