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.

You will not want to pass up the opportunity to take advantage of the chance to participate in those great Christmas promotions which will offer them both fun and chances to win money and other prizes. Christmas time can also be a lot of fun and top online casinos get into the spirit of Christmas and often can change the look of the site to bring the holiday spirit to the players. If you have not yet joined do so now and reap all of the benefits the holiday season brings to online poker.

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.

Initially you must register following which you need to make your 1st deposit. Players automatically receive a 100% up to a $100 bonus when they make their 1st deposit. Naturally it follows that you should make your initial deposit $100. Just like every poker bonus, you’ll need to clear the WPT Poker sign-up bonus by earning loyalty points. To clear each $1 of the WPT Poker bonus you need to earn six points. Once you clear 10% of your sign-up bonus WPT Poker will release the money into your real money balance.

The main difficulty that those used to playing poker in a face-to-face setting will come across when trying to play online poker, is the lack of direct contact with the other players.  With online poker, you cannot rely on traditional ‘tells’ to decide how to make your plays.  A different vocabulary of ‘tells’ exists with online play; these are less complicated than face-to-face tells, but no less useful in making changes to your game.

The first and most obvious ‘tell’ is how long players take to make their moves.  Turns that take a long time tend to indicate a player who is uncertain.  Turns that seem instant generally mean that the player has used their pre-select button, and this can be very revealing about their hand.  The pre-select button is used to plot out moves in advance as a time saving measure.  Instant aggressive moves are a strong indicator for a strong hand, and vice versa.

Players should always keep in mind that tells can be manipulated by cunning players.  Bluffing is an integral part of poker, and online poker is no exception.

•    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.

A royal flush is the highest ranking combination available and comprises a run of five consecutive cards of the ten, jack, queen, king and ace from the same suit.  A straight flush of five consecutive cards of the same suit is the next highest ranking combination, followed by and in descending order:
•    Four of a Kind. 
•    Full House. 
•    Flush. 
•    Straight. 
•    Three of a Kind. 
•    Two Pairs. 
•    One Pair. 
•    High Card. 

In cases such as a four or three of a kind or pairs, and when these are matched by competing players, then winners are determined by the value of the accompanying cards known as “kickers”, the highest value wins.

New players join in games around the world everyday, both online in game rooms, in a casino or even at home with friends.

There are many versions of poker, which might make the game seem confusing.  However, there is also a basic game with a basic 5 Card Draw, also known as “regular poker”.  This is usually the easiest game for beginners.

Poker is usually played with a standard deck of 52 cards.  The cards are ranked from low to high in the given order: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace.  Ace is always ranked as the highest card.  Each poker player should be dealt five cards, and the aim of the game is to end up with a hand that has the highest value.  The following are hands ranked from worst to best: High Card, One Pair, Two Pair, Three of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, Four of a Kind, Straight Flush and Royal Flush.

In order to win the game, you must either end up with the highest hand or convince the other players to fold.

Slots

This game has been around for as long as the casino has been around.  It is an old favourite and still enjoyed immensely by gamblers.  There have been many variations produced on the original ‘one armed bandit’ but the basics still remain the same and it is a sound favourite in physical or online format.

Poker

No casino would be complete without a poker table.  The classic poker game conjures up images of nervous people sitting around a table trying to mask their emotions so as not to giveaway what kind of cards they hold in their hand.  Nowadays we can simply sit at home and play safely from our computers without the need to hide our emotions.

Roulette

Another must in any casino.  This requires the use of plenty of luck and strategic betting.  Many intelligent people have been trying to find ways to beat the game but there is no sure fire way of being a winner here.  That does not stop millions of people enjoying this classic every day.

There are hundreds and thousands of new games available these days.  This is especially true in the online casinos.  People now have the choice to try out these new games or simply keep practicing at the old tried and tested classics.

Despite boasting varying forms, all types of Poker have a strict etiquette and rules which apply across the board.  These concepts should be considered in play in order to enjoy the fun, optimum experience out of the game and to most importantly, have a successful game.

Players should behave in a professional manner; even in the case of a large loss they are expected to act gracefully and not badmouth opponents or the dealer.  Poker is largely a game of chance; no one can control the round. If the player is out of the hand it is frowned upon to consequently speak to the other gamers about their hand or the overall game as it could be seen as trying to put them off.

A player should never reveal their cards whilst still playing their hand.  Some casinos have penalties for this poor level of behaviour; other players may have their game destroyed by this act. Similarly, keep behaviour unreadable during the game.  Player’s reactions may give their hand away and could take away the rest of the game’s intrigue. 

In most casinos, players are required to be at least 18 years of age and in some instances above 21.