Turn Card Poker

We've been playing poker online and in face-to-face games for years, and can tell you that there is a big difference between the game online and in traditional card rooms. Online poker is less personal, but if you are interested in making money, it certainly has it's advantages.

Online card rooms offer more bonuses and player comps than any casino card room you can walk into. They give any new player bonus money on their first deposit. I haven't had that same thing happen in any of the Atlantic City card rooms.

And I can't imagine it either . . . "Hello, I'd like a seat at the $2/$4 holdem tables, and $120 in chips to start". "Oh well sir, we're so happy you've joined us, here's $40 on the house. Have fun!". But, that's what happens online everyday.

Of course the rooms don't let you sit and walk out with that money right away. They usually require you play a certain amount of "raked" hands. You don't need to contribute to the pot generally, but you do need to be at the table and play a dealt hand. If you find 3-4 off suit in the hole and fold it, if that hand ends up being raked, it counts towards your requirement.

Every card room is different when it comes to awarding bonus monies, but when all is said and done, most will pay a player between $.08 and $.12 per hand they play. Which may not sound like much, but, online poker is fast. No one has to collect and shuffle cards, so they can deal way more hands an hour.

Another feature that online card rooms present that isn't available offline is the ability to play at more than one table at a time. Since the game is on your computer screen, and it's not an actual table at which you sit, you can play two, three, or more games at once. So, if the online rooms deal 60 hands an hour, and you are sitting at two or three different tables, you can see how bonuses may start to add up.

The extra speed of the game also means that if you are better than the other players, you will win their money that much quicker. Of course, if they are better than you, the opposite is true. But, since there are tens of thousands of players in an online card room at a time, you can always get up and leave and immediately find another table.

In fact, the table selection is almost unbelievable. There is a wide range of games that are being dealt, limits that reach as low as $.01/$.02 for the student of the game, and games where over $50,000 has been won or lost in a single pot. And, not only can you find a game that suits you as far as limits and type of poker, but the online rooms make it easy to track and identify other players. So, once you've hooked a fish, you can look for him and find a seat at his table whenever he's in the room.

When playing online poker, a lot of the intimacy is lost. There is no reading faces or body language. Strategies and game play are a bit different, and may take some getting used to. Have a look at our strategy pages, and especially our comments on the time honored art of bluffing before sitting down to have a go at the online game.

Also, we've reviewed several of the top online rooms. You will find each of them different, with their own high points. Before choosing a room, I'd suggest you at least have a glance at the reviews to see what separates one room from another.

Online poker is wonderfully convenient, but terribly different than the offline game. If you can adapt to this new style of play, new opportunities await.