Poker Pros Play Live and Online
Poker played at online poker sites is the way that many professional poker players are playing poker today but it is not the only way. Professional poker players still choose to play at regular land based casinos for their poker action. Some players even do both. Is the game played the same online as it is in local cardrooms?

New Free Bankroll at FullTilt Poker
There is a new free bankroll site called FreePoker.info that is offering a $50 free bankroll at FullTilt Poker. The sign-up procedure seems fairly straight-forward. There is no quiz to take or other requirement, other than you must not already have an account at Full Tilt Poker. The bonus is available to most countries, including the [...] Related posts:Free $50 at Absolute Poker Doyles Room Free Poker Bankroll New rooms at PokerStrategy

Keeping a straight flush or better yet, a royal flush in your hand is indeed a sign of a good hand. You can play all you can, stack poker chips over and over again, but did it ever strike you how this game of poker started? It has always been stated by philosophers all over the world how important it is to know your historical roots. One poet even cryptically said that he who cannot draw over three thousand years is living from hand to mouth, whatever that means.

To save you from the trouble of understanding that line, it simply means that you have to know your historical roots in order to become a human being, or a true poker player for this matter. In a game of poker, you surely don’t want to look like a sore loser right? Yes, it is understandable that studying history can become so boring. It must be so tedious that you must have slept your history classes way back in school, unless you are a history aficionado. In any case, poker chips and threrefore poker chip sets also have a history of their own, which is quite interesting to say the least. So why not take a little break from the games and know a thing or two on how poker chip sets came to be.

Poker Chip Sets – A History of Poker

First, it is a good idea to start the lesson with poker itself. There would not be any poker chip sets if there was not any game to play with them, right? Anyway, the history of poker is arbitrary, just as a heated game of it with drunken friends who are trying to cheat each other. Truth is that the game does not seem to have an origin, so how can you learn about the history of poker chip sets? Do not be saddened, because that just shows how old poker is today. Anyway, the first reference to the game in history was through a book of rules written by Jonathan H. Green back in 1834, where the game was an addiction among Mississippi natives.

It was even called the cheating game, no wonder. At least you now know that the game did not start in Las Vegas and that the game has involved a bit of cheating ever since it came into being. To continue, the game was first played with only 20 cards, using only the top five highest cards, namely the aces, the kings, the queens, the jacks, and the tens. During the time that Green was writing about the cheating game, poker was the number one game along the Mississippi River.

Poker Chip Sets – The Evolution of Poker

The game has evolved a lot of times since, starting from 20 cards, then going to 32, and finally reaching 52, plus 2 additional jokers. Still, the origin of the word poker remains a subject of debate. Some say that it came from the French poque, others claim that it must be the German pochspiel, while another group thinks that it is the Hindi pukka. Whatever it is, there is still an element of poker in it, all of the words starting with the letter P, perhaps? It does not end there yet, because there are some explanations that trace it to the English slang poke, which is no less used to describe the activities of a pickpocket.

The pickpockets added an R to disguise themselves. A more occult and magical point of view is believing that the word came from hocus-pocus. Now there are so many ruckuses as to how poker came around to be called poker, but it is still interesting to know that there are actually people who would flush each other just for the sake of naming things, not to mention the handful of foreign terms that you now have for your own use. Now how about the poker chip sets?

Poker Chip Sets – What came before poker chips?

In the early beginnings of the game, different gamblers had different currencies. Coins and gold nuggets were first used a long, long time ago. Widespread gambling had begun around the 18th century, and at that point, the differences in coins became a problem. To come up with a solution, gambling places, but not necessarily casinos, gave the gamblers an alternative. They used bone, clay, ivory, paper, shellac, and wood as substitutes. Yet another problem was created because of this. The cheating gamblers turned to forgery, which forced gambling establishments to brand their own substitutes in some way to make them unique in some way.

Come to think of it, poker chip sets were, in a sense, created to keep those cheaters away. But it doesn’t change the fact that even when casinos become popular, chip forgery was still an activity not unknown to gamblers and establishments alike. Now that is the reason why each casino has its own specially designed chip that are extremely hard to copy. Indeed, it has become a challenging but exciting task to have their own brand of poker chips. It is also worth mentioning that by this time, the poker chip sets are now of various sizes and materials, depending on the value of a certain chip.

