Internet poker continues to enjoy explosive growth, and with upwards of an estimated 45 million poker fans in the United States alone and unprecedented international publicity and interest in the game, there is little evidence to suggest that this hugely entertaining form of gambling will be going off the boil any time soon.
The same precautions for selecting the best site on which to play apply equally to poker as they do to online casinos - visit the top message boards, most of which have poker sections and do a little homework first. Check out sites like Poker Pulse for additional information.
The Internet poker phenomenon has evolved its own unique etiquette to enable fast and trouble free gaming on the many poker room sites, and as always these guides are based on both technology and the human condition. Here's a heads up for beginners:
1) Avoid abusive language or behaviour, and do not choose an offensive "handle" that may upset or irritate others - abusive players run the risk of getting their Chat privileges removed at most sites for this sort of behaviour.
Report determinedly abusive players to the management via Support - you're there to play poker, have fun and with a combination of luck and skill hopefully win some money, and bad conduct is irrelevant and undesirable.
2) Most sites use the English language only, and this should be respected unless otherwise stated on the site. Exchanges at the table in any other language are looked upon with suspicion and regarded as bad mannered.
3) A facility in the software of many poker rooms, allows you to "silence" other players if they are bugging you - use it rather than retaliating.
4) It is not considered polite to discuss a hand while it is still being played.
5) Do not use your chat to advertise for other poker sites or to promote personal businesses.
6) Do not use your chat to slam or otherwise criticize the site at which you are playing. If you don't like the site, the action or the management exercise your prerogative of choice and take your business elsewhere.
7) Most sites apply international rules concerning "coffeehousing", that is, players may not use their chat to adversely influence the play of other gamblers.
8) Creating more than one playing account per person per site will almost certainly bring the wrath of the management down upon you and is generally forbidden on all sites.
9) Try not to agonize and take too long in reaching a play decision - most poker players enjoy a fast game, and if you slow things down unreasonably it may not be well received by other players. Most sites in any case have a time limit where your hand will automatically be checked or folded if you take too long to make a move, depending on whether a bet has been placed. Some systems can even detect whether a player has a connection problem or is just plain slow.
10) But always be courteous - where a fellow player seems to be slowing the game down it is acceptable to comment, but in a polite and friendly fashion.
11) Be advised not to try to improve your play-money ranking by letting a partner raise to the maximum every round and then give him the pot by folding. This is unfair to other players on the top list and is easy to detect.
12) Cheating, collusion and fraud are the enemies of every online player and every site and are grounds for instant and permanent blacklisting.
13) If your Internet connection goes down, don't panic - you will automatically become "all-in" which means that your cards will stay in the game and participate in the showdown, but you will not be eligible to win more than was in the pot when you last made a move.
However, a friendly caution: (1) most sites limit the number of times you can be all-in due to disconnection to 1, 2 or 3 per day, and (2) the all-in benefit does not necessarily apply to all games (such as no limit and tournament games). Be sure to check the site's rules.
If you get disconnected in a tournament game the system will "blind you off". That is, it will pay your blinds and fold your hand whenever it is your turn to act. This will keep you in the game until you can get reconnected.
14) At some sites - Prima Poker network operations for example - players can call a manager for live help. Whilst you should feel free to use this facility whenever you need it, don't overdo it and don't "shout" if a floor manager doesn't appear instantly; he/she is probably helping another player and will assist you as soon as possible.
15) If you and a friend or family member play from the same computer on different accounts, be sure to inform site management and explain the situation before the systems "catch" you. If caught first, without explanation, your accounts will probably be locked.
If you and a friend or family member play from different computers but at the same location, avoid playing together at the same game. Site security systems will usually flag that the computers are near each other and you risk having all accounts locked. (If you want to remove all doubt you can ask the site operator to exclude you from playing at the same table.)
16) If you usually play from a particular location and then change that location (say because you are travelling and using a computer in another city) it is best to inform site management ahead of time. Otherwise, your account could the subject of security flags.
17) If other players ask for your e-mail or IM address, be very careful. They may want to suggest collusion plots and the chances are that an alert site management will spot the request in Chat. If that happens there is a risk that accounts may be closed down, as "collusion" is regarded as a serious abuse of the site and other players.
Your own poker skills and knowledge, together with these uniquely Internet hints should assure you of an exciting and hopefully profitable "virtual" poker experience - enjoy it to the full and good luck!
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