Online poker, the global phenomenon that swooped over the world in a short space of time, is so attractive because you can win big from the comfort of your own home. Online poker provides players with key features you cannot get from your local game such as the ability to record notes on players, the ability to multi-table for maximum profit & of course a huge game variety on offer and generous incentives offered from poker sites.
If you are new to online poker we recommend you try PKR poker they have a large variety of stakes available and also allow players the option to practice with fake chips until they feel comfortable, if you have played before but feel like mixing it up we recommend you check out the list below.
If choosing to play with real money, you will be provided with a first time deposit bonus by most providers such as PKR where they will match your first time deposit to a capped amount, please note that when doing this it is a onetime offer and if you decide to deposit $20 only you will not be eligible for the full amount offered.
Note: This page is intended for our international poker readers only. Online poker is illegal in Australia as of September 2017 with the enactment of the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill 2016, so for Australians the content on this page is informational in nature only.
Where to play online poker & how it works
Online poker is played exactly the same as a live game would except hands are received a lot faster allowing players to see more hands in a shorter amount of time. Players may also use the instant messaging chat service to socialise with other players and unlike live games, where the pesky neighbour can put you off your game, it also comes with a mute button.
We recommend the following poker platforms:
www.PKR.com – PKR was the revolutionary poker software of 2006 that brought the realness of sitting at the 2/4 table on a Saturday night to the comfort of your home. PKR utilizes a full 3D game engine and customisable camera that is quite refreshing from the standard 2D overhead look, of course this option is still there for players who wish to use it. PKR currently have a 200% welcome bonus using the code 200PKR on first deposit, this deposit bonus will be released in 1% blocks for every 400PKR points earnt, for more information on PKR points please read our full review on PKR.
www.888Poker.com – Offer a very generous sign up bonus of $10 credit plus will match 100% of your first deposit up to an astonishing $888. 888 Poker has a great rewards program and a large variety of tournaments that cater to all. 888 Poker has always had an intention of being the number one online poker choice for Australian and New Zealand players and this is reflected in the times they host their larger tournaments. 888 Poker is endorsed by well-known Australian & Women’s poker ambassador Jackie Glazier and was also formerly endorsed by “The king of spin” Shane Warne. With 888 you also have the unique ability to play via your web browser (with some limitations) or via the downloadable software.
www.FullTiltPoker.com – Originally opened in June 2004 and has worked alongside many big name poker players such as Howard Lederer, Phil Ivey & Andy Bloch. Full Tilt was once a fierce competitor in the online poker market however after controversy and a large scale incident the provider went under. In 2012 Pokerstars acquired its former competitor and now both are owned by The Rational Group. Since the takeover Fulltilt is growing back to its former glory days and is providing great tournaments and incentives for new players. New players can look forward to a 100% first deposit bonus as well as Fulltilt’s all new “Players club” reward scheme.
www.PokerStars.com – Pokerstars is partly responsible for the poker boom of 03-04, after the unlikely story of Chris Moneymaker winning a qualifier event, before going on to win the 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event. PokerStars have the largest online playing community with the largest variety of games and stakes. For an Australian tournament player PokerStars will have you up for some late nights as their larger tournaments are not catering to the Australian community and often start late nights/early mornings. PokerStars offer a great rewards program and also offer a 100% first deposit bonus up to $600, be sure to use PokerStars marketing code of STARS600 to make the most of it.
Software download or web browser (Instant) Play
As mentioned above 888 Poker is the only poker provider allowing players to play via web browser with no download required, the web browser does however have some limitations such as not being able to use features such as PokerCam (a webcam to view other players while playing), private game (games you can host exclusively for friends only), And 3D poker.
All other providers require a download to play, a download link can be found on their sites, once downloaded they all have easy to use express installation managers that will make it as simple as pressing a couple of buttons.
Mobile Poker Play for Australians
For players who like to play on the go you are also able to play through your choice of poker provider on mobile or tablet. The sites automatically recognise your devices OS (operating system) and will instantly redirect you to the download of the mobile app suite. All Android devices support our recommended poker apps, The Apple IOS platform however does not support non-market applications. When installing you may be asked to allow the installation of non-market applications, tick this and you are ready to play. Like before we would recommend you try PKR poker’s mobile app, it features great 3D graphics and the app is very easy to navigate.
Opening an account
Once you have chosen a provider to play with your next step will be opening an account. Please keep in mind you will need to provide personal information to the provider selected, we only recommend websites which protect your information by keeping it private and will not hand it over to any third party companies.
Opening an account can be done from the register/sign up button and should only take a couple of minutes. On sites such as PKR once logged in this should bring you out to a lobby where you can easily navigate between the games on offer.
Internet gameplay
As mentioned earlier online poker is played in the exact same way a normal live game would be, the only differences are there are no dealers and cards are dealt via Random Number Generators (RNGs) this is trusted technology and you may view the certificates they hold on the providers websites.
As there are less overhead costs involved with running an online game providers are able to offer a lower rake & often host free tournaments for players to take part in.
Playing the game is also quite easy and should take no time to pick up at all, players will have three buttons when it is their turn to act these are Check/Call/Raise, you will also have a slider bar to adjust the size of your raise & there are a couple of buttons next to it with allow you to bet based on percentages of the existing pot.
Players will have a limited amount of time to select an option, this time varies depending on the structure of the tournament and also your Time bank you have accrued.
The online poker formats: Tournaments & cash games
Starting out may be a little confusing as for which games to play, we hope that the below list will make this easier for you. The three formats online poker are played as follows:
Cash Games: Cash games (commonly referred to as ring games) are a game allowing you to come and leave as you please. These can be played between 2-10 players and have stakes varying from 1c/2c all the way up to $500/$1000.
