Online poker is an emerging trend in the U.S. again, with more and more people joining in every day. According to the World Poker Tour, there were approximately 100 million online players worldwide, with 60 million players in the U.S. alone as of 2021! This sudden increase in the number of players is largely due to more and more states becoming open to allowing online poker. Thus, legislation is slowly being relaxed, and people are able to indulge in their favorite game from wherever they are.
Poker has been around for many years, but online poker is a relatively newer thing. With so many sites to choose from and things to know, it can be confusing to figure it all out. That’s why we’re presenting a guide of four steps to take before you start.
1. Research Your State Laws
As mentioned earlier, legislation is slowly relaxing throughout our nation, but that doesn’t mean online poker for real money is allowed in every state. In 2022, only seven states have legalized state-licensed online poker, and two states have not yet issued any licenses to operate online poker businesses. We can speculate that lawmakers are working to pass legislation to legalize online poker, as states like Iowa have seen wagering monthly revenues in the millions. In the next few years, we will probably see more states jump on board and allow online poker for real money. So be safe, and research what your state laws allow before downloading any apps.
2. Choose How You Want to Play
There are many different types of apps and websites available to play poker on, depending on what you are looking for. For example, if you are just picking up poker and you want to learn the basics – 5-Card Draw is the variant for you. If you want to compete with the big boys in high-stakes poker – Texas Hold’em is the variant for you. There’s also 7-Card Stud, 3-Card Poker, and Omaha, among others. Aside from choosing your favorite poker variant, think about the style of gameplay that suits your preference, like sit-and-go, multiplayer, and tournament modes – or a good mix will give you an all-around feel.
If you’re already a confident player and looking to maximize your winnings, it is worth mentioning that multi-tabling isn’t always possible on apps. Sometimes multi-tabling is only possible when playing from websites; thus, a desktop computer would be essential if you aim to play something like 60 hands per hour.
3. Choose The Right Provider
After deciding on how you want to play poker, the next thing is to find the right provider for you. The first thing to consider is if you want free-to-play games or cash games. Free-to-play games are ideal for players that just want to play for fun, practice strategies, or join in social games and meet people. Cash games for real money are for serious players that want to put their skills to the ultimate test. There are good poker apps for both, and some methods of play may require a website and computer setup, while others can be installed onto a mobile device, like a smartphone or tablet. For example, Zynga is available to play for free on Facebook through Android or iOS. If you’re ready for real money online poker, WSOP.com is one of the best sites in the U.S., with operations in New Jersey.
4. Research The Payment Options
For those that want to play online poker for real money, before you give out your financial data, make sure you research the website for the type of payment options available. The site should safe and make it easy for you to deposit and withdraw your funds when you need to. For example, some poker sites allow direct bank transfers, credit cards, Venmo, and even Bitcoin. If you’re not sure if it’s a safe site to use, you could ask a cybersecurity consultant to inspect the site for you and verify if any vulnerabilities exist.
Online poker is flourishing once again, and now you can enjoy it wherever you are and whenever you want. Before going all in, make sure you take these steps to ensure you have an enjoyable online poker experience.
