Online poker has become one of the fastest growing gaming industries in the world with professional players from around the globe backing one online poker room or another. It has grown several folds within a very short span of time and gone bigger than some of the important industries in the world.
From PokerStars to Full Tilt Poker and the smaller UB website and Merge Gaming Network, online poker rooms and networks are expanding and many poker players are looking to start their own online journey, but don’t know where to start. I know when I started playing online poker it was a daunting task, but with a little help from online forums and a few private tournaments the fast paced online poker game slows down and becomes great fun.
A little bit of research on various forums and websites as well as some tips from friends and others helped me to perform like a pro in online poker tournaments.
Finding the Right Online Poker Room
The first step any player should take in becoming an online poker player is picking the right poker room. Naturally, the top online poker rooms will jump out at you first. Pokerstars and Full Tilt Poker are the two obvious choices for most people and of course for me too as their brands are plastered all over the best name pros and on television specials. My first room was Full Tilt Poker after reviewing their website and reading up on their promotions. I still love Full Tilt, but it definitely isn’t the only game in town.
It is important that the software ease should be one of the most important factors in choosing a poker room. Full Tilt’s software is very clean and extremely easy to use. PokerStars might be the biggest room in the world, but I find the software chunky and visually unappealing. This might seem vain, but when you spend six hours running deep in a tournament you want to be staring at something that looks nice. There are many other great poker rooms out there. UB website and Absolute Poker are both U.S. friendly as is the Cake and Merge Networks.
The Merge Gaming Network supports more than 100 different poker rooms such as its flagship Carbon Poker and other popular rooms such as PlayersOnly and Reefer Poker. My favorite software is most definitely Merge’s as it is the most user friendly and for the recreational player has the best options as far as game play is concerned. Poker software is very easy to download and as is very safe for your computer or mobile device, especially for the mainstream poker rooms. Mac users are even finding it easier to get playing online poker. For more recommendations finding a poker forum is the best place to go. A simple Google search will help in finding a couple of good poker forums to get ideas and help.
How to Use a Poker Forum in Playing Online Poker
After I started playing on Full Tilt and began playing my small bankroll I, like many other new players, keep an eye out for other rooms. After stumbling upon a freeroll tournament from Pokerspace.com I started frequenting their forum and posting blogs to gain room and playing advice. Pokerspace isn’t the only poker forum out there, but it did help me get started playing poker more seriously. They even hold private poker tournaments on various online poker rooms that helped build my bankroll and discover different poker rooms.
For new players these private poker tournaments are very helpful in understanding how the online game works in a helpful environment. For the most part those playing in private tournaments know each other and are useful in discussing your game play after the tournament. Forums are also a strong source of poker knowledge and you will discover that most players are more than willing to pass on their skilled advice. Remember Pokerspace isn’t the only forum in town, it is just the one I found and grew accustom to. There are several very strong online poker communities and forums out there.
Picking the Right Online Poker Deal: Free Money, Rakeback, Deposit Bonuses
For any players who are very new to online poker look into setting up a rakeback deal right away. Full Tilt Poker, for example, will not allow players to set up a rakeback deal after you have already downloaded the software straight from them. Rakeback and bonus sites act as affiliates for poker rooms and are the one’s players have to go to in order to create a rakeback deal.
For new players one of the best no-risk ways to start playing is with a free poker money, or free bankroll, deal. These deals are 100% real as is the money. I personally received a free poker money deal from Pokerspace for Absolute Poker and started a nice bankroll there and it was all for free. I could play and get use to the software to see if I would like it before making my own deposit. This was very helpful in assessing a new poker room. Check out this article for more information on how free bankroll deal work. Beyond free poker money and rakeback there are various deposit bonuses that range from instant cash bonuses to rake required bonuses. No matter what there is a deal out there for everyone.
The key to becoming an online poker player is confidence. Yes, it is absolutely true and don’t be scared of it. The industry might be young in the grand scheme, but it has attained a regular following. It is safe and an excellent way to make a little bit of money or just have some fun. Find a deal, download the software, create an account, and find a tournament; it’s as easy as that. Hope these tips and suggestions would turn up useful for new poker players and even for those experienced ones who are sometimes scared and lose confidence playing the tournaments. Check this site for more details and suggestions.