Scheduled Tournaments: These tournaments are often referred to as Multi-table Tournaments (MTTs for short). These tournaments are scheduled ahead of time allowing players to register hours even sometimes days before the game starts, they have a set buy-in amount and prize pools depend on the players who sign up. Unlike cash games the chips in the tournament have no real money value, players win money by outlasting the field and placing in a high position.
Sit-and-Go Tournaments: Sit-And-Go tournaments (commonly referred to as SNGs) are tournaments that will play as soon as they fill. These tournaments are regularly played with just on table of players however Multi-table SNGs are also offered. These tournaments are played in the same way a MTT would be in that players receive chips in game which do not reflect your initial buy in, once players lose their chips they are eliminated and the way to earn money is to outlast the majority of the field.
Here the different betting styles are explained:
No-Limit: This is your standard option for most Texas-Hold’em games played. No-limit means that players can bet any amount they wish as long as it is at least the minimum bet required.
Pot-Limit: this is your standard option for most Omaha games, players may make bets or raises equal to the size of the pot. This allows for large wagers, but does not allow people to simply move all-in at the beginning of a hand.
Fixed Limit: Also known simply as limit, these games allow only a specific size of bet each betting round, increasing by set increments every round.
There are also varying speeds of each tournament; options include slow, regular, turbo and hyper turbo.
Currency Conversion, Depositing & Withdrawing
Once you have made the decision to make an initial deposit you will have many different methods to choose from. Please keep in mind that most poker sites operate in U.S dollars, players funds will be converted once deposited and will convert back at the time of withdraw at the same rate it was originally converted at.
The following approved online poker room banking methods are available to Australians:
Credit & debit cards Is straightforward and funds will appear in your account immediately. With this method you will also have the convenience of being able to track your records via your bank statement. These cards may also be used to withdraw.
Bank/Wire transfer: Players may also make deposits to and withdrawals from their poker accounts directly via their bank accounts. Using your Internet banking system by providing the correct bank name, BSB and account numbers. Please note this method may take multiple days to be approved and have the funds in your account.
E-wallet/Web-wallets: PayPal, Neteller & Skrill are other great ways to make deposits & withdrawals. These allow the user to keep his/her card details secure and will mean not having to share them with the site, this adds as an extra layer of security for the user and allows you to keep all your poker funds in one place.
If you wish to avoid sharing any personal information such as card or bank details you can also use prepaid deposits such as Ukash. Ukash is a voucher than may be purchased at local retail outlets, it will contain a number that many online places will accept and funds may be issued that way.
UKash, Instadebit, Diners credit cards and POLi are available options for deposits only.
Different poker games available on the net
An advantage of online poker is the large variety of games to choose from, a lot of the games offered online you would struggle immensely to find played live.
Blow are the games you can look forward to playing:
Texas Hold’em: The largest played poker game in the world, where players each receive two cards, and can use up to five community cards to form the best possible hand.
Omaha: Omaha is similar to Texas Hold’em, except players receive four cards and must use exactly two of them in making their final hand. This game is commonly played in cash games in a 6 max format, this is also usually played in Pot limit.
Seven card stud: This was originally the most common choice when it came to playing poker, however with the rise of Texas hold’em it is fell off quite heavily. each player receives seven of their own cards (three face down cards only viewable to the individual player, and four face up cards, for everyone to see) to make a hand.
Razz: This unique game is Seven Card Stud “in reverse,” where the aim is to come up with the lowest hand possible.
Draw Poker: Players receive hands completely hidden from the rest of the table, and have at least one chance to exchange – or draw – more cards. There are several variations based on what kind of hand players are trying to make, as well as the number of draws allowed.
Mixed Games: A mixed game is one in which several forms of poker are played on a constant cycle. The most common of these is H.O.R.S.E. which consists of:
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• Hold’em
• Omaha
• Razz
• Seven Card Stud
• Seven Card Stud, Eight or Better (Hi-Lo)
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Understanding the rake in poker
When playing at cash tables whether live or online a rake will be taken out of pots. This rake will be at a set percentage and will have a capped limit. It is best to check with the host what percentage will be taken however below is take from the PKR website and shows a little as what to expect for online games.
5c/10c blinds and below
| Players | Rake per pot | Max rake |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1c per 10 cents | $0.25 |
| 3 | 1c per 10 cents | $0.50 |
| 4 | 1c per 10 cents | $1 |
| 5+ | 1c per 10 cents | $2 |
10c/25c and 25c/50c blinds
| Players | Rake per pot | Max rake |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1c per 20 cents | $0.50 |
| 3 | 1c per 20 cents | $1 |
| 4 | 1c per 20 cents | $2 |
| 5+ | 1c per 10 cents | $3 |
50c/$1 and $1/$2 blinds
| Players | Rake per pot | Max rake |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 5c per $1 | $0.50 |
| 3 | 5c per $1 | $1 |
| 4 | 5c per $1 | $2 |
| 5+ | 1c per 20 cents | $3 |
$2/$4 blinds and above
| Players | Rake per pot | Max rake |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 5c per $1 | $0.50 |
| 3 | 5c per $1 | $1 |
| 4 | 5c per $1 | $2 |
The rake paid also determines the points that are earnt by most loyalty and rewards programs. Tournaments do not take a rake out of pots but rather out of your initial buy in, when buying in players will often see something similar to this Buy-in: $10 ($9.50 + $0.50) the first number is the amount of money that goes into the prize pool the second one the provider will take. You will also earn points based on the amount paid.
