Online Poker Guide

Thanks to the internet, anyone can now hop online to play online poker for fun or for real money against real opponents. It's a game where you once had to host live poker games or drive to the casino, but can now play any time you want against thousands of opponents from the comfort of your home.

Online poker has totally changed the game, too. New poker players that we probably never would have heard of if it wasn't for the internet are now celebrities. The game even changed my life and brought me more success than I ever could have imagined only a few years ago.

Even if all you want to do is get a little practice or try out a new poker game, you can sign up with a poker room and use play money to get started. Thanks to online poker, you can get as much practice as you want against real opponents. Try going to a live casino and asking them if you can play with fake money!

Best Poker Sites

If you're interested in giving online poker a shot, you want to make sure you play at a trusted site. We have reviewed multiple online poker sites to help come up with the best options. Some of the things we look at when recommending a site are how well the software works, amount of traffic to the games, security, and deposit bonuses. If you are ready to give online poker a try for either play or real money, we suggest any of the following sites:

Rank	Best Poker Sites		US?	Bonus	Get Started
#1		Bovada Poker		100% up to $1000	Play Now!
#2		BetOnline Poker		25% up to $900	Play Now!
#3		Bet365 Poker		200% up to $1000	Play Now!

The one thing these poker sites all have in common is that they are capable of giving you a good experience. The games at these poker sites always have players and you can join games at a wide range of stakes. The above poker gambling sites host ring games, tournaments, sit-n-go tournaments and other variants.

Texas Holdem is definitely the most popular game at the above poker sites, but it's not the only game type you can play online. Omaha and 7 Card Stud also get a decent amount of action. Some poker rooms also host Razz, Omaha Hi-Lo, mixed poker games and a few other game types. All in all, online poker has become a mature and well-rounded industry.

Poker Strategy Guide

The skill aspect of poker separates poker from every other gambling game in the casino. Other casino games may have certain strategic implications, but no other casino game can be beaten over the long run like poker can be. Poker players who take the time to learn proper poker strategy can turn poker into a profitable endeavor.

We are big fans of poker strategy here at GamblingSites.org so we have put together a complete poker strategy guide. You can visit our poker strategy section on the following page:

Poker Strategy

Our poker strategy guide is broken up into sections that focus on different aspects of poker. For example, we have one section that is devoted entirely to live poker strategy. We have another section that is devoted entirely to online poker, and so on. Our full list of poker strategy sections includes the following:

If you are completely new to poker, your best bet is to start with the "general" and "game play" strategy sections. Those sections teach you the basics of poker strategy that you can apply to any other type of poker. After that, you can specialize in another area such as live poker, online poker, tournament poker or sit and go poker.

Online poker strategy is one of the most popular sections among our readers. Online poker is a great place for new players to start because it is easily accessible and offers stakes that are significantly lower than live poker games. These lower stakes give you the ability to try new strategies at real money tables without risking hundreds and hundreds of dollars.

It may seem odd to have a separate section for live poker since it's still the same game at heart. However, we have found that live poker does have enough differences to online poker to make it worth having a separate strategy section. For example, live poker tables have unique etiquette implications and the possibility of spotting tells.

Even if you do not have dreams of becoming a rich poker player, basic poker strategy is still worthwhile. A little strategy can help you reduce your losses, become a breakeven player or even become a winning player. There is no other place in the casino where you can sit for a few hours, wager thousands of dollars and have a relatively good chance of walking away a winner.

Poker Games

The most popular online poker game is Texas Holdem. This is also called the "Cadillac of poker" because it is a fun, highly strategic game and is very versatile. What I mean by "versatile" is that the game is designed so that it can be played in cash games, in tournaments and in the limit and no-limit varieties.

Other popular poker games include Omaha, 7 Card Stud, 5 Card Draw and 2-7 Triple Draw poker. The games all use the same cards you're used to seeing but the rules vary widely. Some of the games resemble others on the outside but even small differences in the rules have a big impact on the flow of the game.

When you play poker online, you'll find the most action at the Texas Holdem tables. Other games do get action, but you won't find quite as many tables. The good news is that it's still a lot easier to find these games online than it is to find them in person. Only the biggest live poker rooms in the world come anywhere close to having the game selection offered by online poker gambling sites.

If you would like additional information about each game such as how to play, rules of the game and strategy, take a look at our poker games page. The rules of poker are obviously worth learning, but don't neglect on the strategy aspect of poker either. Poker is the one "gambling" game on the internet in which it is entirely possible to earn a steady income.

