How to Enjoy Poker for Free
There is a myth that poker has to be expensive. It is easy to see how such a myth became 'common knowledge'. One look at all the:
- Million dollar prizes being offered
- Poker professionals being treated more like rock stars
- The massive number of people gambling
For most people, poker is about playing for money. It’s about how much you win or how much you lose. But it doesn't have to be that way. There are a lot of ways you can enjoy the thrills and fun of online poker for free.
Playing Poker with Friends for Free
The obvious way to enjoy poker for free is to play with your friends for chips with no corresponding monetary value. Getting together with friends is always fun, but having some kind of structured activity like free poker ads another dimension to the get-together. Play free poker in a hassle free environment, somewhere you feel safe – and can have a few beers.
One of the great beauties of this method is that you can have more than a few beers and, as long as you are just betting matchsticks rather than real money, you will be able to do so without worrying that you are losing money. You get to hang out with friends and relax. Playing poker with your friends can be both free and fun.
Play Poker for Free Online
All Internet cardrooms offer free poker as an option. (They usually call
the free poker games "play money" poker.) These play money poker tables can
be a great introduction to how the mechanics of the game work.
Some people think that poker without money on the line makes as much sense as beer without alcohol, but there are advantages to free online poker:
- It's 100% legal almost anywhere.
- You'll never lose any money playing free poker.
- Free games are available 24/7.
If you're into Texas holdem, then this new site, Zodiac Holdem, is a great place to play free poker.
No Cost Poker Competitions
One way many Internet cardrooms like to attract new users to their poker sites is to run free poker competitions, known as “freerolls”. Some poker websites run dozens of freerolls a day.
The poker site benefits because a percentage of freeroll players eventually deposit money and become real money players. You benefit because the final prize in any freeroll is 100% overlay. Since you're risking $0 to win something, the expected value is off the charts.
Amateur Poker Leagues
Bar
poker and amateur poker leagues are sprouting up constantly everywhere.
These free poker competitions provide the excitement of live poker in a
relaxed and comfortable environment. To find these games is as easy as
asking around.
Sometimes these bar poker leagues will offer prizes with some monetary value, but many of them just provide points or bragging rights. Either way, free poker with an amateur poker league in bar can be a fun and casual way to get some poker excitement without risking any money.
This page about how to enjoy free poker was last updated on May 31, 2011.
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