Although online poker has been legal in the United States for decades, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has seen a massive spike in traffic. The disease has forced many unlicensed gambling venues to shut down and a large number of live gaming establishments closed indefinitely, resulting in a shortage of live entertainment options. As a result, casual players have turned to online poker as an alternative to traditional poker rooms. The result? A surge in online poker traffic of double or triple the previous levels.
In order to play online poker, US residents must first register an account with an online poker site. There are several poker operators in the states that permit online poker, so it is important to pick one based on your criteria. Once you’ve chosen an operator, you’ll need to complete the registration process, providing your personal information and obtaining a username and password. Online poker sites that accept US players are usually the best option. These sites are regulated by state and must be licensed in every state.
Once you’ve found a site you like, find the bank or cashier link to deposit money. The limits of deposits vary greatly from poker site to site, but most allow you to deposit anywhere from $5 to $20. You can deposit as little as $20 and play with hundreds of players at one time. However, there are a few important differences. Some sites take hours to clear a deposit, while others require up to several days. So it’s important to find a site that allows your preferred deposit method and the amount you’re willing to spend.
Another difference between offshore sites and regulated sites is the privacy and security of player information. Regulated sites are required by law to follow strict regulations regarding their players’ personal information. For instance, US online poker sites must ask their players for their permission to install geolocation software on their devices. The software allows operators to track the locations of their players to ensure that the players are in a legal jurisdiction. Lastly, online poker operators are bound to keep this information confidential.
There are also fewer bad beats. Online players are more likely to play more hands and log more hands, but this artificially increases variance. As a result, the amount of time spent playing online is often 10 times greater than it would be in live poker, which means more short-term gains and losses are higher. However, this is still not the case for all poker players. If you’re serious about winning at online poker, you should consider the risk of online cheating if you don’t feel comfortable dealing with other players.
When you’re ready to take the plunge, check out Bovada Poker. Bovada Poker offers both mobile and desktop poker games, including Bovada Mobile Poker web apps. The software allows players to choose from a variety of settings, including a four-color deck or a sports-themed layout. A full guide to the game rules can be found on Bovada’s website. Once you’ve finished your initial setup, you can move on to the real thing.