Poker Chip Sets – Technology

With the progression of technology, there are now many manufacturers of poker chip sets which serve many casinos. The chips also had a standard size and weight, which is 39 millimeters in diameter and 8.5 grams to 20.5 grams. Now the chips also come in various quality materials and beautiful designs. Some even have microchips implanted on them, just to put a stop to forgery. These chips are not only available in casinos, but they have also become available to the public. It was because of the seemingly endless frenzy with poker that poker chip sets can now be seen at dining tables in many homes.

Now you know how the poker chip came into light. It is not actually the game itself that brought it into this world, but it is the means of substituting the money waged in poker that made poker chips the way they are. It is an invention out of practicality and convenience, you might say.

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New Bill May Legalise Online Poker In The USA
Senator Menendez introduces the Internet Skill Game Licensing and Control Act which if passed into law will legitimise and regulate online poker. Read the full story at http://www.classicasinos.com/PokerNews/ns_02102008_47.html

Poker Skill Debate Goes Mainstream
The debate around whether poker is a game of skill or chance breaks into the mainstream press. Read the full story at http://www.classicasinos.com/PokerNews/ns_08042009_198.html

Some of the major online poker websites such as Titan Poker, Pacific Poker, Party Poker and many others stopped doing business with US residents.

There is some hope for the US residents wanting to play online poker as here are the top rated poker rooms and the poker sites accepting US players to this day.

Poker Stars This online poker website still accepts US players and it is among the favorites around the globe. It is renowned for major poker players playing here. Some of the finalists of the World Poker Series play regularly here. So unless you are truly talented at online poker then this is the site for you. This is known to be one of the world most competitive and top rated poker rooms so watch out if you are only a beginner!

Full Tilt Poker This online poker website is actually endorsed by some of the worlds best and most recognizable poker players today. You dont have to play here if you feel you are not good enough yet, you can watch and learn tips from some of the professionals that use this website. The software that they use for the poker and the customer service is among the best available.

Absolute Poker To play online poker here you will have to download their software which has had some improvements as of late. This makes the playing experience more comfortable for users and they are one of the few poker sites accepting US players. This site has been around quite some time now and they have recently made a push towards the American market.

Bodog Poker this poker site accepting US players is becoming extremely popular. This website offers some great tournaments for US players and the software that has to be downloaded is of a top quality and is extremely easy to use.

Ultimate Bet This is considered to have the top rated poker rooms around today on the internet. Not only is this poker sites accepting US players but it is also endorsed by the poker player Phil Hellmuth, otherwise known as The Poker Brat. It has been around for some time on the internet and is extremely popular among the players.

The UIGEA doesnt actually make playing online poker illegal but in some states or tribal laws it may do for some US players. Make sure you always know the laws when you are playing online poker for real money and keep up to date with your rights.

You can still have a great time playing poker for money even if you are a US resident; you just have to know where to go!

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Poker After Dark – Durr Does It Again (source: launchpoker.com)
The $100k buy in event featured the best players out there, such as Phil Hellmuth, Tom Dwan, Allen Cunningham, Guy Laliberte, Mike Baxter and David Peat. It was Baxter and Dwar who mixed it up before, and were destined to do it again in this particular han… (source: launchpoker.com) – News widgets and RSS feeds on Feedzilla.com

Poker After Dark – Big Man Straight (source: launchpoker.com)
When Poker After Dark started their new season, they started to bring in some new blood as well. In the Cash Game episode, where players paid $100k to play, Phil Hellmuth, Tom Dwan, Allen Cunningham, Guy Laliberte, Mike Baxter, and David Peat were invited … (source: launchpoker.com) – News widgets and RSS feeds on Feedzilla.com

President Bush On Friday October 13, 2006 signed a bill that affected online casinos, poker rooms, sportsbooks, bingos whose principal purpose is to tighten security measures for the United States sea ports. Attached to that bill was a federal ban on banking institutions knowingly transferring funds to businesses or people that may conduct gambling operations in United States and areas where gambling is prohibited. Many online casinos left the United States marketplace, but, gambling at online casinos is not illegal in most of the United States.

There are 11 states; Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana (felony to play online poker), Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington (felony to play online poker) and Wisconsin that disallows gambling online, but there are 39 that have no laws against playing online poker or casino games.

