“What’s that father?” a little boy once asked his father. “Can I play with them?”

The father replied, “No, son, it is not a toy! It is money, my boy!” The boy hurried off to play outside, though, wondering why his father considered those colorful chips as money.

Most children in America grew up with different kinds of colored chips. This colored chips represents money in the casinos. For example, a player who wants to play poker has to buy some chips to be used when betting. And because this is the kind of money that is being used during a game in the casino, particularly poker, others eventually call it poker money.

Poker money comes in various shades of blue, red, and other colors usually seen in the casinos.

In a particular poker game, a player’s poker money account is comprised of real cash and real chips. Normally, players could convert their cash to chips and vice versa. This can be done any time the player wants to do transactions except during a game.

Poker money arrives after a player settles down on a table and is ready to play poker. This poker money, in terms of chips, is being laid out in front of the concerned player.

However, before proceeding into playing poker, every player must make a deposit for his poker money.

In a live poker game where players get to play facing each other, the poker money are converted easily from cash to chips and vice versa on counters provided in the casino.

On the other hand, online poker games have different ways of managing poker money. Most of the online poker websites require their players to have their poker money accounts through deposits. Generally, these can be done into two categories. One category of depositing poker money is through direct methods wherein players use a credit card or draft in order to deposit money. The other category of depositing poker money is through a 3rd party services like NETeller or prepaid ATM which acts like Internet banks. Here, players can do transactions such as depositing poker money and transferring funds to online poker Web sites.

There are six deposit methods usually used when dealing with poker money by means of a 3rd party.

First of its kind is the Neteller. This method of depositing poker money is usually available on many Internet sites. Neteller offers players the choice of cashing out directly poker money into their account. Opening a Neteller account is like having an online wallet.

The other method you could consider is the MyCitadel wherein online poker players need not check their mails for drafts. MyCitadel is a payment system that manages US and Canadian customers mostly catering to poker money related matters. Here, poker players can have their poker money by purchasing chips online.

Then there is the FirePay, a Web based cash account. FirePay is great site wherein players with fund accounts from a United States bank can directly open a poker money account with them. Funds can be transferred directly from a U.S. bank account.

You also have the option in using a prepaid ATM. The difference with prepaid ATM is that players get to deposit their poker money to an ATM card and not just a Web site. When doing cash outs, it goes directly to your card. And the good thing about it is that the prepaid ATM works with most local ATM machines.

If you are not so convenient in using ATM, you could opt for credit cards. Poker money deposits can be easily managed without having a 3rd party. Or better yet, you could use the bank draft or check wherein your poker money deposits are better secured. Plus most Web sites offer 10% bonus when you deposit poker money through this method.

Last option would be the UseMyBank method wherein it also guarantees secured, fast, and easy transactions. Though, only those who have Canadian online bank accounts can be eligible.

And after you are through making poker money deposit, and maybe playing some hands of poker, there are online poker Web site that will give you a choice if you want to cash out your poker money at once or remove your funds at the site if in case you still want to come back and play. With the six deposit mode mentioned, you can be assured of having your poker money, whether chips or cash, remain exactly like you left them.

So, when the time comes you have finally decided to play poker online or in a live poker room in the casino, try to think of ways how to manage your poker money. After all, those chips are not just plain plastics. Poker money is exactly the reason why you have played poker in the first place.

By: Nicholas Tan

Old Age Poker Games

At those days, a poker game was played using only a deck consisting of 20 cards. Then, 4 players will keep a bet on which player has the best hand and hence the most valuable.

After some time, the game spread at the speed of forest fire to the other parts of America, the presence of the game headed along the west alongside California Gold Rush. Later, the game got its complete 52-card deck.

Later, the flush was added to the game, and slowly more and more additions were made to the game at the time of American Civil War. Many modifications were taken in like stud poker that is a 5-card variant of poker game, straight poker and draw poker.

Wild cards were introduced by the Americans in the year of 1875. Later in the 1900s, split-pot and lowball poker were developed in the poker game. Community card games in poker were introduced in the year of 1925.

Thanks to US military, the game of poker eventually spread to various other countries, mainly to the Asian countries.

Poker game wasn’t always taken as a game to be played. Before the 70s, poker was usually absent at casinos due to the lack of security measures for checking on the people who cheat in the game. Casinos didn’t open poker rooms for playing black jack and roulette even till the 80s and 90s.

– Poker at the Present

People’s interest was renewed thanks to the setting up of much better security techniques along with lots of promotion and tournaments being held.

Also, advent of online gambling or online poker helped the game to reach new heights. Online gambling or online poker gave life to the poker game which was held stagnant for a long time.

Many people of all skills and levels began to get a likeness to the poker game due to the introduction of online gambling or online poker. Amateurs and beginners began to bring themselves together to get to learn further or start learning about gambling online or online poker.

Online gambling or online poker helped the common people to learn how to play the poker game. The game which was once restricted to be enjoyed by rich businessmen alone at casinos rolling high could now be played by the common man too.

– Advantages of Online Gambling or Online Poker

Online gambling or online poker has many advantages over the mortar and brick poker games. Listed below are a few advantages of the online gambling or online poker game which have been proven many a time by the poker game fanatics:

1. Massive cheating caused the casinos of those days to close their business and move on to roulette or blackjack games. The game is still open to fraudulent tactics such as collusion of players even when security measures were taken into account in the poker game.

