Poker Bonuses - April, 2024
Poker is one of the most engaging forms of gambling that you will find anywhere. It has been the main pastime for millions of people for centuries and its popularity has never been higher. Nowadays, gambling websites have incorporated the game into their portfolio of services and players from all over the globe have at their disposal a wide array of online poker rooms at their disposal. In this article, we will go over everything that you should know about playing poker online while using the most-widely available eWallet service – PayPal – for managing your bankroll.
Poker Games
Poker is one of the most popular game types in the world and this popularity has directly contributed to the large variety of poker games that you can expect to find at different online poker rooms. Each online poker website will provide you with an array of different poker games which you can play to your heart’s content. Below, you will find detailed explanations of some of the most popular poker sub-genres.
Texas Hold’em
Texas Hold’em is one of the most popular poker styles currently played and it is widely available at most, if not all, online poker rooms. Texas Hold’em traces its origins back to the early 1900’s in the US South. Although it is difficult to pinpoint the exact time and place the game was created, Robstown, Texas is considered the birthplace of Texas Hold’em.
Texas hold’em is quite simple to play, though there are many subtleties to the game. Anywhere between 2 and 10 players can sit at the poker table at any time. Two cards are dealt to each player and up to five community cards can be laid out on the table, which players will use to form the highest possible five-card combination.
At the start of each hand, two players place a mandatory ‘big’ and ‘small blind’, after which each player is dealt two cards. The other players have to contribute the same amount of money if they wish to continue with their hand. Following that, three community cards are dealt on the table and betting continues. After that, the dealer sets out the final two cards, with the game stopping so that players may place bets after each individual card.
Texas Hold’em is quite popular nowadays and the game is more accessible than ever before. Moreover, it also has a dedicated player base all over the world, which means that you will have no trouble in finding other people to start a game.
Omaha
Omaha hold’em, often simply called Omaha, is another highly popular variation of poker that you will be able to enjoy at online poker rooms. Moreover, the game also has a rich history and is among the most entertaining and exciting versions of poker that you can hope to play on the Internet. Omaha hold’em is played with anywhere between 2 and 10 players and the game uses a single 52-card deck.
Omaha hold’em bears a slight resemblance to Texas hold’em, in the sense that there are community cards and personal cards. At the start of the game, each player is dealt four cards, while five community cards are laid out on the table. The goal of Omaha hold’em is to form the best possible combination using the cards in their hand and those laid out on the table. Unlike in Texas hold’em where the player can form a combination with any cards, the rules of Omaha hold’em are somewhat more restrictive. The player has to use exactly two of their hole cards and exactly three of the community cards to form their combination. As you can imagine, this can lead to a lot of exciting situations, which is why Omaha hold’em is one of the most popular poker sub-genres out there.
Five Card Draw
Five Card Draw is another popular poker game, one that you will find at plenty of online poker rooms. Five card draw is technically one of the most simplistic poker games to play, as the rules are easy to pick up and to understand. Playing Five Card Draw is certainly an enjoyable experience and you will have a great time.
Five Card Draw is played with a standard 52-card deck and the table may accommodate anywhere between two and eight players, though some poker rooms may deviate from this. Five Card Draw is unlike the previous two games that we listed above due to the fact that there are no community cards to speak of. The game is played exclusively with hole cards, but each player is dealt five of them rather than only two. From these five cards, the player will have to decide whether it is worth to continue on with the game or fold. When the cards are first dealt, players are given the opportunity to exchange some of their cards for new ones, ideally to that they may form a better hand. Depending on the house rules, you may be able to switch up to three cards or the whole hand.
Since there are no community cards, it is somewhat more difficult to decide whether or not an opponent is bluffing, which increases the physiological aspect of the game.
Seven Card Stud
Once the most popular poker game in existence, Seven-card stud has lost much of its player base to the simpler Texas hold’em. However, there is still a substantial user base constantly playing and seven-card stud has not yet become obscure. Therefore, it only makes sense to consider to this classic game.
