The Internet has brought poker to a whole new level. Before the 2000s, most poker played on the web took place in chat rooms and was purely recreational. With the emergence of secure online poker sites, however, people could now place real money wagers on the game without worrying about their financial details. These softwares allow players to save hand histories, display odds, equity, and variance, and even take quizzes. They also analyze a player’s hand history for mistakes.
The UIGEA made it illegal for US banks to process transactions with offshore online poker sites, but that didn’t stop some sites from accepting US players. They found ways around the law and online poker continued to grow until April 15, 2011.
Not all sites offer all variations of poker. The most popular game is Texas Hold’em. You can find thousands of no limit hold’em games running at all stake levels. While this game is easy to learn and play, it is one of the most challenging types of poker. If you can master the rules and stay in the game, you can become a successful online poker player. It is worth noting, however, that you may not find many sites that offer no limit hold’em games for US players.
While there are several US-accepted sites, there are a few that are still unregulated, and most offshore operators are based outside the US. However, many states are now trying to regulate the market. Nevada, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey all have legalized online poker. Other states, such as West Virginia, are working on legislation to regulate online poker. If the state of your choice decides to regulate online poker, it should follow their lead.
Despite all of these advantages, the US-based online poker industry is unlikely to achieve the levels of popularity seen in other countries. If online poker became a legal, mainstream industry, players in the US would not be able to share tables with players from other countries. While China has banned poker, India has banned it from all but a few countries. And European countries have only recently begun to share their player pool. However, online poker is still in its infancy.
To play online poker, you must download special software. This requires relatively small memory and shouldn’t take long to download even if you have an archaic connection. Once you have the software, you can play the game. Most poker sites also offer no download versions. However, they don’t give you as much functionality as the full-fledged versions. In addition to regulating the online poker environment, the software offers numerous benefits. You should never be afraid to sign up for poker sites in the US if you don’t know the laws therein.
You can start playing online poker with very little money. If you’re a beginner, you’ll need to have about $20-30 buy-ins set aside for cash games and around $50 for tournaments. This will give you the necessary liquidity to handle any swings in your bankroll and call out bluffs with aggressiveness. Then, you can start playing real money online poker! Just make sure to use your money wisely.
