Introduction To Online Texas Holdem: Choosing a Poker Site

If you’re going to play online Texas holdem, the first thing you will need to do is choose a poker site. Although there are plenty of poker websites out there, your selection will be somewhat limited if you are playing from the U.S., as the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act has placed severe restrictions on online poker sites, causing a number of popular sites to withdraw from the U.S. market.

Finding Your Online Poker Site

You may want to select a site you have seen on television or read about in magazines such as FullTilt Poker or PokerStars. Ultimately, there’s no way to sign up for the “wrong” site, since if you don’t like to play Texas holdem on a particular site, you can always switch to another one. It is free to sign up for an online poker site. As long as the sites you choose are verified as reputable, there is usually no real risk in signing up with multiple online poker rooms.

Signing Up With an Online Poker Site

Signing up with an online poker site is fairly simple. When you go to the website of your online poker room of choice, you will be given a button to click on to download the software. After a brief download and installation, you will be able to navigate to the registration page on the site. You’ll provide your personal information, load your account with funds, and you’re ready to go. If you don’t want to fill your computer up with poker software, some sites allow you to play using Flash software, playing directly on the site without downloading the full software package to your computer.

Other Things to Know About Your Online Poker Site

All the best poker sites offer bonuses and it’s a good idea to do a little poker bonus hunting. Poker sign-up bonuses consist of free money added to your account as an incentive to join the site. Some bonuses can as much as double your initial deposit. Find the best online poker sign-up bonus you can and input the code when you make your first deposit. Once you’ve made that initial deposit, it’s too late to capitalize on a sign-up bonus, so don’t forget that code! Also, check out the site’s freeroll section. You may be eligible to play in a free tournament for real prizes as a new player.