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What is Online Poker ?

Playing online poker in not like the regular table version, it has its own quirks. First of all remember you are not playing against the House, you play against real people. The casino gets its cut from the winning pots as a small amount called “rake”. In almost all casino games you have to beat the house, which in turn has an edge over the game odds against you, but here is just a neutral faction.

To begin playing online poker you have check the following:

The Site: you should be able to find all the information about the games you can play, the rules, promotions, events and the poker client.

The Poker Client: this is the game program which you'll usually have to download and install. It has the visual interface that shows you the buttons to make your moves, the cards and the other players’ avatars or icons. This client connects to the game server described below.

The Poker Game Server: this is the central PC which hosts all players and game tables. It has the function of dealer, floorman and cashier. The server has to ensure security to all players, so it will make sure that the games follow the rules. It will also handle the communication between players.

When you take a shot at online poker you generally have 2 options to play: for real money or for “play” money. If you decide to go for play money, this is just “free chips” or “play chips”. You don't risk your money and can play to get used to the system and get a little practice before going for real money. In play money you start with a number of chips (they will often give you a limited amount) and if you lose all your “free chips” you can simply ask for more. When you play real money you can bet in a wide range of tables from small amounts to large (from pennies to hundreds of dollars). To play real money you'll have to open an account and make a deposit.

The obvious question when you play real money is: “Is this site trustworthy?” First of all, you should check for the site’s track record (5+ years is more than fine) to insure they have good feedback from real people. Look for sites with a good reputation to be more than sure you will cash out without problems or delays.

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