Scam Watch

As the lights dim on the World Series of Poker, a new set of fans goes online to begin honing their skills. The good news it that there are a number of reputable poker sites for you to play at, while, on the other hand, there are sites that you want to avoid. In order to help you make safe bets, we present some guidelines to selecting a reputable poker site and playing smart once you sit down at the table.

When deciding on a poker site to play at, you’ll want to check out reviews of the site and see how many players are active there. More reputable, larger sites will have thousands of players online at a given time – this is a good sign that a site is well established. Further, a quality site will have easy access to customer service that will allow you to make inquiries on a 24/7 basis as they arise. While there is no standard certification for these sites, there are a number of European poker sites which are owned by publicly-traded companies and are, therefore, more closely audited and regulated than an “offshore” site would be. Check into the background of the site you are considering playing at.

Once you have identified a site that you believe to be reputable, make sure to play a while with practice money before you ever deposit into “cash” games. These sites allow you to test out your skills, along with their software, without actually making a deposit – most of these sites are “.net”, while the “.com” are for cash play. Take your time to get adjusted to the game – while the site may provide incentives for you to deposit, such as bonuses, you should always be careful about making a deposit before you are ready (and if you’re playing for fun, perhaps you never need to deposit.)

Playing at high quality sites is one step, while the nature of your play in cash games is important as well. Firstly, always play at a low buy-in table so your maximum loss is easily affordable within your budget. Even better, always deposit a small amount to ensure your losses are minimal. Another way to play conservatively is by sticking to limit play tables, rather than no limit tables which are less constrained. Most sites offer tables ranging from a 25/50 limit all the way up to full no limit options – beginners should always start at the smallest possible tables as this gives you a chance to gain a sense of comfort. If you happen to win, it is recommended that you withdraw your winnings rather than attempting to parlay that into further winnings (this is the gambler’s fallacy.) In order to consistently win, you have to be smart and play better than 60% of players since the house takes a portion of every pot in terms of the “rake”. Most players don’t consistently win, so make sure not to get frustrated which can make you susceptible to scams.

Many poker scams take the form of add-on books or programs which promise to give you an edge. A common form of scam are poker “bots” which you can buy, and claim to be able to auto-play your hands for you in an optimal manner or some variations may promise to help reveal your opponents playing hands. None of these techniques works in actuality – the only way to consistently win in the long-run is by playing smart, probability-driven poker with a good insight into the behavior of the other players at the table.