Getting started in Online Poker
Step 3: Make a Deposit
If you completed Step 1 and Step 2, you now have a poker account and your first poker book: Getting Started in Hold ‘em
You are ready to start learning. You can start with the free play money games, but you will need to move to real money games before you can truly learn how to play. The reason is that the players in play money games do not take the game seriously and they do things they would not do with real money. Even the lowest stakes penny games are a better place to learn poker.
You only need a small deposit to get started. You should choose an amount that is affordable for you to invest while maximizing your deposit bonus. All the sites we recommend will give you a 100% match on your money as a first deposit bonus. When choosing your deposit amount, keep in mind that you are just learning. You will need to play stakes that are appropriate for your skill level.
If you cannot spare any money to make a small deposit, you still have an alternative. All the poker sites run freeroll tournaments that pay cash to the winners but are free to enter. These attract thousands of players and registration fills up very quickly. It is possible to use these free tournaments to win a little money to get yourself started. If you choose this route, you will need to devote more time to get going. It is difficult to finish in the money when the field is very large and you run the risk of getting discouraged. It is quicker and easier to deposit $100 to give yourself a head start.
With the right amount of study and discipline, you might never have to make another deposit. Our first deposit was $50. We lost the first $50 but we saw the potential for making lots of money and we were not discouraged. That inspired us to read a poker book before making our second deposit. It was larger ($200) but it was the last one we ever had to make!
There are a variety of deposit options available on all the sites. For players in the United States, funds are most easily deposited using Moneygram or Western Union if you have a location near you. The money will usually appear in your poker account within an hour.
As soon as you have some money in your poker account, you are ready to Build a Bankroll.
If you find our site helpful, please sign up with a poker site on the Make an Account page. It doesn’t cost you anything to sign up, and the sites will help support this poker blog.
