The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was attached to the Safe Port bill in 2006. The results have been disastrous for online poker.
Most online gambling sites have stopped taking US customers, however the major sites such as PokerStars, Ultimate Bet Poker and Full Tilt Poker still allow US players – after all, half of their pro representatives are US citizens!
Many people have the misconception that online poker is illegal in the US – this is not the case. While the UIGEA does stop many banks accepting transfers from online poker sites, the act of playing online poker itself is not against the law. If it were, do you really think that Phil Ivey, Tom Dwan and others would still be doing it so publicly?
Almost every US-friendly online poker room will allow you to cash out via a major US bank; the question is will the bank allow the transfer? Many will not. Therefore, there are a number of ways in which you can deposit and withdraw funds online.
PicClub
PicClub is an increasingly popular method of funding and cashing out an online poker account. Pic stands for the Player’s Investment Club. Using PicClub, poker players may transfer funds to and from their poker account. Pic-Club accounts may be loaded by way of Visa and MasterCards of all types. As a member of PicClub, you will additionally become eligible for many of the exclusive offers and private tournaments set up through partnered poker rooms.
EwalletXpress
Another deposit alternative can be found at ewalletxpress.com, run by Navaho Networks, which is a general online payment processor. The disadvantage is that deposit amounts are limited – initially, you can fund your account between $50 and $150, then a further $300 once it is verified. This disadvantage is made up for by poker sites not charging fees for a withdrawal – paper checks can carry a fee of up to $50!
So, if you are a US citizen worried about the legality of online poker then fear not! After your initial troubles with deposits, you can play as often as you like.
Unfortunately, it looks like the UIGEA is here to stay – while Rep. Barney Frank and the PPA (Poker Players’ Alliance) are trying their best to lobby against it, with Frank’s bill to “legalize” online poker imminent, the new Obama administration has inherited bigger problems than online poker. However, Obama is a keen poker player himself and rumors suggest the UIGEA will be going at some point.
There are now millions of people around the world that plays online poker regularly and if you’re one of those people then you’ll want to make sure you read through this article. With the progression of online poker there have been many new benefits that have arisen for players and one of the most popular benefits is poker rakeback. Receiving bonuses from your poker room is awesome, but there is nothing like receiving free money directly into your poker account each week or month.
When you have a rakeback deal you’re going to be able to receive a percent of the amount you rake each month back in cash directly in your account. If you play online poker everyday then you’re going to rake a large amount over the course of a month and you could be receiving anywhere from 30%-50%+ back each month. When you have a losing month you can rely on your rakeback money to come into your account and help refuel your bankroll. We’re going to take a look at some of the other reasons why poker players should have a rakeback account.
* Most online poker rooms that offer rakeback to their players also offer other promotions for their rakeback players which you’ll be able to take advantage of. For instance, a lot of poker rooms will offer special freeroll tournaments or guaranteed prize pool tournaments over the course of the month for rakeback players only. There are lots of rewards for rakeback players to earn and I’m sure you’ll enjoy every minute of it.
* Having an ultimatebet rakeback deal isn’t a hassle and it’s only going to take you about a day to get set-up. Once you have your account set-up you won’t need to do anything except play as you normally would. The rakeback you earn each month will be deposited into your poker account automatically as well so you don’t even need to request a payout or anything. You’ll also be able to take advantage of sign-up bonuses in most cases although some poker rooms don’t allow this if you have a rakeback account.
* There are lots of portals online full of rakeback poker players that share their tips, opinions and thoughts on the game of online poker and rakeback. Generally you should play as you normally would, but if you want to experiment a bit to try and earn more rakeback to see if it feeds your bottom line then I would recommend going online for tips. There are lots of great ways to increase the amount you rake each month and it can definitely be fun experimenting with new strategies and game plans.
With an excellent online community of rakeback players and the fact that you’re receiving money that you’re currently giving your online poker room there is no reason why you wouldn’t want a rakeback account. Most online poker rooms offer rakeback and there are only a couple large poker rooms that don’t. If you already have an account with a poker room you won’t be able to open a rakeback account under the same name generally so you might need to try out a new poker room in order to benefit from rakeback.
In live poker, when you go to a casino and you want to play, you are usually assigned a seat and it’s usually not possible to choose which table you want to play. The online poker at PokerStar offers you the luxury of being able to choose at which table you with to play.
You should use this advantage in your favor: you are able to see a selection different tables, with details on each about who is playing, how much money each of them has, what the average pot was and what the average hourly flop percentage is.
This information provides you with a lot of hints about how you should play. The average flop percentage, for instance, will tell you how lose is the game, and you can adapt your gameplay to it.
A high average pot is an indication that a lot of money is thrown at the table. This is a good thing, because it indicates a very loose game. Some players don’t like playing in a loose environment, but in fact, it’s going to be very profitable for you, especially if you are playing a solid tight game. With a loose opponent, all you need is a bit of patience and sooner or later, he will bet like crazy against your premium hand that is almost unbeatable.
If you feel that at the table at which you play there are very good players, you can simply change it. This is a great advantage of the online poker at Poker Star. In order to be a successful player, you need to search for opportunities, look at all the tables for the perfect place where your playing style will offer you the biggest winnings.
Also, many players, after losing some big pots, are just not able to leave the game. If you, after such an event, are able to get away from idea of staying and rewinning the money, then you are a solid player. Many players don’t have the discipline to leave. This is an old gambler’s problem, which is what keeps casinos very profitable: people feel the need of getting even, not quitting at a loss.
After losing a series of big pots, your gameplay is going to affected by emotions and you’re not going to play your best and you’re probably going to lose even more after this. As such, it’s best that you get used to leave the game when you just lost a large sum of money.