Is Poker Gambling?

Poker is closely associated with gambling, but I don't consider it gambling because the game is played against other players. Over the long run, poker is a game of skill. Those who play the game well always win over the long run. Those who play the game poorly always lose over the long run.

Yes, poker does have elements of luck, but so do other games of skill. In every major sport, there are certain events that the players have no control over. But you will notice that the best players come out on top in the end. For that reason, we consider poker to be a game of skill.

Many people still consider poker to be gambling, and that's fine with us. People who treat poker as a gambling game are great sources of income for the skilled players. There's absolutely nothing wrong with taking a gambling approach to poker, but that doesn't automatically make poker a gambling game.

Online Tournaments

Online poker tournaments are now massively popular as well. For just a few dollars, anyone can sign up to a poker site, join a tournament and potentially win hundreds of thousands of dollars after only several hours of play. Online poker tournaments have also boosted the attendance of the yearly World Series of Poker tournament thanks to smaller online satellite tournaments that can get you free entry to the WSOP for only a small buy-in fee.

If you can recall, back in 2003, a guy by the name of Chris Moneymaker made poker history by winning the then-biggest WSOP first place prize of all time. When it became known that he qualified online for only $39, online poker took off in a big way. Today the WSOP is even bigger than ever.

Internet poker tournaments come in all different shapes and sizes. New players can get started in freeroll tournaments without paying a thing. All they need to do is sign up for an account and take a seat. Cash tournaments cost a little money to join, but they offer significant cash prizes to the players who place high.

The above-mentioned satellite poker tournaments give out free seats to bigger tournaments in place of prize money. For example, you might join a $100 tournament online and if you place high enough, you'll be given a free seat to a $1,000 or $10,000 tournament. There are even satellite tournaments that give players entry to bigger satellite tournaments.

The key to doing well in online poker tournaments is patience and perseverance. Out of all the different forms of poker, tournaments can be the biggest heart breakers. The first time you play for 3 hours, make it all the way to the bubble and then bust out when your AA gets cracked by 77, you'll know what I mean. At the opposite end of the spectrum, there is nothing in the poker world that can compare to the feeling of winning a major poker tournament.

Online Cash Games

Online poker cash games have also taken off in recent years thanks to their constant availability. Cash games are different than tournaments because in cash games you buy in with real money and can come and go as you wish. There's no limit to the number of buy-ins you can bring with you and there are no prizes for being the last person at the table. Your only goal in cash games is to take as much money as you can from your opponents.

Cash games aren't quite as popular as tournaments but they are still very much alive and kicking. With buy-ins starting as low as $2 and going all the way up to $100,000, cash games are accessible to people of all skill levels and bankrolls. Some of the top cash game players in the world play exclusively online because the super high stakes games are accessible from anywhere in the world.

If you're a beginner, don't worry; there are lots of fellow poker newbie's out there. The small and medium stakes cash games are perfect for cutting your teeth and getting the thrill of playing for real money. And when you're ready to cash out your winnings, all you have to do is visit your online poker site's cashier and request a check, bank transfer or initiate a cash out via one of many other withdrawal methods.

The advantage that cash games hold over tournaments is that your ups and downs aren't as crazy. Sure, you might have terrible days at the cash game tables, but you won't have to play for weeks on end without seeing a single dime come your way. The majority of poker professionals choose to play cash games for this very reason.

Advantages of Online Poker Sites

I enjoy all types of poker, but there are a few things that make the internet my favorite venue for poker. For one, online poker is a lot more convenient than live poker. Driving to a casino or setting up a home game takes a lot of time out of the day. Online poker is always just a few clicks away. It's faster, easier and cheaper than playing at a live venue somewhere.

Online poker sites give new players the advantage of low stakes games. If you visit a live poker room, you'll be lucky to get stakes as low as $1/$2 no-limit with a $100 minimum buyin. Online poker sites have stakes that go as low as $0.01/$0.02 with a $0.50 buyin. Micro stakes games might not be super exciting, but they are convenient for people that don't want to dive in head first and blow a thousand dollars learning how to play the game.

Serious poker players like online poker because it moves at a faster rate than live poker and allows for multi-tabling. Once you get the hang of basic poker strategy, a single poker table can get old. Throw in a couple of extra tables though, and you're in a whole new game. I've met some poker players who play upwards of 20 tables at a time.