You don't need to invest a lot of money in order to start playing poker on the Internet. There are several different ways to play for free and sometimes even make money doing it.
Play money
Almost all poker sites have play money tables. You play against other players, but instead of using real cash you use fictive money. This is a good way to learn how to play poker without risking losing anything. You can improve your skills and test them against other players. But at the same time it is important to realize that the games at the play money tables differ from the real money tables. Poker is a lot about psychology and the game tend to change when the players have nothing to lose. The play money games are usually a lot looser than their real money equivalents. That the difference is pretty big is important to keep in mind if you decide to take the step from play money to real money. The play money tables are also really good to use when you start to play at a new site and want to get used to the software.
Free rolls
Another way to play poker for free, and at the same time have a chance to win money, is by playing free roll tournaments or "free rolls". You do not have to pay anything to play the tournament, but the poker site puts up money or other prices for the winners. There are also free roll satellites through which you can qualify to bigger tournaments. Most poker sites offer different types of free rolls and there are various conditions you have to meet in order to enter them. Some are offered as a sign-up bonus when you open a new account, others if you have played a certain amount of hands and others still are open for everyone that have an account on the site. It can be a good idea to look around and see which sites that offers the best free rolls.
Player points
A lot of sites have player point systems. When you play at real money tables you accumulate player points. What the points can be used for varies. They can usually be traded for merchandise, used to enter tournaments, and sometimes used in cash games or even traded for cash. The player points are used to reward frequent players.
Deposit bonuses
When you deposit money at a site they often give you a bonus. You put money on your poker account and after you have played a certain amount of hands you get a bonus. Sometimes the deposit bonuses can be 100% or even more, so there is money to be made. But look at what conditions you have to meet in order to get the bonus, because it can differ a great deal, and sometimes you have to play a whole lot of hands in order to get your bonus. Many offers also have a time limit, which means that you have to meet the bonus conditions before a set date.
Provided by PokerListings.com
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