Gaming

Why is Online Poker so Popular in the US?

It’s just possible that time you were late to the bar you caught your friend tapping away on his phone and then bought drinks for you all night. Have you considered that he’d just won big on online poker? With the pastime becoming increasingly popular in the US, it’s very possible you know people already playing online poker in their free time.

Even with some US states having strong regulations on online gambling, the online poker community is still predominantly made up of Americans. Around 60% of the 100 million global players are from the US.

Ever Expanding Payment Options

While you might enjoy the thrill of the hand, at the end of the day you want to win some money from playing poker. That will require you a financial system to pay in and collect your winnings. Online poker platforms are among the first outlets to welcome new methods with the majority operating with PayPal, Cryptocurrencies, and Skrill, among others. While you can probably transfer these to hard cash and use them at a traditional casino, that’s not convenient at all. Online poker benefits in popularity from this ease of access to spend and earn money.

Chasing the Big Win and Glory

Casual and seasoned online poker players all play the game to win some money. The majority of Americans who indulge in it have been sold the dream that they could win big and change their lives forever. Since the turn of the decade online poker companies seem to be falling over each other to produce the biggest prize pool. GGPoker started the trend in late 2020 when it put up a whopping $27,559,500 in an online tournament.

Players like Chris Moneymaker and Phil Ivey have only exacerbated the prevalence of the online poker dream with both coming from seemingly humble beginnings before earning lots of money via online poker. If they can do it, anyone can, right? Not everyone can afford the massive buy-ins and casual players just enjoy a cheap hand – but the dream is still there.

Of course, you could just win it all on one hand. Antanas Guoga, or commonly known as Tony G won a staggering $7.75 million on a single hand. He previously served as a Member of the European Parliament for Lithuania, begging the question did he earn more from his vocation as an MEP or from this hand?

Much more affordable to the average American

Online poker tables can often allow low-stakes wagers that aren’t entertained at live poker. If you want to put 10 cents on your hand, you can. Don’t expect a massive return but you’ll probably still have fun. In theory, this type of betting will work out much cheaper for the user. Plus you won’t have to buy a drink or pay for parking or gas to get to the casino. This isn’t even considering all the promotions that companies use to incentivize usage, i.e. one free hand or some complimentary credit.

If you want to see if it’s for you, then you can play here on the best real money online poker sites.

Other advantages over in-person games

Online poker has a multitude of advantages when compared to visiting a tangible casino. Firstly, you don’t have to leave the comfort of your home, nor adhere to a dress code and they’re always open. You can play whenever you like and wherever with the software widely available for all devices and computers.

The tables and game variety are also unparalleled between the two mediums. Online poker has a limitless amount of variations of poker for you to play on. There’s no need to find a free table, click on it and you’ll find a virtual seat online almost every time.

Given that the world has been through an unprecedented global pandemic in the last few years, you don’t have to share cards with anyone else. It might seem trivial but casinos are a hive for infection with chips, cards, and coins consistently changing hands. Playing on your phone at home eliminates this fear.

With the rise of online poker, some traditional brick-and-mortar casinos are trying to cash in on the opportunity by operating their own online poker platform or licensing their brand to other companies to stay relevant in this developing gambling space.

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