In the US, there are a few regulated online poker sites, but the market is still untapped, with many offshore poker sites attracting American players. Despite the growing popularity of online poker, the number of US-regulated poker sites is still low, with just five states regulating the industry – Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Nevada. Other states, like West Virginia and Michigan, are in the process of regulating their online poker markets.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused a massive increase in online poker traffic and the closure of most live gaming venues worldwide. Most of these unlicensed casinos were forced to shut their doors, leaving many casual players without an alternative. Poker sites quickly stepped in to help the affected players and experienced a doubling of traffic over the previous months. However, the new COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a wave of fraudulent activity against online poker operators.
Before you can play poker idn play online, you must download the software needed to play. Although the software is lightweight, it will require a small amount of memory and shouldn’t take too long to download, even if you have a slow connection. You can also play poker games without downloading the software from a poker site, but these don’t offer the same features as the full download. Therefore, players must be careful and research all the legalities before playing poker online.
The first step in playing poker online is to read a few books on the game itself. Harrington on Hold’em is one of the most widely-read poker books. The Theory of Poker and Super/System are two other excellent poker books. Online strategy sites are great places to learn the basics. These sites are also a great place to find strategies for online poker. The best strategy to follow is to sign up with a poker site with a generous bonus policy.
Despite the controversies, online poker remains legal in the US. The federal government’s interpretation of the 1961 Wire Act effectively banned online poker in the US until 2011. However, at the urging of states like Illinois and New York, the Department of Justice declined to appeal this decision. In other words, online poker sites are legal in the US, as long as they are regulated by state governments. So, it is hard to see a federal ban on online gambling anytime soon.
Another important tip is to track your results. This will help you see if you’re exhibiting a winning or losing pattern. Many sites offer tracking for players, so check your session stats and look for trends. Take note of your win-rate, the number of flops you’ve seen, and how many times you went to showdown. Then, you’ll know whether you should be upping your chip stack to increase your chances of winning.
The United States has yet to implement a federal regulatory framework for online poker, but states like Nevada and Pennsylvania have been moving in that direction. With the recent announcements, it seems that the US government is slowly catching up. There are now only six states that have made online poker legal. As more states pass laws allowing online gambling, more will follow suit. It’s expected that three-state liquidity will be in place sometime in 2018, with more to follow.