Seven-card stud is played with a standard 52-card deck and a table can fit up to eight players, although some poker rooms might opt to only accommodate up to six. The game begins with each playing receiving two cards face down and one face up. After that, a round of betting will begin. Then, those who are still in the game will receive one more face-up card, followed by another round of betting; then one more face-up card and yet another round of betting. This continues for a while until all players have two face-down cards and four face-up cards, then the last card is dealt face down and the final betting round takes place. After that, if there are at least two players still in the game a showdown will occur, where everyone exposes their face-down cards and a winner is decided.
Seven-card stud may sound a bit complex to the untrained individual but once you get a feel for the game you will have hardly any trouble.
Poker Software Providers
Something that not many people take into account at first is the software that online poker room utilise. Where in the past, websites developed their own proprietary software, nowadays this task falls upon companies that specialise in the creation of online gambling games. They lease their product to the various websites interesting in offering it to their customers and everyone is happy.
This system allows the individual websites to focus more on providing players with better deals and improving the overall experience at their online poker rooms, while the software providers can focus on creating new and more powerful games. In the online poker business, there are several companies that take precedence where providing software is concerned. Below, we have listed some of the better-known ones and some information about them.
Playtech
Playtech is one of the leading software providers in the online gambling industry. Tracing its origins back to 1999 in Estonia, Playtech quickly took the online gambling industry by storm and rose to become one of most successful software providers in the business. This company’s products include software for online casinos, bingo rooms, poker rooms and more.
The sheer scope of its ambition is not to be underestimated as proven by their previous achievements. Nowadays, Playtech is one of the primary companies supplying online casinos and online poker rooms with software necessary to run the games and millions of players from all around the world are benefiting from this.
Microgaming
Microgaming stands alongside Playtech as one of the largest software providers in the online gambling industry. The two companies have vied for almost two decades to be considered the best in the business, but so far no clear winner has emerged. Microgaming has been operating since 1994 and is considered to be one of the first companies to begin developing software for gambling websites. Among their vast portfolio of games, we also notice that they are quite fond of online poker and are currently supplying many online poker rooms. Currently, Microgaming stands as one of the main proprietors of online poker software and any experienced gambler has played at, at least, one Microgaming-powered poker room.
IGT
International Game Technology, called IGT for short, is one of the major proprietors of software for online gambling websites. This company has been in the business of gambling for more than two decades, at the time of this writing, and it has risen to be one of largest entities in the online gambling industry. Part of its operation includes the development of online poker room software, a venture that has proven very beneficial for all involved. IGT software is currently some of the best out there and websites are more than happy to take advantage of that fact.
Promotions at Poker Websites
A common thing in the online gambling industry is promotions and bonuses. With the industry becoming ever more homogenous, gambling websites have to find different means of competing with each other. Normally, this comes as bonuses which offer the user some form of value for picking that particular gambling website. There are many different bonuses that you can claim on the Internet and practically every poker room offers them.
Generally, bonuses come in the form of deposit matches. What this means is that the poker room will extend a certain amount of credit to you as bonus funds, based on the size of your deposit. Bonus funds is a term used to describe cash that you cannot withdraw immediately. To cash in that money, you will have to meet a wagering requirement. To complete a wagering requirement you will have to place a certain amount in bets. Usually, this amount is equal to multiples of the size of your deposit. For example, a wagering requirement would be X-number of times the value of the sum you transacted.
Bonus matches are an excellent way to get your foot in the door and establish a sizeable bankroll, which you can use for the purposes of poker. Generally, every poker room offers some form of promotion, though these vary between the different websites. Each website provides its own unique terms and conditions and we cannot give any specific information here.
Security at Poker Websites
Regardless of where you choose to play, there is something that you should always consider. When you indulge in any form of online gambling, you will have to, at some point, provide a certain amount of personal information, which you will want to remain safe. To ease your concerns, we wish to state that the possibility of your data becoming compromised is astronomically low. Modern gambling websites, including online poker rooms, incorporate only the most modern security systems which have proven to be very good at preventing information leaks.
