Playing poker online is great fun and also gives you a chance to win some money – but what if you are new to this card game and need to practice before staking your own money? What are the best ways of doing this without any risk?
Try a demo game with dummy money
Some online casinos and poker sites let you try out their games without staking any cash. These sites let you play demo versions of the game with dummy money. The game is exactly the same as the version that you can stake on, with the exception that dummy cash is used.
Naturally, you can’t win any money. On the other hand, you can’t lose it either. This is just about learning the rules and trying out different strategies until you feel more comfortable. Even if you are pretty experienced at playing poker, you might want to occasionally play a demo game to expand your available strategies or just take it easy with no money at stake.
On some casinos, you will need to sign up as a member to play their demo games. In other cases, anyone can start doing this without signing up or making any sort of deposit. Just look for the ‘demo’ sign on the games in the lobby.
Look for a bonus offer
What if you want to play poker for real cash but don’t want to use your own money as the stake? The best way of getting the thrill of real-money games with no risk is by finding a casino that offers you a nice bonus offer.
For example, when looking for the best NJ online casino, you will find that you can receive up to $1,000 in casino bonus from the likes of Resorts Casino. This is carried out as a 100% cash match on the amount you deposit, meaning that you get to play with double the amount you put down.
Remember to check the terms and conditions of these offers, as you will typically need to play through your winnings a fixed number of times before being able to withdraw them. Some casinos may also vary the requirements according to the exact games you play with them.
Watch other people play
Finally, you might feel that you could learn a thing or two from other, more experienced players. In this case, you could look for a game where you can join the table solely as a spectator so that you can pick up tips from the people you watch.
If you don’t see this option, then you could look to try a game that lets you use a very small stake that you don’t mind risking. Best of all, you could combine this approach to practicing with the use of bonus funds to try to win real money for free as you learn.
Don’t feel the need to rush into playing poker for big stakes before you are ready. Any of these tactics that we have covered can help you to feel more comfortable when you start playing online.