Full Tilt Poker is an online poker room that allows Americans to play online poker after the United States passed the bill in October, 2006. Full Tilt Poker offers the best in online poker with world famous pros, a huge bonus, real or play money. Play poker online now, it is free to download. Try ther free online poker game 24 hours a day on state-of-the-art online poker software. Play for real money or for free in tournaments or ring games. Full Tilt Poker’s online poker room was designed by world class poker professionals, and offers you the ability to learn, chat, and play online poker with the pros.

Check out Full Tilt Poker at http://www.casinospokerrooms.com/em/fulltiltpoker.html

Absolute Poker is an online poker room that allows US poker players to play online poker after the United States passed the bill in October, 2006, and Absolute Poker are a privately held poker room so the new law does not affect their business like other poker rooms.

Online Poker for Live Players Online Poker, joining this online poker room lets you experience the excitement of playing against live players from all over the world and winning big money and prizes in our great tournaments. Real and play-money games are available and a great bonus and rewards system for everyone. Maybe you will meet Serinda Swan at a poker table? Read how to find Serinda. All you have to do is download their poker software, Log in and start playing online poker.

Check out Absolute Poker at http://www.casinospokerrooms.com/em/absolutepoker.html

UltimateBet Poker is an online poker room that allows US online poker players to play online poker after the United States passed the bill in October, 2006. Designed with the assistance of the best poker players in the world, Phil Hellmuth and Annie Duke, UltimateBet provides the best poker games available on the Internet. Poker players can download the free poker software, play in free ring games and tournaments and get tips from these pros to learn the sport or to enhance their playing strategy. UltimateBet currently has over 2 million registered players.

Check out Ultimatebet Poker at http://www.casinospokerrooms.com/em/ultimatebet.html

Poker.com is another online poker room that allows US poker players to play online poker after the United States passed the bill in October, 2006.

Make your first deposit with Poker.com now and receive a 100% Bonus, up to $200 FREE. When you join Poker.com you will receive entry to the $50 New Player Freerolls every 3 hours for 4 weeks. Everyday at Poker.com tournaments they run with huge guaranteed prize pools. $50 Freeroll tournaments run every 2 hours. Plus everyday there is either a $1,000, $2,000 or $10,000 Freeroll. The Poker.com software has a range of features that are not available in any other poker software online. You can contact their player support team 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through email or live chat. Every Sunday at 15:00 Poker.com runs a $10,000 Freeroll, and on the last Sunday of every month Poker.com holds a $50,000 Freeroll. Poker.com is the only poker room with instant payouts, Click2Pay and NETeller. You could win your way to the WSOP, the WPT, the Aussie Millions and more by playing their daily satellite tournaments and much more

Check out Poker.com at http://www.casinospokerrooms.com/em/poker.html

Play Online Poker at the Fastest Growing Online Poker Rooms in the World.

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WPT’s Fall Boot Camps (source: launchpoker.com)
“Boot camp” is term generally given to the military training that turns a kid, whose greatest challenge in life was getting past the Nightmare level on Halo 2, into a well oiled fighting machine. This type of training usually involves trading one’s locks f… (source: launchpoker.com) – RSS and News widget on Feedzilla.com

The game of poker has been going for many years, but the history of online poker – along with most other online games – is relatively short. Yet despite the relatively short length of the history of the game, it is an extremely rapid developing part of the entire online gambling industry which is not showing any signs of slowing down. While it is very popular in America, Europe is fast catching up too.

The history of online poker begins with the history of poker in general. The game of poker has been around for thousands of years with origins all over the world, from China to France to Persia and Spain. However, it wasn’t until 1834 that the game of Poker with the name of “Poker” was officially recorded. Jonathan H. Green wrote about “the cheating game” which was played on Mississippi riverboats. This game was played with only twenty cards, but evolved into modern day poker.

Online poker only dates back 9 years, to 1998 which was when the first games came on line. But the real milestone for the history of poker was 2002. A year later when the World Poker Tour was launched on America’s travel channel in March, poker really hit off. This was also true for when the World Series of Poker (WSOP) had its largest turn out over.