Typically, these come in the form of encryption software which enciphers all information that passes through the system. As a result, this data will become unreadable to any unauthorised parties. To unlock the data one would need the key to the cypher, which the website will never provide. Modern encryption systems are highly complex and breaking the cypher is next to impossible. It is argued that with modern technology it will on average a few decades to crack a 256-bit encryption. Therefore, you need not worry about the security of your data when playing poker on the Internet.
Mobile Support for Poker Websites
One of the most important aspects of gambling online is the ability to access the games from your mobile devices while you are on the go. Smartphones and tablets have become an ever-present aspect of our lives and it only makes sense for us to incorporate them into our gaming activities. Mobile support began a few years ago and it has continued to this day, making it possible for millions of players are the world to enjoy their favourite poker games from their smartphones or tablets.
Once you register at an online poker room, you will find that you also have the option of accessing it from your mobile device. Generally, there are two ways that you can achieve this. One would be to download a dedicated mobile application to your device, which will allow you to gain access to the poker room directly from the home screen. There are various advantages to having the application installed on your device and chief among them are better visuals. Users report that an app will often provide better graphics, allowing you to become further immersed in the general gameplay. Something that we should note, is that not all online poker rooms offer mobile applications. This is usually reserved for the bigger brands that can afford the costs of developing a dedicated application.
The alternative to dedicated mobile applications and the version most often available to us is the mobile instant play interface, similar to that that PC users enjoy. To gain access to it, all you have to do is load the poker room in the browser of your mobile device and enter a room. There is very little required of you to play on your mobile device. Although you should keep in mind that to play on your smartphone or tablet, you will need to have constant access to the Internet and even a short disconnect might cause you to lose.
Using PayPal at Poker Websites
Of course, the reason why you are here is to inquire more about your prefered method of payment. PayPal is one of the most used transaction methods on the Internet, which also includes gambling websites. There are many advantages to using PayPal as your main deposit method at online poker rooms.
With PayPal, you will be able to benefit from instant deposits across all online poker books. Deposits made via PayPal clear in a matter of seconds after you confirm the transaction and you will be able to immediately enter a room and start playing. Moreover, transactions made via PayPal are also eligible for promotions, most of the time, unlike some other eWallet services. Something else that you should also consider, is that PayPal is one of the best ways that you can protect your identity on the Internet. This service is completely separate from your bank account and you only enter your designated username and password when using the service. In other words, you will not be required to submit any sensitive information that you would rather keep private.
Additionally, PayPal also has very conservative fees and you will not have to pay a large sum just for using the service. Finally, the main perk of PayPal is one that you will appreciate greatly. We are talking about the quick withdrawal times. When you wish to cash in your winnings after a successful session of poker, PayPal will provide you with some of the quickest wait times in the industry. A PayPal transaction takes no more than an hour to process after the poker room’s staff have confirmed it.
FAQ
Our goal was to try and make this page as comprehensive as possible and provide readers with everything they need to know about using PayPal as a means to manage their gambling funds. But in case we have happened to omit something or you are simply seeking quick and concise information, here are some of the most frequently asked questions about PayPal gambling sites along with their answers in brief.
There are different factors that you should take into account when comparing poker rooms. Customer support is an important aspect to consider. Every now and then, you will need to turn to someone who can help you when you encounter an issue. Additionally, you also need to look at the payout speeds that each poker room is able to offer. Ideally, you should look for a gambling website that can provide you with the shortest processing speeds possible.
Online poker rooms are regulated by the same entities that overlook all other forms of online gambling. These are government institutions dedicated to policing and auditing gambling websites to see if their games are truly up to par. By this, we mean that the regulatory body will perform regular tests on the website’s random number generation systems to prove that the results are truly random. Of course, there are many other tests that these institutions perform and so far, they have proven quite effective at rooting out the illegitimate operations.
Unfortunately, this is a necessary evil in the online gambling industry. The anonymity of the Internet makes it very easy for some to engage in illegal activities such as money laundering. For this reason, the government institutions responsible for the oversight of gambling websites have issued regulations that the poker rooms (and other gambling websites) have to require proof of identification from their user base. Normally, this would be in the form of an ID card, drivers license, utility bill, bank statement, etc. Gambling websites do not do this because they want to, rather because they have to in order to remain on the right side of the law.