The game of internet poker may appear to be taking over the Internet and, frankly, it just may be! Try running the term “internet poker” through a search engine and you find over 16-million entries. It is not surprising, internet poker is fun, challenging and can, of course be profitable. However, don’t be misled, internet poker, just like any other ‘game of chance’ can be devastating to the finances of someone who doesn’t know how to play or doesn’t know when to stop.
The best advice is also the most obvious: 1) Learn how to play internet poker; 2) Find an Internet site that is reliable and comfortable for you (everyone’s taste is different) — a site that offers many different versions of internet poker is best; 3) Try several different poker games; 4) Enjoy the game but don’t gamble more than you can afford to loose and, most importantly, 5) Don’t get addicted to internet poker or to any other game of chance.
We have mentioned “versions” of internet poker. There are many versions of poker available online but the most popular are: Texas Holdem, Omaha Poker, draw poker and stud poker. Texas Holdem is currently the most popular online poker game and is the most popular in many casinos; Omaha Poker, also known as Omaha Holdem is similar to Texas Holdem but is a slower paced game and is generally more popular among the high-stakes players. Of course, the games our daddies and granddaddies used to play, seven-card stud, draw poker and five-card stud are always popular games and are available in almost any online casino. There are many others and many variants of these games but in general, the ones we have named are the most popular at internet poker casinos.
Play for Free! One great thing about internet poker is that many online casinos give you the opportunity to play some or many hands for free. This allows you to get the hang of the game, choose a game that you will be most comfortable with and develop a strategy for playing when you decide to “go live” and place some real bets.
Some of the advantages of playing internet poker, over going to a casino or even sitting down with some acquaintances in a living room or ‘back room’ are: 1) You are generally more comfortable, more relaxed at home; 2) You don’t have the constant conversation that is common at a ‘live’ game which allows you to focus better on your hand and your strategy; 3) You can take a break whenever YOU choose; 4) You can switch games when you choose or when you feel its to your advantage; and 5) Playing Internet Poker allows you to play for the stakes you choose with no outside, social pressure. Add up these advantages and you can easily see why playing poker online is as popular as it is, in one word it offers you a ‘choice.’
Every internet casino wants your business and will provide many incentives and many options to gain that business — that, of course is a good thing but perhaps the greatest thing about playing internet poker is, to get from one casino to another you do not need a taxicab — just ride your mouse or track-ball.