These events and others certainly contributed to the developing growth of the history of poker as more and more individuals found out about how fun the game was to play on line, and indeed, how lucrative it could be, especially when playing online poker tournaments. 2004 and 2005 saw a huge influx of additional online poker rooms and sites, many of which appealed to the masses, even the non-poker playing ones who started to show an interest in this new and exciting online game.
Poker is a game that is coordinated by gambling laws and regulations and is mainly played in casinos and card rooms. However, it has recently become available for play in online poker rooms. The introduction of poker to the Online has increased the popularity of the game a huge amount, but it didn’t start out so simply.

The history of online poker began in 1998, when the first online poker room was opened. Planetpoker.com was the first website in the history of online poker and as the first it had many obstacles to overcome. One of the main problems was trust-after all they had to build peoples’ trust in order to get them to play with real money on their site. They also had to work out software that would be user friendly and realistic. However, once they worked out these problems it was a smooth ride.

Probably one of the reasons the history of online poker developed so well was because of how enthusiastic poker professionals have been since the game’s inception on line. Such big names as Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Howard Lederer, Phil Ivey, Erik Seidel, John Juanda, Phil Gordon, Andy Bloch, and Erick Lindgren are included in this list.

The history is now definitely well on the map, especially financially as the industry in America has reached over $2 billion. There are so many poker rooms today on line that pretty much at any time, 24/7, one is able to find a poker game of their choice. Whether you love 3 card poker, video poker, Texas Hold’em Poker, 7 card stud poker, 5 card draw poker, Omaha Hi-Lo poker, to name but a few, on line players will probably be able to find a game to satisfy and appeal.

Many online poker sites offer now offer numerous features that attract and appeal to new players. This new features are what are making raves in the world series of poker because the world of poker has now wakened to the realization that even on-line poker participants can also have a shot at the big game.

One similar feature offered by the online poker sites is the tournament referred to as “satellite”. This feature allows participants to gain actual access to real live poker tournaments. In a similar tournament Chris Moneymaker emerged the victor and was able to participate in the World Series of Poker in 2003. his victory shocked the whole world.

Recent figures have in fact projected that the revenue generated by on-line poker could reach as high as US$ 100 million target in 2005, and that online participants are estimated to reach 100,000 people.

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Inside Gaming: Harrah’s Goes Hollywood, UK Payment Processor Anticipates Change in U.S. Regulations, and More
While you’ve been doing work at the poker tables, others have been busy at the boardroom table. Good thing PokerNews is skilled at multitabling. Every Friday, we’ll get you up to speed on what’s new in the gaming business.

PartyPoker Premier League IV Playoffs: Day 3
British poker pro Ian Frazer was the last man standing after three tough days of PartyPoker Premier League Playoffs. Frazer defeated Mike Sexton and four other members of Team PartyPoker to earn a $100,000 seat in the elite Premier League IV Main…

Online sportsbooks were the first to be introduced in the internet and they were followed by many, one among them being online poker. Online casinos were also introduced in the mid 90s, the same time when sportsbooks reached the internet. Microgaming, that came up in the early 90s is a good example and has now become a casino software developer.

In 1998, Planet poker entered the scene and was the first to create an online poker gambling rooms. It was the first and the last of its kind for quite long. With passage of time, many new and big poker sites reached the net carrying a maximum rate of about 3 dollars with an initial rake of five percent. The industry was recognized only in 1998 but it noteworthy that the rates have been almost the same.

In 1999, Paradise Poker was created and this has now become the leader in industry. It was around this time that Dutch Boyd created Poker Spot.

Though Poker spot is the pioneer in running poker tournaments online, they faced whole lot of problems. The group did not collect the deposits of the players from its credit card partners. The company did not remit the winnings of the players as all deposits it held, were not returned. This resulted in their fall.

The introduction of the Netellers e-cash system has reduced the repetitions of the problems encountered by the Poker spot group in other poker players. The online poker groups are provided with funds from the Neteller system. The Netellers e-cash system frees the players from the trouble of using the wire transfer or credit card to deposit money in order to enter the poker group. This has helped in the minimization of frauds and improved the credibility of the company.

In the year 2001, online poker industry welcomed the entry of the two giant firms, Party Poker and Poker Stars. Paradise was on the lead until 2003, when they were overtaken by Party Poker due to the latter?s strategic advertising. The launch of World Poker Tour along with the Party Poker Million strategies attracted a lot of people and drove the group to success.

