According to Celebrity Apprentice Joan Rivers, professional poker players are “beyond white trash.” But I bet you could find millions of poker fans who disagree with that assessment. In fact, poker is wildly popular right now and so are its practitioners. This is evidenced by the fact that poker players like Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Mike Matusow, Phil Gordon 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 online poker sites. Some have actually been very successful and because of this many more people have become online poker millionaires. These successful poker players are sometimes surprising, because there are almost as many teenagers and people in their early-twenties as there are seasoned professionals. Unfortunately, for every new batch of successful poker players, there are also those who have been victims of Internet gambling scams. These scams happen to mostly new players, because they are lured by the promise of easy money and don’t do their homework first.
To make sure you don’t fall into this same trap, the following points can help you determine whether a site is 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 a site passes the first three requirements, do several small test transactions before you put up any major money. These will reveal a lot about the integrity 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 be sure to do your due diligence first, so any success you achieve won’t be spoiled by regret.