Online Poker Players Are Society’s New Celebrities

If you believe what Celebrity Apprentice Joan Rivers says, poker players are “beyond white trash.” But I bet you could find millions of poker fans who disagree with that assessment. As a matter of fact, poker is wildly popular right now and so are its practitioners. This is evidenced by the fact that poker players like Jennifer Harmon, Phil Gordon, Mike “The Mouth” Matusow and many others have achieved enormous celebrity status in recent years.

This surge in popularity has caused many to try their hand, so to speak, at making a living playing on on-line poker websites. Some have actually been very successful and because of this many more people have become Internet poker millionaires. These poker successes are not always who you would expect them to be, because they’re often quite young and not seasoned pros. Unfortunately, for every new batch of successful poker players, there are also those who have been victims of Internet poker scams. Mostly new players step into this trap, because they don’t know how to verify a gambling site’s bona fides.

To make sure the same thing doesn’t happen to you, the following tips can help you assess whether a site has the potential to be a scam:

• If the site doesn’t look professional, don’t even register there. Sub-standard construction could be an indicator of the work of a quick-buck artist or a cash-strapped owner who may go belly-up and take your winnings with him.
• Check if the site or its owners are members of the Interactive Gaming Council (IGC). IGC members agree to adhere to a code of ethics.
• Make sure the site has 24-hour support with a toll-free phone number and e-mail.
• If the site looks professional, is an IGC member and has good contact info, do several small transactions as tests before you put up any major money. These will reveal a lot about the quality of the site.

Everyone has to start somewhere, so there’s no reason why with a little luck and a lot of practice you couldn’t become one of online poker’s stars. Just make sure to do your homework first, so your success won’t be tainted by regret.