Chris MoneyMaker also contributed a lot to the popularity and growth of online poker. He was charged with 40 dollars to enter the poker room. He won the satellite tournament conducted by the Poker stars and was qualified for the final and the main event. He won the topmost prize of 2.5 Million dollars in a game considered to be one of the biggest of the World’s Series of Poker tournaments and in which about 839 participants had contested.

The creation of the site http://www.pokertips.org made online poker more accessible to all people especially to those who were new to the field of online poker. In 2004, that is one year after the launch of the site, the game became very popular with the fascinating story of Mr. Moneymaker adding another feather to its cap. The companies pocketed huge amounts and there were other entrants like Noble Poker and the Full Tilt Poker to the industry as well.

Sportingbet, a listed sportsbook acquired Paradise Poker and this contributed to the growth of gambling industry. A lot of companies considered listing in the stock market as it helped them get funds to aid expansion of their business.

The United Kingdom has passed a legislation which states that gambling is legal.

Today we have a lot of sites that educate people who are new to the industry on the game. They aid in developing the skills of the beginners and making them professionals. Here are a few books on online poker: the Super System which is by Doyle Brunson, the Hold ‘em Poker for the Advanced Players and this is by Sklansky,Malmuth, the Killer Poker which is by John Vorhaus and Texas Holdem which is by Ken Warren. You are advised to learn the basic skills and the poker theory from experts.

Some of the best Online Poker Sites

Texas Holdem Poker
StudStrategy
Low Limit Omaha
Poker School Online at pokerschoolonline.com
Ichiban Poker
Poker Performance Psychology
PlayWinningPoker.com and playwinningpoker.com
The Gamblers Edge at thegamblersedge.com
Poker Pro Association
Low Limit Holdem at lowlimitholdem.com
PokerStrategy
Poker Pages at pokerpages.com

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Poker Trivia: Did you know you Can Get Free Cash (source: poker-skool.com)
Poker Trivia Ever Wondered how many people play poker etc. Did YOU know you can get $100 dollars for free, read more (source: poker-skool.com) – RSS news feeds and Widgets on Feedzilla.com

WPT’s Fall Boot Camps (source: launchpoker.com)
”Boot camp” is term generally given to the military training that turns a kid, whose greatest challenge in life was getting past the Nightmare level on Halo 2, into a well oiled fighting machine. This type of training usually involves trading one’s locks… (source: launchpoker.com) – RSS news feeds and Widgets on Feedzilla.com

Poker After Dark – Durr Does It Again (source: launchpoker.com)
The $100k buy in event featured the best players out there, such as Phil Hellmuth, Tom Dwan, Allen Cunningham, Guy Laliberte, Mike Baxter and David Peat. It was Baxter and Dwar who mixed it up before, and were destined to do it again in this particular han… (source: launchpoker.com) – RSS widgets and RSS feeds on Feedzilla.com

Free Poker – If you are looking to play online poker for pure recreation, and not for money, ensure that the site you are interested in accommodates “free” players. Most online poker sites do cater to free players.

Software Download vs. Web-based – Most, if not all, online poker sites require you to download their poker client software onto your computer system to run. If you are adverse to downloading such software onto your system, then you might want to check to see if the poker site alternatively has a web-based poker interface, which allows you to play poker on the site from within your browser. Software installs run the potential risk of viruses and/or adware being loaded onto your system (although most of the reputable firms would never do that), but software installs on your computer generally run a lot faster than web-based sessions. Software installations harness the power of your local PC’s CPU, whereas web-based interfaces rely on downloading any screen real estate updates over the Internet during play. This can be slow, particularly, if you are running over a slow internet connection (e.g., a dialup line). Hence, if you are after speed, select local software installations; if you are concerned about your computer’s safety or cannot afford the disk space used by a software installation, select a web-based poker site.

Methods of Deposit/Withdrawal – If you are planning to play poker for money over the Internet, it is very important to consider the methods of deposit and withdrawal that a poker site supports. Many of these sites permit major credit cards to be used, which seem to be the universal deposit mechanism of choice. Others permit the use of bank transfer, ACH transfer, checks, and wire transfer from banks. Most poker sites also support some form of 3rd party eWallets, which provide an intermediary between banking institutions and the poker site itself. The main criteria to look at are: 1) What methods of deposit/withdrawal are supported by the poker site, and how many of these methods are supported by the locale that you live in ?; 2) Is it legal to fund/withdraw to/from a poker site, from the jurisdiction that you are playing in ?; 3) What are the fees associated with the 3rd party eWallet companies that you are able to use, and how reliable are they (this latter question can be researched on some of the poker message forum boards) ?

