Making the transition from play money to real money poker can be a daunting experience, especially if you've never played a hand before.
There are a lot of things to consider and picking up all the unwritten "etiquette" rules can feel like learning a whole new game.
But don't worry -- we're here to help. We put together this quick primer with all the essential tips you need to get started playing real-money poker online.
Casinos That Offer Free Play with Real Money Prizes - Are They Safe?If you already have a basic grasp on the game of poker (or even if you don't) and are ready to start playing for real money, check out the following tips to make your transition as smooth as possible.
1. Start Small & Stick To It
The single most important thing you can do when you sit down to play real-money poker for the first time is to make sure you're playing at an appropriate stake level - i.e. not higher than you can comfortably afford.
Poker screenshot
It can be really easy to get caught up in the moment or the sheer excitement of actually having real money on another player's virtual head and push too big of a stack pre-flop.
To avoid the heart palpitations (and potential tilt fit) that can follow, vow to yourselves and each other to stick to a certain maximum buy-in level and never deviate no matter what.
Even the most seasoned pros have been known to bust a bigger bankroll than they'd care to admit so don't let your ego get the better of you.
Start small and work your way up as you get more comfortable with the concept of putting real money at risk against other people.
Related Reading:
My Friend Lost $350 on a $6 Tournament!
A perfect example of egg on face comes to mind. A few friends and I were in university and had just started playing low-stakes cash games and tournaments online.
Best Vegas Slots Online Alternatives for 2023One of our group had managed to win about $350 over the course of a couple hours and was feeling pretty good about himself.
He registered for a $6 tournament but shortly before it began he must have accidentally registered for the next highest level - a $54 buy-in event.
With his newfound winnings the $54 tournament cost almost all of his money.
Not wanting to play the bigger tournament alone the rest of us joined him, pooling another $60 or so. At this point we told him we'd split any winnings equally but whatever happened, he was on the hook for our original contribution.
real gambling online slotsHe nodded eagerly and we were away. Turns out he was still mistakenly registered in the higher buy-in tournament and we, along with his money, were spectators.
The realization hit him hard when he tried to buy back in after busting out of our tournament. Needless to say there was some serious tilt thrown that night.
Editor's rating
Time Trial - visit site
Direct link
Click "Play Now" to find yourself at PokerStars!
2. Choose Your Sites Carefully
These days there are a ton of different options for where to play online but, as with most things in life, you get what you pay for.
While there are certainly some shady-looking sites out there preying on new players with promises of easy money and stunningly designed software, the vast majority of the industry has gotten much cleaner in recent years.
However, that doesn't mean every site is created equal so it pays to do some research before you sign up anywhere. Some good places to start are major industry watchdogs like WCOOP, which offer strong security measures and excellent, proven track records.
For beginners looking to learn the ropes in a safe, controlled environment, we strongly recommend starting out at a site with a strong beginner's lobby or table selection feature.
Bank Staffel Spielautomaten von NetEnt - ein Detailreiches OverviewSites like PokerStars and partypoker segregate their lowest-stakes cash games into lobbies labelled for beginners or standard games, making it easy to find the right mix of opponents.
Beginners lobby on partypoker.
Most also label less experienced players in some way to help more seasoned grinders know not to waste bullets on a squeeze with no pun intended.
Other sites, like Zynga Poker, operate under a free-play model where players use virtual chips to buy into games instead of real money. These sites can be a good place to learn the basics without worrying about losing cash but the standards of play and overall quality of the game tend to be quite a bit lower.
Related Reading:
Don't Get Distracted By Bonuses, Vacations or Super Bowls
Everyone wants to get the most for their money and online poker sites are well aware of that fact.
To acquire new customers many sites now offer massive sign-up bonuses, sometimes as large as 200% or more of your initial deposit. While free money is certainly appealing, particularly for new players, it’s worth taking a closer look at the fine print.
Online poker site bonus
In most cases these bonuses are released into a player’s secondary tab (called a “bonus tab”) very slowly, often in $1 or $2 increments per week and only when a certain number of Player Points have been earned.
Casino Table Games You Can Play Without Betting MoneyDepending on the size of your initial deposit it could take months or even years to fully clear the amount the site originally offered you, even if you deposit more money on top.
This isn’t to say that sign-up bonuses aren't valuable because they certainly can be. They can also be a good way for new players to justify downloading the software for the first time and checking out the action at a particular site.
Just be realistic about how much action you’re realistically going to be able to generate and take into consideration any time constraints you may have.
Getting excited and depositing several thousand dollars with the hopes of winning a vacations through the site’s loyalty program isn’t a bad goal to shoot for either but, again, it’s important to start small and work your way up.
mi casino online review Nz 2023 - Best Casino GamesSuper Nova Elite, PokerStars' top-tier VIP program.
Qualifying for the stariest levels of loyalty programs almost always takes thousands of real dollars and hundreds of thousands of hands so focusing exclusively on rewards can be a dangerous road to go down, both psychologically and financially.
At the end of the day playing poker should be fun, relaxing and enjoyable pastime. If you find yourself constantly stressed out about generating points, staying ahead of your friends in the leaderboard or chasing down a vacation package it might be worth stepping back and reassessing your priorities.
Related Reading:
Do I Really Have to Download Software?
As mentioned above one of the biggest decisions you'll have to make when getting started is choosing the right site. Once you've found somewhere to play you'll generally have a couple different options for how to access the software.
Desktop poker software
hollywood casino tampa floridaMost sites will offer an instant-play version of their software that runs directly in your Internet browser. This can be a good option if you want to try a site out before committing to a download or if you're using someone else's computer and don't feel like messing with installing software.
However instant-play software typically has fewer features than its desktop counterpart and can lag or freeze during big actions, which can be incredibly frustrating.
N Natural8 Holdem
The most popular way to access an online poker site is via a full download of the software. Most sites will prompt you to do this automatically when you first open the instant-play client or try to register for an account.
Some players can be hesitant to download software to their computers but reputable poker sites go to great lengths to ensure their software is secure and won’t install viruses or malware.
In fact many poker sites, like PokerStars, actually provide a boost to your computer's security since the poker client sits between any would-be hackers and your vital information.
Even with all the security measures in place some players still prefer to avoid installing any extra software on their computers, especially if they work in the industry or have other sensitivities.
In those cases many sites will offer a Flash-based, mobile-compatible platform that tends to have far more features than traditional instant-play software.
888poker Review - Sites and Bonuses for UK Players in 2023Pulsa Poker app
You can read more about the differences between instant-play and downloadable software in this old blog post from PokerStars (with some helpful input from the AP Forums).
Related Reading:
Paul Oresteen
Paul Oresteen is a writer, podcaster, and adult-card-carrying member of theTron Fan Club. He lives in west Michigan with his wife, two children, and a fury of cats. Give him a follow @thepopculturephil on Twitter.
