Finding a good online card room can be a challenge for poker enthusiasts. For many, Party Poker is probably the first option—and for good reason. Having been around for decades, it’s had time to build a good player base (which means a greater variety of people to play with), develop a stable software with few glitches, and get to know what makes a good online poker experience. Its popularity is no doubt its biggest draw. Party Poker players can always expect good action no matter what the time of day. Like many other gaming sites, it did lose many of its players in the U.S. online poker crackdown, but thanks ...

Las Vegas is every poker player’s go-to spot—at least for those committed enough to travel for the game. And the reputation isn’t entirely undeserved: it’s home to some of the best casinos in the country, and it keeps pushing the bar for quality and service around the world. But it’s far from being the only place for live poker. If you’re looking for an alternative destination, here are a few suggestions from The Poker Source. Foxwoods Resort Casino (Connecticut) New England is hardly a hotspot for live poker, but the more discerning would appreciate the sheer size of this casino: more than 5,500 slot machines and poker games running 24 hours a ...

For poker players, the tax question comes up as soon as they start making some serious money—or for the more responsible ones, even before that. In a nutshell, the plain truth is that you have to report everything you earn, whether you play in your free time or as a living. The question then is not whether or not to report, but how to report your earnings—or your losses. One of the first questions to come up is whether you should report your earnings as a hobby player or a professional. The main difference is that reporting your poker earnings as a business allows you to write off all the expenses ...

Interested in learning to play poker with no risk? The easiest way to do this is by playing what is called Freeroll tournaments. A  Freeroll simply means there is no buy-in or cost of entry. You can still win great prizes in a freeroll tournament including cash or entries into the more prestigious tournaments. Movies often portray poker players as tough cigar chewing men sitting in smokey bars or backrooms. Poker has evolved into professional game played by people from all walks of life. Women make some of the best poker players and there are more entering the game everyday. This has been boosted by some high profile ...

A grinder poker player is one who makes a regular profit from online games, but doesn’t necessarily make a fortune. Most grinders make a good part of their income from poker by ensuring they put in a specified number of hours and not taking too many risks. This assures them of small but fairly steady winnings, as opposed to some big-league players who make millions by taking chances. It also means that most grinders treat the game like a full-time job. The best grinders make several thousand dollars every month, and many eventually become pros after building their bankrolls at low- to middle-limit games. Bankroll management is a ...

Before plastic poker chips were invented, and way before the advent of virtual ones in online gaming, players used small coins or tokens called jetons. They were originally used as calculation tools on a board, similar to the abacus. Their use in gaming came when people started using them as substitutes for money. Eventually, as one would expect, they were replaced by modern-day plastic chips which were cheaper to mass-produce. Chips are still called jetons in some circles, especially in Europe (the term originates from French jeter, to throw). Today, jeton poker chips usually refer to European-style gaming sets made of high-quality materials, such as light wood, pearlized ...

The massive crackdown on online poker sites last April, now dubbed “Black Friday” by poker circles, have left American players without their favorite pastime, and for many, a significant source of income. Indeed, those who have been making their living from online poker for the last few years have been forced to relocate. The likes of Kevin MacPhee, Phil Galfond, and Olivier Busquet—elite players who have earned well over seven figures—were among the first to establish residency outside their native U.S. Several others have announced they are soon to follow, heading for Costa Rica, Malta, Panama, and neighboring Mexico and Canada. The exodus is becoming so widespread that PocketFives, one of the ...

Chips are a popular substitute for real money in poker games, both online and offline. As the most widely accepted currency for the game, they have evolved into a system of their own and can be used in almost all varieties of poker. They are most popularly used, however, in Texas Hold 'Em and Omaha Hold 'Em. The chips come in different colors, each of which is ascribed a certain dollar value. A basic poker set will contain five colors: white, red, blue, green, and black. White chips are the least valuable kind, at $1 per chip. Red chips are worth $5 each, blue chips are $10, and green chips are ...

No one expected a record turnout for this year’s World Series of Poker tournament, which takes place just weeks after a round of federal stings on high-profile poker sites. But the 6,865 players who showed up to the main event—the third largest turnout since the first event in 2000—is still a pleasant surprise, a sign that players aren’t quite ready to pack up their chips that yet. On April 15, a day the poker world has dubbed “Black Friday,” the U.S. Department of Justice formally accused the founders of Absolute Poker, Full Tilt Poker, and PokerStars with money laundering, bank fraud, and illegal gambling, and forced them to stop hosting games ...

As the world’s largest online card room, PokerStars offers ample opportunity for optimizing game earnings. Seasoned players know that betting isn’t the only way to make money in online poker—they also buy and sell PokerStars chips for real money. And despite the controversy in the poker world over the last few weeks, trading chips doesn’t involve any cheat software and won’t get you penalized. How does it work? Selling PokerStars chips is relatively simple because of the site’s large customer base, which includes both registered and unregistered users. Registering is highly recommended, however, as members’ confidential information (including location and account details) is protected under the site agreement. Chips are usually ...

Online poker is great for those of us who don’t always have the time for a live game, or when we want the anonymity, table selection, and speed of a virtual game. Ever since online poker boomed in the 1990s, our choices have grown from a few dozen to several hundred—as of 2010, there were 545 active sites, according to PokerScout.com. Here’s a look at some of the highest-rated online casino websites: Party Poker: With some 10,000 players logged on at peak hours, Party Poker is no doubt one of the biggest online poker sites—and for good reason. It’s particularly famous for its scheduled tournaments, especially ...

Poker websites are worth more than airlines, and have created a rather frightening number of young millionaires. These websites are a neutral third party that create the infrastructure and environment for poker players to take on each other. Online poker websites are getting more and more popular and are very up to date technologically. Poker wasn't the first available venue for online gamblers. It seems to be one of the nation's fastest growing hobbies and has become huge even with backgammon players, who are getting swept up in the hype. Poker is far from new, but in recent years new variations have evolved and it is currently enjoying ...

Playing poker games might be fun but can be tricky at times. If you're an inexperienced player, a beginner so to say, you will need all the help you can get in order to get by playing the game that most people have come to love.  It's always best to watch pro players and poker games.  For example -  learn from the pro poker players and follow the poker tournament schedule to give you a feel for the game and the best strategies you can use.

There are quite a variety of poker games which anyone with enough interest and willingness can opt to learn. Among such variations, the more popular ones include Texas Hold'em, ...

When you hear cards shuffling and gambling, what comes into your mind?  Poker, isn't it?  Well, the most popular card game in the gambling world is actually Texas holdem poker.  Housed in casinos and poker card rooms across North America and Europe, its popularity has made its name synonymous to gambling.  It is even available to play onlineat a live casino. Texas holdem poker originated in Robstown, Texas in the early 1900's.    It was then introduced to Las Vegas in 1967 by a group of Texan gamblers and players - these include Crandell Addington, Roscoe Weiser, Doyle Brunson, and Amarillo Slim.  From this, its fame has developed further as the birth of the World Series of Poker was presented ...