Originally Posted by HD FBOY

I am a B&M recreational player, mostly limit games. I want to try online play but have lots of questions.

I live in the US. Do all of these rooms allow US citizens to play?

Some do, some don't.
i know Poker Stars, Full Tilt, Ultimate Bet all allow US players. I'm sure there are many more, those are just the one from the top on my head.

Originally Posted by HD FBOY

I have found several references to rakeback and free poker chips, gifts etc. How does this work?

i'm not sure. someone like dan, alex or someone else would better explain it than i can. but basically the card room pays you back a portion of the rake they take for you to sit at their site and play.
now the free gifts, thats will be covered under bonuses.

Originally Posted by HD FBOY

How do freerolls work?

whichever site you join will have freeroll games. you register and play. if you win, you win money. i'm not sure if there are any restrictions on cashing out if you never deposited but that is something you'll need to check into per site you play at.

Originally Posted by HD FBOY

What about bonuses?

there are many ways to collect bonuses.
1- direct from the poker site. either a deposit, reload, or referral are the best way to get bonuses dirctly from the site.
2- http://www.bonuswhores.com/ a site that tells you the best bonuses for each site
3- http://pokersourceonline.com/ a site that gives you gifts for signing up for poker sites through them. there are other sites out there like this, but this is the one people on this forum seem to go for.

on these bonuses, you'll have to play a certain amount of raked hands or collect points to release your bonuses. another per site situational you'll need to check out for yourself.

Originally Posted by HD FBOY

Should I be concerend about collusion?

Always, but never. you should be aware that you are playing online and no one can see what you are doing behind your computer screen. you may be watching porn, checking emails, checking the forums, giving someone a Captain Tom or even instant messaging your friend who is sitting across the table from you what cards you have. its definitely a possibility. does it happen all the time? i don't know. do i believe it happens, i'm sure it does.
most poker sites will try and keep people who "know" each other from playing at the same cash table or single table tourny. ie...people who transfer money back and forth, people who are at the same ip, stuff like that. i'm sure they can't catch everybody so therefor i do believe it happens at some point. i personally play mtt. i don't worry about collusion because the odds of two people getting the same table are too high to worry about.
if you feel there is collusion going on at your table, EMAIL SUPPORT! they normally will review the hands and betting patterns of the people involved.
but just be aware that it is a distinct possibility that it may happen. it probably isn't, but it just might.

Originally Posted by HD FBOY

How difficult is it to get money into the poker rooms and get the money out?

as of today (knock on wood) i have had zero problems getting money back and forth. i wouldn't leave too much money out in the virtual world due to the fact that there may be one day that i do have problems getting my money back. i use a third party e-wallet like a neteller that i move money back and forth. i deposit into my e-wallet and then have to tell my e-wallet to deposit into a poker site. getting money back is just the reversal.

Originally Posted by HD FBOY

Are there fees other than hand rakes to get my money out?

you would have to check with your e-wallet site to find that kind of thing out. my e-wallet is no fees as long as i'm not in a rush. they'll do an insta deposit if i'm willing to pay a fee or a cut or something. i'm never in a rush to lose my money.

* on a side note - you will want to make sure that any withdraw you make will not interrupt any pending bonuses.

Originally Posted by HD FBOY

I want to play Sit and Go's low buy in NL and low limit games(up to 4-8 limit games as I get comfortable).


I have cruised through the forums here but much of this seems to change rapidly. I have had a Party Poker account for a couple of years but only used it for free play. I have never deposited any dollars here. I like the interface but wish it would provide me with some real statistics. I haven't used this account in months as the free play was not doing anything for me.

The main thing I am looking for a resource to improve my play to help my B&M play. I would like to get comfortable with online play as the casino I go to is a 5 hour trip and I only hit it 4 times a year.

I am looking at Doyles Room and FTP. Any comments on these 2 sites???

Thanks for the help.

i would suggest continue using the forums as a resource. there are many players here who have good advice and will point you in the right direction.

since you already know the poker basics, get away from any free play on the internet, it'll only hurt your game.

as far as which site to recommend....i recently moved to PS because Party Poker shut down to the US. i already had a Full Tilt acct. never played Doyles

i like poker stars because is a big ocean full of fishes. especially the mtt.
i like full tilt if'n i'm in the mood for a ring game. less fishiness, easier to read the table and players IMO.
i would definitely would recommend a larger reputable site that has been around for a while. pretty much, be careful of who you give your money to.

any other pfo'ers with suggestions on sites?

Originally Posted by VGrozny

Always, but never. you should be aware that you are playing online and no one can see what you are doing behind your computer screen. you may be watching porn, checking emails, checking the forums, giving someone a Captain Tom or even instant messaging your friend who is sitting across the table from you what cards you have. its definitely a possibility.

That's just pure gold

nice post Vgronzy. I saw this one but knew it would take a post as long as yours to explain it all. I agree with all of the above.

If your new to real money online go with pokerstars or full tilt. I'd personally go with Full tilt through Rake the rake. See the square advert above and try deposit as close to $600 as your budget will go. Then play real low limits to clear the 100% bonus. You could double your bank roll in a month of part time poker.