May 08, 2019 If you’re playing online poker in the U.S. In 2019, chances are you’ve played on the Winning Poker Network, Ignition Casino or Global Poker at some point. These poker sites, and any other online poker site outside of the legal, regulated sites from Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware, are not technically legally able to offer online poker to U.
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The US online poker for real money scene continues to grow, and a number of fantastic poker sites for real money games are now available to play here. There are many to choose from, but this article will focus on only a few of the best US friendly poker sites available right now.
#1 BetOnline
One of the best poker sites for US players is BetOnline (click for a $1,000 bonus). Since this site’s creation in 2009, BetOnline has grown to become one of the most popular internet poker websites in the world with a huge user base and some of the best tournaments available.
Players here have the option to play instantly online or download the software for a bigger selection of games. Their design is simple and offers a live chat feature that helps customers with any questions they might have.
#2 Ignition Casino
You can’t make a list of the top US poker sites without mentioning the highly popular Ignition Casino (click here for a $2000 bonus). It was formed as a replacement for Bovada and strives to offer members the same high-quality gaming experience that its predecessor did.
Many members of Ignition praise the website for their highly functioning mobile platform. Despite the huge number of mobile poker fans, many of the best poker sites in the USA still do not offer a great way to play through a phone. Ignition Casino took notice of this and now offer all of their games on both iOS and Android devices.
#3 Intertops Poker
Intertops is known as one of the most popular internet sportsbooks in the world, and in more recent years has become one of the best online poker sites for US players. Much like their sports betting platform, Intertops poker (click for $1000 bonus) games for real money offers players a simple and safe way to play a wide range of different poker games for real money.
What makes Intertops one of the best US poker sites for real money is their huge list of amazing offers for both new and existing customers. One of the most popular bonuses right now is the refer-a-friend bonus, which offers a $50 cash reward to any member that helps a friend sign up. There is also an incredible 200% welcome bonus up to $1,000 for new members with a minimum sign-up deposit of $25.
#4 Bovada
The welcome bonus at Bovada might be enough to list them as one of the best online poker sites US players can access, but in reality, it’s their massive list of different games and fantastic tournaments that put them at the top of the list.
New players are eligible for a 100% bonus up to $2,500 on their first deposit. Additionally, this amazing site offers a huge number of games including the Bad Beat Jackpot tables, offering some of the biggest jackpots you can find today.
Each of these sites is available to US players right now and are special for a number of different reasons. If you’re looking for some great bonuses and a massive list of different games, check them out today and find out for yourself why they have become so popular with US poker for real money fans.
Be honest, how many of you reading this article have wanted to be an online poker pro at some point since discovering such a thing was possible? I know I have — and on more than one occasion.
Being able to play poker for a living seems like the perfect job — for someone who loves poker at least. But it’s harder than you would like to believe. How to be an online poker pro? We have six quick poker tips for you to set you on your way to your dream job.
How to become a professional online poker player in one easy step would be to quit your job and use poker as your sole source of income. While this instantly makes you a poker pro, it is not advised, not even a tiny amount, for reasons that we’ll cover shortly.
1. Study all aspects of the game
Studying the game of poker is crucial if you want to learn how to succeed as a professional online poker player. When you think you have learned all there is to learn about poker, you need to study and research even more. In fact, you should never stop learning because standing still in this game means you’re going to be left behind.
Read articles on PokerNews, check out the 10 most important poker strategy books ever written, join a training site, or hire a coach. Any edge you can create for yourself will eventually lead to profits.
You can also practice playing no limit hold'em and pot limit Omaha cash games and tournaments for free at WSOP Social Poker. The games are completely free to play, meaning you can play poker for fun, try new things and never risk any of your bankroll.
2. Prove you’re a winning player
Remember how we said that handing in your notice and jumping straight into being a professional poker player isn’t a good idea? This is one of the main reasons why: you need to prove to yourself you know how to be a profitable online poker player first.
Many people bag a big score in a tournament, or win the equivalent of two months’ wages at the cash tables and start thinking that this game is an easy way to make a living. Wrong!
Playing Online Poker For Money
You need tens of thousands of cash game hands and tournaments (if not hundreds of thousands) to prove you’re a winning player. If you’re not a winning poker player over the long term, you’ll soon be heading back to your old boss cap-in-hand hoping to be reemployed.
Is This Your First Step To Becoming a Poker Pro?They say practise makes perfect and what better way to improve your online poker skills than by doing so without any risk at all to your poker bankroll? This is possible at WSOP Social Poker because it is a free-to-play online poker site that has cash games and tournaments running around the clock.
Try out new strategies completely free at WSOP Social Poker and set yourself on the way to becoming a professional poker player.
Play Now3. Be realistic
Once you’ve ascertained that you’re a winning poker player, it’s time to begin trying to figure out how many hands or tournament you’ll need to play in order at least to match your previous salary. Here’s where many people fail.
When you have a salaried job, you are usually paid on the same date every month regardless of how productive your week or month is (within reason). You’re almost certainly paid while on vacation, or if you’re sick.
Are you really going to sit grinding for 60 hours every week?
The fact you have to go to work five days per week is probably enough to make you get out of bed and go to your job. But what if none of that was true?
You may have aspirations of making $150,000 a year
, and that may be possible. But make sure you factor in at least three full weeks “holiday.” You should also plan for being sick and unable to play for a couple of weeks per year. Also, ask yourself — are you really going to sit grinding for 60 hours every week? Do you think you can make enough money at $0.25/$0.50 to warrant giving up your job?How many online poker pros are there who wake up at 12:00 p.m., play online poker for two hours, and then swan off enjoying life to the max. The answer is not many, and those who do generally don’t succeed as professional online poker players for any meaningful length of time.
4. Give playing poker professionally a trial run
Even if you have done all of the above, you should at least give playing for a living a trial run, so you have experience of how to play online poker professionally.
Take a week’s holiday from your job and spend the next five working days doing nothing but playing poker (at least you’ll be getting paid even if you have a bad week!). You may surprise yourself at how difficult it is to motivate yourself to play poker non-stop for a week. Or how after four hours grinding you suddenly lose all concentration. Or how after losing 15 buy-ins during the first three days you no longer want to get out of bed at 7:00 a.m.
It’s best to find out you’re not cut out for the life of a poker pro before you take the plunge into playing for a living.
5. Build a big bankroll and liferoll
You haven’t gone through all the previous steps but still think you know how to be an online poker pro. That’s fine, but do you have a bankroll and your other finances in order?
Most poker pros like to have at least six months’ worth of life expenses tucked away in a separate bank account in case things go pear-shaped. Dipping into your poker bankroll to cover your bills is a big no-no.
Your bankroll should be larger than a recreational player would have because you never want to drop down in stakes. Doing so, dropping down that is, makes it harder to reach your monetary goals — much harder. It’s better to be a bankroll nit than it is going broke.
6. Act professionally
Professional poker players often cite the freedom it gives them for playing for a living, but that’s not to say you shouldn’t have a professional attitude towards the job. Some of the best poker players in the world are extremely disciplined and in their approach every single day.
You wouldn’t rock up to work and put your feet on the desk or lounge around on the sofa with your laptop, so don’t do it as a poker pro. How to become a professional poker player? Starting acting like one, a professional that is.
This article was originally published on Jul. 5, 2017. Last update: Jun. 20, 2019.
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