Online Poker in the UK 2019
Most people have heard of or played poker themselves. But not everyone is familiar with online poker!
In this article we will be guiding you through the process of signing up and getting your first poker hands. We will compare poker bonuses and tell you how to play. We will also be going through the different rules of poker.
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Our personal recommendation is that you take your time to understand the rules before you play. If possible, play a free game first too. This way you won’t be taken advantage of when you ultimately decide to start playing for real.
As always, gamble responsibly and don’t forget to have fun!
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Table of contents
Best poker sites 2019
Here at Zamsino we always do our research before posting a casino in our list.
We try to evaluate them and make sure they have great welcome offers.
It is recommend that you try out a free version of poker before you start depositing.
There are plenty of free online poker games with fake money, which serves the purpose of teaching you the rules and getting some actual experience.
If you are here after having played free poker for a while then you are now ready to play with real money.
Check out our top online poker list above and remember to claim your poker bonus!
Poker rules
There are many rules to follow in poker.
The reason for the many rules is to make sure that every player has as big of a chance to win as everyone else.
The randomness of the cards combined with the skill of the player should be the only deciding factors when a winner is decided.
There are many kinds of version of poker, but the most popular ruleset is Texas Hold’em.
So how do you win you ask?
Typically, the winner holds the highest ranked hand at the end of all the turns, also known as “the showdown”.
This showdown is avoided when the last player folds, automatically crowning the other player the winner.
Each player is dealt two cards and after that it is their turn to act.
You can check, which means you decline to increase the pot and the turn goes to the next player.
In real life poker tables this is sometimes signalled by knocking twice on the table.
But people still prefer you to say check, to minimize any misunderstandings.
You can bet. If you are confident in your poker hand or you simply want to fake the other players out, you can increase the pot.
This is not to be confused with raising.
A raise is when someone before you have placed a bet, but you felt like the amount is too low.
If you raise, the previous player must agree to the new amount raised if he wants a shot at the pot.
You may not retract your bet after it has been made. Other players will now decide if they want to join you and “call” your bet.
Calling means you agree to increase the pot by the previous players bet amount.
If you on the other hand do not feel confident in your hand, you may fold.
Folding means you do not show anyone your cards and you lose out on your chance on the pot.
Free online poker
As mentioned previously, we recommend that you get familiar with the rules of poker before you play.
And the best way to do that is free online poker!
As opposed to free spins on slot machines, free poker is fun to play.
And even if you are not having fun, you are at least learning.
There are lots of different free poker available. A very popular one is Zynga Poker, most commonly known as “Facebook poker”.
If you’re already familiar with the rules of poker, then you might feel like you want to jump straight in.
Well don’t wait anymore! Please enjoy any of the poker sites listed above.
We do our best to ensure that the casinos listed offer the best poker bonuses available and that they are secure.
How to win at online poker
In online poker there are a lot of competition. Lots of people who play every day and people who play professionally.
Luckily for you, there are also lots of beginners and intermediate players.
Therefore, as a beginner you should stick to lower amounts.
The dream for many is to play poker for a living. That’s because it’s entirely possible.
You just need to start somewhere and if you are here then you are already well on your way.
The first thing you need to do is to control your temper. There will be losing streaks.
There will be bad days. Everyone has them.
The question is, how well will you handle it?
Some people can fall into a gambling addiction where they feel like they must continue playing to take them out of their mess.
Please gamble responsibly.
Please control your poker tilt.
Tilt is a term where you are not playing like you should. You stop playing with your brain and start playing with your emotions.
You stop thinking about your system and odds and instead you start playing hands simply because you need to start winning again.
If you want this as a long-term hobby or even a career, then you absolutely need to have control over your feelings.
Do not allow yourself to tilt!
Poker bonus
A poker bonus is a welcome bonus that often come with wagering requirements.
This means that you may get a decent sized bonus when signing up or when making your first deposit.
But do not be fooled, this huge amount of money is not yours yet. You must bet this amount a certain number of times before you may withdraw.
Sometimes using a poker bonus is only profitable for those who wishes to try poker at a higher level.
To play with more money without risking any of it.
In our list above we have listed websites with and without bonuses and it is entirely up to you if you want to use them or not.
If you really enjoy playing online poker, then be sure to take advantage of the different loyalty program that exist at many of the sites listed above.
If you stay true to one site, you will get rake back for everything that you deposit.
This means you will get money back from the poker site! This is the equivalent to getting cashback from casinos.
Rake is a kind of fee that the poker site will take.
For every pot at the table the site will take a fee of around 5%.
This is important to know because this is how poker sites make their money.
This is where rake back comes in. The more you play, the more you win, the more rake you get back.
UK gambling laws
Gambling within the United Kingdom is since 2005 regulated by the Gambling Act of 2005.
This act has made it a lot easier for people who want to gamble online.
Before the act you had to wait for 24 hours after registering before you could play.
Now all you must do is a regular sign up and you can play instantly!
This act established the Gambling Commission which handles all issues regarding online gambling.
It is often quoted by us here at Zamsino UK and that is because they have the most accurate information.
All casinos must have a license to be able to operate legally within the UK.
And for some games you need a separate license.
These games are as follows:
- Lottery games
- Gambling software
- Casino games
- Bingo
- Betting
Having the gambling companies regulated is a very good thing, both for player and for our society.
There are codes of practice which means that the gambling companies must ensure the following:
- Gambling addiction assistance must be provided to those who need it.
- Children and other vulnerable people must be protected from being exploited or harmed.
- Gambling must be conducted in a safe and fair way.
As you can read, The Gambling Commission is working for the players and the people, not the gambling companies.
With that said, please enjoy these games with care and always gamble responsibly!
Resources
https://www.pokerstars.uk/poker/real-money/