US poker is not exactly a version of the game, like Texas Hold’em or Omaha Poker is. It is rather a title for a big gambling culture in the great country that is the United States. Even though the game of poker is widely considered to originate from Europe, it were the States that gave it its modern day popularity. All the games played along the shores of Mississippi in the 1700s.
Fast forward to today where online poker has become so popular, thanks in large part to an amateur poker player by the name of Chris Moneymaker (great name for a poker player) and we are now at a point where there is a multitude of online poker sites available to players in the US, some of course better than others.
However, although some US states have gone the way or regulation for online poker, the majority of the 52 states are still unregulated. When you play at an online poker site, more often than not you discover that its headquarters and where its licensed and regulated is not situated in the United States.
Even though you can see US online poker players on the virtual felt of some of these poker sites, these rooms, however, don’t exist solely for players in the USA. They’re open for anyone interested in playing poker online, no matter where they live.
As a result of this, if something was to happen with regards to cashing out your winnings, there is very little recourse of action which can be taken to get the money. Some rogue poker operators don’t want to pay or slow pay their players due to liquidity issues.
Hence, the reason to do due diligence when doing your research in finding the best US-facing online poker site to deposit your hard earned money. Preferably you want to deal with an operator that is established and has been doing business for a minimum of 5 years. Make sure the online poker site has a track record of paying their players.
If you found out about the site through unsolicited e-mail then you really have to question the integrity of the poker site, because if they are willing to put their reputation on the line by using questionable marketing practices which are sometimes outright illegal in nature, it’s safe to say they probably aren’t in this business for the long haul.
Also be weary of US poker sites offering very big welcome bonuses as a way to entice players to join and make a deposit. This free money that is on offer is of no value if you will never be able to cash out from the site.
Not only do you have to look for a US-friendly poker site that has fast cashouts of player funds, they must also feature convenient payment methods, to make it easy for players to get funds onto the site so they can start playing straight away.
In addition to the established banking options like deposit with credit cards, a recent addition in the online poker world has been bitcoin poker sites, which typically only accept bitcoins. This has made it easier for players to deposit and withdraw their funds to and from the poker site. Due to the nature of this virtual currency, deposits and withdrawals are virtually instantaneous.
When playing at a reputable US online poker site, in addition to making the process of depositing and withdrawing money to and from your online poker account a very straight forward process, the leading poker sites will feature big money poker tournaments quite regularly in their tourney schedule, allowing players to boost their online poker bankrolls substantially with very little risk.
You may find information about these online tournaments at the official websites of each of these online poker sites. US online poker sites will have both scheduled and sit and go tournaments. Some sites even have private tournaments, allowing you to invite friends and colleagues to play in invite only tournaments.
As stated above, US online poker is a culture (or a subculture, if you aren’t ready to accept the extent of it) which has been going for long enough to suggest it’s not just some passing fad. If you become a member of a US poker website, do expect more than simply enjoying a good game and winning some money. It will very likely provide you with various social ties: there will be friends, good-natured rivals, bad-tempered rivals (you love taking money of said people), people who are always ready to assist, and people who come close to despising you for being more lucky than them – just like in real life. If this makes you excited, playing poker at US online poker sites is just the game for you!