If poker players are willing to pay a fee and pay taxes on their winnings, to take part in a game or two of online poker, you will be hard pressed to find an elected official who will say no. In a time where education budget cuts and city services budget cuts are the focus of so many press conferences, finding willing tax payers is a jackpot for state and local governments. Legalising online poker is surely one way forward.

Poker has been traced back to the early 1800s, when an actor named Joseph Crowell described it being played in New Orleans, Louisiana, with a deck of 20 cards and four players waging against who had the better hand. Jonathan Green, an American gambler and thought to be one of the most skilful card players in the US, described in his book the spread of the game from New Orleans, up the Mississippi River and throughout the rest of the country.

The World Series of Poker started in 1970 and thereafter poker tournaments became increasingly popular. Modern-day poker has thrived alongside the evolution of the internet, with many different online poker sites available, offering all types of poker to whomever wishes to play.

As well as being convenient for players who wish to participate remotely, online poker has made the game far more accessible to those who are novices. The environment of an online poker room is not as intimidating as that of the casino table, and with the running costs of an online venue being so much cheaper than those of an actual casino venue, companies can afford to offer much smaller wagers to players, which is an encouraging lure for beginners.

In traditional games, around the physical poker table, players not only calculate the odds of their cards beating their opponents, but also try to read “tells” – the ticks people are said to exhibit when lying, showing honesty, or suppressing other emotions. A “poker face” has value in the physical game. The online poker player focuses instead on the cards and patterns of play. They learn to calculate the odds quickly, play maybe eight simultaneous games, and make a good living thereby.

Online poker, perhaps surprisingly, is not particularly good business in real-world casinos. The high degree of skill players bring to the table lowers the casino’s edge, and they have to rely on table fees, the drinks and food consumed by players, and the public a tournament might draw. Online poker, on the other hand, not only entices gamblers in, but also takes 5-10% of the fixed stakes as a fee and offers side bets.

The Chandler festive promotion has been a huge success so far this year and has given away Harrods Christmas hampers, cash prizes via several freerolls, and free entries to a variety of guaranteed tournaments at the site including pot-limit Omaha.  Victor Chandler Poker is one of the UK and Europe’s biggest online poker rooms, and is powered by leading independent gaming company and bookmaker Victor Chandler.

The poker player has options of a variety of different forms of the game including five card draw, stud poker and the increasingly popular Texas hold’em, all of which comprise international poker tournaments where jackpots reach vast amounts of life changing money. 

Success for the poker player comes from a full understanding the rules, skill in reading the game, and being able to bluff and counter bluff competing players. 

Using online casinos, the poker player has the advantage of being able to play at any time day or night without having to leave home.  In addition, players are able to play multiple poker tables at the same time thereby increasing winning opportunities whilst spreading their stake money.  Playing online, poker players can enter satellite tournaments with winners gaining access to World Series tournaments. 

Traditional poker, whether in conventional casinos or in online poker rooms, is supplemented by video poker machines, aimed at those players wishing to play alone and people seeking to enjoy the excitement of poker in a less intimidating poker playing environment.

The eGR Awards reward the top performing operators in the gaming industry and this year reflects the efforts made by 888poker which over the past year has introduced one click easy to use beginners lobby, crisp and engaging graphics including 3D, tool tips and tutorial videos, webcam table technology, team tournament options and private games that give players a unique social platform to play with old and new friends. 888 is one of the world’s most popular online gaming entertainment and solutions provider and it was founded in 1997; 888 has been at the forefront of the online gaming industry for over a decade.

•    Players are dealt two face down cards, called holecards.  Five community cards are dealt to the centre of the table, face up.
•    Players make bets after each round of dealing.  They bet after the two holecards have been dealt.  Next, they bet after the flop, which is the first three face up cards.  The next bet is placed after the fourth face up card is dealt, called the turn.  The final bet takes place after the fifth community card, or the river, is dealt.
•    To create a hand, each player uses their own two cards in combination with any three of the three community cards.
•    Betting varies even within the Texas hold-em variation of poker.  There may be a limit, which sets a maximum bet for each round of betting.  There can be a pot limit, which means players can bet up to the amount that is in the pot.  With no limit, players can bet as much as they want.

The variations of Texas hold-em may seem complex at first, but it is easy to pick up the game and to start having fun playing.

Players should not be prepared to beat the books; their division happens within seconds, computerised poker games do not produce errors, no time is lost handling chips and employees do not have to calculate the pot or wait for decisions from the manager.  In addition, players online have the choice to play at several tables at the same time taking part in a number of games, thereby improving the probabilities of winning. 

Cody, who is still in his early twenties, said he began playing online poker with a $10 deposit, and has never needed to deposit since – he has always had winnings to play with. That’s something that most of us who play at the online casino can only dream of, but it does show that it is possible. Cody says he consistently uses the internet as a resource to improve his game. He plays poker for a several hours a day, reads about poker strategy, contributes to online poker forums and discusses hands and tactics with fellow poker players, a lesson for all of us surely!

The first way is to play in ten Sit and Go games between 00:00 GMT on a Wednesday and 23:59 the following Tuesday. The second option is suitable for all types of online poker players because it allows you to qualify for MAD Freerolls by earning Status Points by playing any of the games that 888 Poker has to offer. Take part between 00:00 GMT on a Wednesday and 23:59 the following Tuesday. The third and quickest way is through the Fast Track option is so-called because it is the quickest way to qualify for seats in the $888 MAD Freerolls. All you have to do is make a deposit of $100 or more using a special promotion code and you will automatically receive free seats in five $888 MAD Freerolls. Get involved today because it really would be mad not to!