Online Poker FAQs

Online Poker FAQs April 27, 2018 July 19, 2018 David Edwards
Posted on  Apr 27, 2018 | Updated on  Jul 19, 2018 by David Edwards

Poker FAQLet’s be honest, there are many questions and queries that people can have about any sort of game. After all, we’re not all experts and if a game interests us, we want to know everything about playing it, right?

That’s why it’s fairly frequent that there will be regular questions about a certain type of game. Poker is the same.

Many people ask similar questions, especially as beginners to the game.

11 Most Common Poker Questions Answered

That’s why we have brought the answers to such frequently asked queries together right here. You can then browse through them and potentially find out the information to the question that you have.

1. What Is the Best Online Poker Room to Play In?

This is a question that doesn’t have a set answer to it – mainly because each different room caters to a different type of player. Each of them incorporates different special offers, alternating software, differing poker games and more. Therefore, it’s better to find reviews of the various poker sites and choose which one sounds like it will cater to you the best. This is why we provide our own reviews and recommendations to you, so that you can locate the one that fits you.

2. Can I Watch a Poker Game That I’m Not a Participant Of?

It’s usually the case that an online poker room will allow you to view games that are in progress even if you’re not playing in it yourself. This works as a great way of seeing certain strategies in action, which you may want to use in a game too. There are only a select few platforms that don’t allow this, but they’re so few and far between that you’re not likely to join a site like this.

3. How Do I Know if I’m Playing at a Safe and Fair Poker Room?

As long as you opt for an online poker room that holds one or more gambling licences, then you should find yourself playing in a safe and fair location. In this instance, card distribution is done randomly, thanks to the Random Number Generator (RNG) technology. Furthermore, if you utilise one of the poker rooms that we recommend, then we can guarantee that your safety and security, as well as the fairness of game play is a top priority. Therefore, you have very little to worry about with these sites.

4. What Does the Term ‘Rake’ Mean?

If you decide to play a poker game with a raked hand, then this means that the poker room itself will take some rake. It’s basically a scaled commission fee that the room takes for operating a poker game. This can be anywhere between 2.5% to 10% of the pot of each hand. This is to generate revenue for the room as poker tends to be a player-versus-player game, meaning that players bet against each other, rather than against the room.

5. Can I Play More Than One Poker Game at a Time?

If you’re registered at a poker room that allows what is called multi-table games, then yes. It’s always good to have a large enough screen to see all of your games at once. Obviously, the larger it is, the more you’re able to fit onto it. Some sites allow players to participate in multiple different tables at once, thanks to the ability to set up multiple monitors to one computer. Some advanced players have opted to access and play between 16 and 20 poker games at once.

2. What Is a Side Pot?

A ‘Side Pot’ is basically a separate pot to the main pot, which a certain player or multiple players have not contributed to and therefore cannot win. This occurs if a player opts to go all-in and other participants continue to wager more than the all-in player. Separate showdowns will take place for each side pot as well as for the main pot.

6. Is My Money Safe?

This is similar to the fair gaming question, in the sense that if a platform holds a gambling licence, then your money will also be safe and secure. It’s true to say that many online gaming sites are based out of foreign locations. However, they do tend to work with trusted payment methods, including Visa, Neteller and more. Therefore, the transfer of your money from your account into your poker room account and vice versa should always take place via a secure server and in encrypted format.

7. What Exactly Is a Poker Network?

A network is made up of several different rooms all utilising the same software developer’s products. The world’s largest online poker network is the Prima Poker offering, which serves over 30 different online rooms.

8. Is the Income That I Make from Poker Games Need to Be Declared for Tax Purposes?

While this tends to depend upon country and laws relating to such, it’s always safer to declare it. Any money that goes into your bank account needs to be declared in full, so keep a note of everything that you win and withdraw from poker rooms to fill out a proper tax return form.

9. What Do I Need to Do in the Case of Suspecting Collusion?

While most online poker rooms have strong checks in place for this, if you do suspect two or more players of being in collusion, then you need to contact the site that this is taking place at. Send an email or contact a live chat feature if the platform provides such. Make sure that you include details of the limit that you’re playing, the table number and the account usernames of the people that you suspect of working together.

10. Is Video Poker the Same Thing as Online Poker?

To put it simply, no. While both of these are available to play in online settings, video poker is actually a casino game. This sees players play card games against a computer, rather than against actual opponents as in standard online poker.

11. How Can I Learn to Play Poker?

We all learn in different ways. Some of us prefer to read up on topics, others prefer putting our skills into practice and building up from there. However, what we can say, is that many sites also provide online assistance with such. This comes in the form of various videos, guides and help sections to inform you on different poker games, rules and more. Additionally, if you have friends that play poker, seek out their guidance. You could also find information via online search engines or physical books. The information is out there, you just need to look for it and utilise it to the best of your advantages.

David spends his downtime playing poker with mates and enjoys visiting the poker scene when he can. He writes for us on the latest promotions and gives us some personal insights in his blog