Locale Restrictions – Some poker sites restrict the playing for money (and even free play sometimes), based on your locale, and the laws governing gambling in your locale. You should check with the laws of your local jurisdiction and check with the poker site, to see if there are any imposed restrictions on play, based on your locale.

Support – You should definitely look at the methods of support that a poker site offers. Poker sites generally provide one (or more) methods of support that include: telephone support, fax support, Email support, and live chat support. The more of these that a poker site offers, the better. For telephone support, check and see if the poker site offers toll-free support from your playing jurisdiction or not.

Game Variety – Depending on your level of poker playing expertise and your interest in variety, it is important to determine which game types the poker site supports. Almost all of the sites offer Texas Holdem, but depending on your level of interest, you should check to see if they offer games like Five and Seven Card Stud, Omaha Poker (and all of its variations), Blackjack (not poker, but often included as a game option), Stud (and its variations), Draw poker, Tournament support, and limit and pot limit games. Tournaments in particular are very popular with online poker sites, and some site tournaments offer very large prize pools.

Bonuses – Most, but not all, of the poker sites offer some form of bonus to the player, when you initially sign up with the site. Each site’s bonus is somewhat different, but of the one’s that offer first time bonus, it is usually predicated on a minimum initial deposit. Many bonuses are also calculated based on the amount of money deposited and spent on the site. Additionally, many sites offer reload bonuses, which are bonuses that are offered to existing customers, beyond their initial deposit bonus, and as an incentive to keep you as a customer.

Graphics and Useability – This is a very important consideration. Every poker site has a different look and feel to it. If you are going to be playing poker for money, it is important that you feel comfortable with the screen graphics and your ability to navigate (via mouse or keyboard clicks) through the poker program. If you feel uncomfortable at all with the poker site, you should definitely not consider playing at it for money. You should always test a poker site out in “free” mode first, before actually considering it for real-money wagering.

Game Features – You should always consider the game features that are available with a given poker site. Game features such as hand history, multiple simultaneous playing windows, player notes, audible and visual indicators, player statistics, connection status indicator, player chat, turbo games, and screen options should always be considered.

Rake – Rake is the amount of the pot that the poker site takes (as part of its fee for doing business), from each hand. You should always be aware of how much rake a poker site takes (compared to another site). Poker sites usually use a Weighted Contribution rake method or an Average Contribution method, when calculating rake. Obviously, the lower the rake, the more money you will take home on hand wins, but this criteria by itself should not dictate which poker site you use, since all of the above factors need to be taken into consideration as well. In summary, the aforementioned criteria should always be used, when deciding which Poker site is best for you. Depending on your preferences, some of these criteria should be given more weight than others. Happy Poker site hunting !!

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World Poker Tour Bought Out
One of the world’s most famous poker brands to change hands. Read the full story at http://www.classicasinos.com/PokerNews/ns_06082009_282.html

Free Poker – If you are looking to play online poker for pure recreation, and not for money, ensure that the site you are interested in accommodates “free” players. Most online poker sites do cater to free players.

Software Download vs. Web-based – Most, if not all, online poker sites require you to download their poker client software onto your computer system to run. If you are adverse to downloading such software onto your system, then you might want to check to see if the poker site alternatively has a web-based poker interface, which allows you to play poker on the site from within your browser. Software installs run the potential risk of viruses and/or adware being loaded onto your system (although most of the reputable firms would never do that), but software installs on your computer generally run a lot faster than web-based sessions. Software installations harness the power of your local PC’s CPU, whereas web-based interfaces rely on downloading any screen real estate updates over the Internet during play. This can be slow, particularly, if you are running over a slow internet connection (e.g., a dialup line). Hence, if you are after speed, select local software installations; if you are concerned about your computer’s safety or cannot afford the disk space used by a software installation, select a web-based poker site.

