Tag: play poker

US Online Poker Pros Moving Abroad

Last Updated on

The crackdown of Pokerstars, Full Tilt Poker, Absolute Poker and UB on Black Friday took the favorite pastime away from millions of American poker players. Other poker sites such as Lock Poker, Bodog and Cake Poker are working around the clock to provide all US players with a new home.  They are doing a great job, most of the  casual players are happy to play at those sites. Some things are different though, the choice in games offered is lower and the waiting time for some sit and go formats is a bit longer. Does this mean the DoJ actions didn’t have an impact on the US poker players? No, there is a group of players which found itself in serious trouble: the online poker pro.

When we think of poker pro’s we usually picture the high profile players who we see on tv shows like High Stakes Poker, Poker After Dark or the Big Game. These pro’s represent the big sites, live the good life and make millions in the process. There is however another complete different order of poker pro’s and they aren’t nearly as visible and high profile as the established pro’s like Doyle Brunson, Tom Dwan or Daniel Negreanu.

These online poker pro’s make their living playing or teaching online poker and they don’t make millions. Instead, they grind out the cash tables and sit and goes all day and most of them make only a modest salary. On top of that, grinding online poker can be a very stressful job. Playing poker is probably the only job in the world where you can end the day with less money then you started with. Variance is the one thing you can’t use when you are depending on your play to pay the rent. Variance is the enemy to the online pro and to limit it they play as many tables as they can, sometimes up to 24 tables.

Suddenly unable to play at the Big Three, they are in serious trouble now. Because they can no longer play the amount of games they used to, they don’t make enough money anymore to pay their rent. Some of these players played professionally for years and have considerable gaps in their resume’s, others decided to drop out of college to play poker full time. Their options are limited: Finding a job in the current economy is very hard, they can’t wait until the US regulates online poker and they also don’t have the time to wait until other sites and networks offer the games they need. On top of that their entire bankroll is currently frozen and they can’t touch it. This bankroll is not only money for them, they need it to make money, it is their livelihood.

Moving abroad has become a viable option for them and a lot of grinders are looking into that option now. Canada is the favorite haven to play followed by Malta. The UK is also amongst the top destinations because online winnings aren’t taxed there. The short term goal for the movers is to regain access to their frozen funds. For the long term they can keep playing at their favorite sites abroad until the US has figured their legislation out. The DoJ’s actions of Black Friday really had an impact on these people that nobody ever anticipated.

Is this a bad thing for poker? Not really. With a lot of these mass tabling grinders out of the way the game becomes more fun again. No longer waiting for the guy who plays more tables then he can handle to finally act and less grinders in the sit and goes means the casual player will most certainly see his ROI improve. People wondered when the next poker boom would be after the Moneymaker boom in 2004. Well, this might be it.

Online Poker Sites for US Players

Last Updated on

The online poker industry may have been turned upside down, but there are still many options for USA players to get on the table action that only a game of online poker can provide. There are many alternatives to the poker rooms which were seized by the US government, and this is only a piece of the online poker action. Players are understandably unsure about placing their trust and money into yet another site, in case something may happen in the future. It seems like Black Friday isn’t going to have an effect on other online poker rooms, not the smaller fish anyway.

The Poker Networks and Poker Sites listed below have been slowly increasing their poker tournament guarantees. Over the last week they have experienced up to 400% growth in traffic. It’s only a matter of time before one or two of them become the preferred online poker sites in the U.S..

Click Here for a List of Online Poker Sites Accepting Players from the USA

Bodog Poker is one of the oldest and most respected names in online gaming. Their sportsbook business insures a steady flow of loose players at the poker tables. Bodog offers some of the highest GTD tournaments available to players from the US. The initial deposit bonus of 110% up to $1,100 is as good as it gets for online poker sites. No bonus code is needed to get this great bonus.

Merge Gaming Network, the network behind poker rooms like Lock Poker, Players Only Poker and Carbon Poker, are still ready and willing to give USA players all the action they crave in an online poker setting. The tournaments, the features and the excitement are comparable to the others that were seized, without the big brand name. There are many reasons players should choose Merge for their new online poker playing needs, and there are many ongoing promotions to welcome new players, so everybody wins. The traffic to these rooms are building up, understandably so, and soon there will be even more players that will add to the entertainment value that only online poker can bring.

Other networks like Cake Poker, Everleaf and other smaller platforms are also bringing players unique and generous promotions, tournaments, ring-games and impressive prize pools. They are currently open to new USA registrations, and players coming from other poker rooms will be treated like VIPs.

Players should remember, just because the government cracked down on these poker rooms and seized domains, does that in anyway mean that it’s illegal to play poker online, even from the United States. The UIGEA isn’t there to punish players for playing a few hands of Holdem; the law is in place and only is enforced against online gaming operators and processors. In fact, not one arrest has ever been made for a player playing online poker. This is just a misconception and players should not let it hinder their game play, until there is an actual law in place.

Hopefully in the near future, we as players will not have to worry about the Department of Justice breathing down our necks every time we want to go all in. That is just the way it is right now, and we all hope that it’s only temporary. While they do have control over domain seizures and indictments, they have no control over our decisions, and if you enjoy the game of online poker and you live in the USA, it’s imperative for players to know they still have options.

Poker Sites That Still Accept USA Poker Players

Last Updated on

The news that shook the online poker world yesterday is still blowing minds today. Several well-known and popular USA facing poker sites were forced to stop accepting USA players, and have left many wondering what will happen next? No one knows this answer, but the excitement of playing poker is still here for USA players, giving the smaller USA facing poker rooms a chance to come in and take over. What does this mean for players? It means that there are still ways to play if you are in America, and there are still poker rooms willing to serve USA players.

Online Poker Sites Still Accepting USA Poker Players

Yesterday was big news when the US government went and took down the largest names in online poker that were accepting US players. Full Tilt, PokerStars and Absolute Poker all had their domains seized and the government halted all access to real money poker games during the seizure. After the domains were taken, eleven defendants were arrested and charged with crimes including; Money Laundering, Illegal Gaming Business, and Fraud. This is just a couple of the charges the founders of these sites will be facing, and others that had involvement with the illegal payment processing were also detained and charged.

The major poker rooms that were shut down were one of the biggest names and brands in online poker, and many speculate that this seizure is only temporary. What is next for online poker players living in the land of the free?

Many Americans felt like there was no hope for them going forward and enjoying their daily game of online poker, however; this is not the case. Sure, the poker sites that are left online and doing business don’t have the big name behind their brand, but are still places that Americans can get their poker fix. Here is a list of the top poker rooms left online that are still accepting USA poker players.

Merge Gaming Network is well-known in the industry amongst poker players and it powers some of the strongest names in the online poker community. PlayersOnly Poker, Superbook Poker and Lock Poker are a few of the sites which use this platform, and players are still able to sign up and play.

Bodog, the online gaming powerhouse, is still open to take business from American players and they were once one of the biggest names in online poker. Bodog may soon fill the shoes that Full Tilt and PokerStars left behind and again become a favourite for American poker players.

The Cake Poker Network also has many strong poker rooms available that cater to USA players. Cake Poker, for example is one of the poker rooms which are currently dealing cards and taking bets to and from American based poker lovers.

Proprietary platforms are also still assisting players in their poker playing needs. Sites like Luvin Poker on the Everleaf Poker Network and many others that use their own software are still allowing registration and deposits for USA players.

As you can see, the big news yesterday isn’t enough for poker players to stop doing what they love. If you are based in the USA and are looking for an alternative to get in on the action, there are many choices still available.