Gambling online or online poker uses a software which automatically monitors the game and detects patterns in the games of any player to identify any possible collusion between 2 or more players.

Gambling online or online poker software is also able to check any player’s IP addresses to be able to see if 2 or any more players are playing from the same area which is a form of fraudulent tactics used in the game.

Moreover, online gambling or online poker software can share data to another software virtually such that gambling online or online poker software can very easily keep a record of players having fraudulent records and then ban the players from playing any more in the poker game.

2. Online gambling or online poker is so famous that tournaments called satellite tournaments are being watched by real poker tournaments. The winners of the satellite tournament are given entry into the real tournaments like World Series Poker which takes places only once a year.

Actually, in the year 2003 and 2004, the winners of World Series Poker, Greg “the Fossilman” Raymer and Chris Moneymaker, got entry into the World Poker Series by winning the online gambling or online poker tournaments.

3. A noticeable advantage in online gambling or online poker is that there is no psychological factor in the game. The players of online gambling or online poker games don’t face each other. Each player is far far away from another player and they play together only in a virtual game room.

No body can observe another player’s body language or reaction and instead of that, players have to focus on the betting patterns to get an idea of other player’s card hands.

By: Abhishek Agarwal

If you like to play poker, you can do so easily enough when finding an online poker room. There are plenty of casinos online where you can play for money or even play free poker online. If you are looking for a way to relax and hone in your poker skills, you can do so when you play fee poker online. 

 

Before you join an online poker room, be sure that you can play for free.  After this is established, you can then join in the fun. While you will not be winning money, this is the best way to get used to playing poker online. You can learn all about poker odds when you are playing for fun instead of playing for money. 

 

Most poker players use the odds when they are playing poker. Odds are figured on mathematical equations and analyzing what has already been played. Players figure on outs, pot odds, bet odds and implied odds. While none of these are a sure fire way to win, they can prevent poker player from making moves that can cost them the game. For example, the outs are the cards that are still in the deck. If you have four hearts after the turn, you can figure that you only have 9 outs left to get the flush you are looking for – a game winner in Texas Holdem. 

 

When you are playing free poker online, you have a chance to develop your poker strategy without risking money. You can learn how to play the odds without a great financial risk. Pot odds are another way that you can analyze the game. Look to see how everyone is betting. How many of them are calling your bet is crucial in any game of poker, which is why it is vital to bet in sequence. In the aforementioned scenario, if only 6 people are calling your betting, you have a 1 in 5 chance of hitting your flush. Checking out the betting odds is one way that you can learn the strategy of playing the odds. 

 

Pot odds should not be ignored. If you have that flush and have only one more $10 bet coming at you, and there is $200 in the pot, your odds are pretty good that you are going to win. However, if people are continuing to raise you, the odds go down as to your winning with that hand as someone else may hold a full house or higher. 

 

When playing poker, play close attention to implied odds. This is whether others are just calling you or raising the bet. If other players are calling you because they think you have the flush, then the odds are that you will win with this hand. Watching the outs, pot odds, bet odds and implied odds are a strategy that you cannot afford to ignore when you are playing Texas Holdem or any other type of poker game, either in an online poker room or anywhere else.  

 

It often pays to learn about poker odds when you are playing free poker online. This is because you are not privy to the faces of those around you and cannot use eye reactions as a way to judge their hands. Some poker players, when they are playing off line, will wear sunglasses at the table so that they cannot reflect anything that is in their hands. You should understand the poker odds when you are playing at an online poker room by learning what the odds are of you winning with the hand you are dealt. 

 

A great many poker players will use the poker odds as well as judge reactions when they are playing poker. When you play in an online poker room, you cannot see the faces of those who you are playing with and it helps to be able to figure out equations in your head. The odds are not only determined by the chances you have of getting the cards you need to make a good hand, but also the chances that you can win with the hand that you have. Much of this comes from observing how everyone is betting. 

 

Having a good understanding about poker odds is one of the essentials of playing good poker. It is said that those who do well when playing in an online poker room are those who primarily play with the odds.  Most players will use both odds and observation of mannerisms to decide whether they want to bet, fold or call. Learning simple mathematical equations, such as the percentages of making an out to get the card you need means using numerator factors to figure on the cards you have not seen. Calculate your percentages of getting a winning hand by dividing the numbers of the other pocket cards by the deck during the pre flop, after the flop or after the turn. 

 

Playing free poker online gives you an advantage when you are playing the odds. As is the case with anything else, the more you play at an online poker room, the better you become at ascertaining the odds. The more you play free poker online, therefore, the better you will become at trying to figure the odds for this game. 

 

It is important to realize that when playing at an online poker room or anywhere else that you take the outs, pot odds, bet odds and implied odds into consideration. You not only have to watch your own hand, but those of everyone else as well.

 

Poker is a fun game and can even end up earning you cash if you become good at your craft. There is a certain skill to playing this game and, unlike other gambling sports; you are not playing against the house, where the odds are stacked against you. Someone has to win and it can easily be you if you develop a strategy that uses poker odds. 

 

In order to become a good poker player, learn to play the odds and start out by playing free poker online. The more you play, the more tips you will receive and the better you will become at the game. Look for an online poker room that is challenging and fun and will let you play for free so that you can hone in your poker strategy and become a winner in this game.

 

By: Vikram Kumar