Methods of Deposit/Withdrawal – If you are planning to play poker for money over the Internet, it is very important to consider the methods of deposit and withdrawal that a poker site supports. Many of these sites permit major credit cards to be used, which seem to be the universal deposit mechanism of choice. Others permit the use of bank transfer, ACH transfer, checks, and wire transfer from banks. Most poker sites also support some form of 3rd party eWallets, which provide an intermediary between banking institutions and the poker site itself. The main criteria to look at are: 1) What methods of deposit/withdrawal are supported by the poker site, and how many of these methods are supported by the locale that you live in ?; 2) Is it legal to fund/withdraw to/from a poker site, from the jurisdiction that you are playing in ?; 3) What are the fees associated with the 3rd party eWallet companies that you are able to use, and how reliable are they (this latter question can be researched on some of the poker message forum boards) ?

Locale Restrictions – Some poker sites restrict the playing for money (and even free play sometimes), based on your locale, and the laws governing gambling in your locale. You should check with the laws of your local jurisdiction and check with the poker site, to see if there are any imposed restrictions on play, based on your locale.

Support – You should definitely look at the methods of support that a poker site offers. Poker sites generally provide one (or more) methods of support that include: telephone support, fax support, Email support, and live chat support. The more of these that a poker site offers, the better. For telephone support, check and see if the poker site offers toll-free support from your playing jurisdiction or not.

Game Variety – Depending on your level of poker playing expertise and your interest in variety, it is important to determine which game types the poker site supports. Almost all of the sites offer Texas Holdem, but depending on your level of interest, you should check to see if they offer games like Five and Seven Card Stud, Omaha Poker (and all of its variations), Blackjack (not poker, but often included as a game option), Stud (and its variations), Draw poker, Tournament support, and limit and pot limit games. Tournaments in particular are very popular with online poker sites, and some site tournaments offer very large prize pools.

Bonuses – Most, but not all, of the poker sites offer some form of bonus to the player, when you initially sign up with the site. Each site’s bonus is somewhat different, but of the one’s that offer first time bonus, it is usually predicated on a minimum initial deposit. Many bonuses are also calculated based on the amount of money deposited and spent on the site. Additionally, many sites offer reload bonuses, which are bonuses that are offered to existing customers, beyond their initial deposit bonus, and as an incentive to keep you as a customer.

Graphics and Useability – This is a very important consideration. Every poker site has a different look and feel to it. If you are going to be playing poker for money, it is important that you feel comfortable with the screen graphics and your ability to navigate (via mouse or keyboard clicks) through the poker program. If you feel uncomfortable at all with the poker site, you should definitely not consider playing at it for money. You should always test a poker site out in “free” mode first, before actually considering it for real-money wagering.

Game Features – You should always consider the game features that are available with a given poker site. Game features such as hand history, multiple simultaneous playing windows, player notes, audible and visual indicators, player statistics, connection status indicator, player chat, turbo games, and screen options should always be considered.

Rake – Rake is the amount of the pot that the poker site takes (as part of its fee for doing business), from each hand. You should always be aware of how much rake a poker site takes (compared to another site). Poker sites usually use a Weighted Contribution rake method or an Average Contribution method, when calculating rake. Obviously, the lower the rake, the more money you will take home on hand wins, but this criteria by itself should not dictate which poker site you use, since all of the above factors need to be taken into consideration as well. In summary, the aforementioned criteria should always be used, when deciding which Poker site is best for you. Depending on your preferences, some of these criteria should be given more weight than others. Happy Poker site hunting !!

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New Reality TV Show To Focus On Poker
Four poker players in a house … Read the full story at http://www.classicasinos.com/PokerNews/ns_30072009_277.html

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King Solomon’s Poker Moves to Playtech Network
Quality online poker site completes its transition from the Boss Media poker platform. Read the full story at http://www.classicasinos.com/PokerNews/ns_02022010_456.html

Ladbrokes Enters Italian Poker Market
Ladbrokes receives a license to hold poker tournaments from Italian authorities. Read the full story at http://www.classicasinos.com/PokerNews/ns_22122009_421.html

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Beta Test Over for PokerStars Mac Software
The world’s biggest online poker company now offers fully functional Mac platform Read the full story at http://www.classicasinos.com/PokerNews/ns_11092008_17.html

New Reality TV Show To Focus On Poker
Four poker players in a house … Read the full story at http://www.classicasinos.com/PokerNews/ns_30072009_277.html