Getting Started

To get you playing online texas holdem poker, the first step is to establish an account on one or several poker rooms. This page will explain the process one goes through to set up an online poker player account.

By the end of this page, you will know how to.

• Go to a poker room and download and then install the client software to run the program.
• Install the poker software and get it ready for use.
• Differentiate among the different sites as to the bonuses and other benefits they offer their players.
• Access options one may use in transferring funds to play with in “real money” games.
• Request that your winnings be sent to you.

Once through the minor drudgery of establishing the poker player account is complete, you’ll be able to move on the main part of this site section - actually playing Texas Holdem!

Minimal System Requirements for poker software.

Poker rooms operate under the same constraints as other software applications developers in that they are motivated to provide the best, most functional, and most aesthetically pleasing sites for their players within the bounds of what their typical customer will have under their computer’s hood. Because of this, the newest computers will have horsepower to spare, while the older ones will have the hamster or squirrel in the computer’s guts, running flat out to handle the software client’s demands. As of this site section writing, here is what PokerStars.com recommended as its minimum hardware configuration:

• Operating System: Windows 95 or newer or Macintosh OS 9 with the Microsoft Virtual PC Windows emulator
• Processor Speed: Windows: Pentium 200MMX, Macintosh: 500MHz G3 or G4
• Memory: Windows: 32MB, Macintosh: 192MB
• Free Hard Drive Space: Windows: 20MB, Macintosh: 2GB (to accommodate the Microsoft Virtual PC)
• Modem: 28.8Kbps

As you can see, most computers are readily able to handle the software’s required workload.

If you don’t have a computer that meets these specifications, it may be best to buy one first. It used to be that $1,500 or so was the minimum price for a decent computer.

As of July 2008, computers for $500 and less are commonplace in the U.S.

Selecting a Poker Room and Installing the Software

Armed with a sufficiently burly computer, you are now ready to head out on the Internet and find one or several poker sites (rooms) in which to play holdem. The question now becomes, Where should I play texas holdem? One way to decide is to follow the RoomReview.Net and get on the most popular texas holdem poker room.

May We Suggest. . .

Learn how to navigate the sites and play the poker games using “play money”, as it won’t cost you any actual money if you mistakenly fold when you have the best possible hand. Imagine, you’re just about to win a big pot in a tournament that will guarantee you’ll be “in the money,” but through some silly mistake you hit the wrong button and fold! Another common rookie mistake comes in not knowing how to use the “slide bar” in poker games in which a bet may vary in amount. If what you just read looks like English, but you have no idea what the heck it’s saying, you should definitely begin on the play money tables. We would never presume to tell you how to go about your business, but do realize that once you become comfortable with the mechanics of play over a short period of time, you’ll have the rest of your life to play! Don’t feel rushed; there’s always a game. Don’t think so? Log on at any time of day and see if a game in which you might want to play has a seat available in less than 20 minutes. We can’t guarantee there will always be one, but gaps will be few and far between.

A quick visit to RoomReview.net established that the most popular online room at the moment these words were written was PokerStars. But there are other well-established rooms: PartyPoker, Full Tilt Poker, and SportsBook Poker make strong showings. We aren’t sponsored by any poker rooms and don’t recommend one over another, but for this example let’s be followers and go to www.partypoker.com to download the software. Here’s a screenshot of the main page. Can you find something to click on to get the program on your computer?

Pretty obvious, isn’t it? The entire raison d’etre of the Web page is to get you to download the poker software and start playing. Once you’ve done that, there’s no reason to go back to the page if all you do is play cards. All, or nearly all, functionality is handled by the poker client software on your machine.

After clicking the Download link, follow the instructions to install the software. To conserve space for more actual poker play discussion on later pages, we’ll assume you know how to install poker software. If you haven’t done it before, you should be able to simply follow the prompts until you get to the magic Finish button. Do be aware that at some point in the process you will be required to accept a user’s agreement of some sort. Read it carefully if you are concerned about what, if any, spyware and/or marketing permissions you’re granting the company. If you can live with the conditions, hit Accept and move on. If not, you won’t be able to install the poker software, but you will have preserved your privacy. Call or e-mail the company with any questions you may have, and don’t install the software until you’re satisfied with the answers they give you.

When you establish your player account, you will be required to provide your real name and other information, including a valid e-mail address and your current mailing address. This is used to send you your winnings. You will also be asked to establish a screen name. Some try to be funny (Hugh_Jass still makes us laugh), while others try to intimidate (Cap_It).

What you do is up to you.

To be continued…