In recent years, several states have passed legislation to legalize online poker for real money. The federal government, however, has effectively pushed many of the world’s largest global poker sites from the US market. However, several offshore poker operators still accept American players. Thankfully, in the US, there are five states where it is legal to play: Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Michigan.
Although the regulations in these five states differ, there are some commonalities. Online poker in these states offers a great alternative to live games. This is particularly true if you’re in a hurry. Instead of having to wait weeks for your money to clear, you can make a deposit, download the poker software, and be playing within minutes. Plus, you have access to more tools and statistics. You can even play multiple games simultaneously.
When you sign up for an account at an online poker site, you’ll be asked to provide your name, address, and social security number. For some players, this can take some time, so you may need to provide additional documentation to verify your identity. Some sites require a utility bill or your driver’s license. Fortunately, most online poker sites are virus-free, so the chances of your computer being compromised are very low.
Once you’re a member of an online poker site, you can enter a freeroll. These tournaments are completely free to participate in and feature small prize money. Typically, you’ll have a chance to win a few hundred dollars. If you have the skill, you can play in a tournament and then play a cash game at the same time. As an added bonus, you’ll have more experience by playing hundreds of hands at once.
One of the most popular games on the internet is the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. This tournament is an NLHE event, or No Limit Texas Hold’em. It takes place every Sunday at 4 PM ET and pays out at least $17,000. At this point, you might think that you need to go to a live poker tournament to experience this level of competition. But the truth is that you don’t have to leave your house!
Most poker sites have freerolls for new players. Some of the larger ones also have daily freerolls. You can also participate in the WSOP/888 US shared players program. While you’re free to play in all three, there are some rules that apply. For instance, the starting chip value is set by the tournament organizers.
There are two types of sit-n-go’s: single table tournaments and multi-table tournaments. Most sit-n-go’s are single-table tournaments, but you can often find some with more than one table. Multi-table tournaments aren’t recommended for beginners. That’s because you’ll be competing with others who have more experience, and therefore, can outsmart you. Also, multi-table tournaments usually have limits on how many buy-ins you can purchase.
Most online poker sites accept credit cards and e-wallets, and a majority of them have Bitcoin as a deposit option. Depending on your preferred method, you can transfer money from your bank account to your online poker account in a matter of minutes.