Can I Trust Online Poker Sites

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04/11/2009

Can I Trust Online Poker Sites

It's the eternal question of the would-be poker player who is preparing for online gambling escapades - can I trust online poker site? To many people it seems a ridiculous question; of course you can, these are multi-million dollar sites that would be destroyed overnight if a rigging story ever came to light, but is it really that simple?

Sadly due to strict gambling laws in the United States most online poker sites are actually run offshore, in many cases in parts of the world where the law may not be as rigorously applied. Technically it would also be very simple for a programmer to rig a game in the favour of an AI player. Still there is always the risk of a whistle-blower coming out of the woodwork, and with such high profits why would any site risk their reputation?

When you play with the larger sites you can usually rest assured everything is most likely above board. They are legitimate, well run businesses with well respected directors and too much to lose scamming. However some of the smaller sites may not be so trust worthy, and if you do decide to play on one of these you should take a few precautions.

The most common scam is actually not pulled by the casino at all. It's other players using "bots" to play multiple hands at the same time. A good bot is well capable of beating the average human. A little research will show plenty of sites which have been exploited in this manner. Not illegal, but certainly not the sort of places we want to be having a Saturday evening of fun, that's for sure! So firstly do some research and find out if the site you are planning to play on has been exploited (beware though, there are plenty of unfounded accusations out there). Most sites are pretty strict on bots and have safeguards in place. An easy way to check is a quick "hello" to everyone in the room - if you get replies you know you're most likely playing with humans!

Another potential scam is for one of the players in the room to actually be a casino player, who "conveniently" gets a royal flush the same time you get 4 of a kind! There are plenty of horror stories out there, and most - if not all - are just poker throwing up its usually mix of hands that sometimes hit you hard. If you do suspect a site though, simply stop playing an cash your remaining chips.

Finally choose a reputable casino. You wouldn't buy a new car from a cowboy, and you shouldn't be placing your money with dodgy sites either. There are plenty of tried and tested sites out there, make sure you pick one who can be relied on for honesty.

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