Is Online Poker Rigged?

The first big questions that every new online poker player asks is whether or not online poker is a scam.

Is their money safe? Are the games rigged? If they win, will the poker room make good and deposit their winnings or will the poker room use all the personal information that the player supplies in a nefarious way?

It is very wise to be cautious, especially with your banking information. One of the best ways to be sure of the safety of your cash is to find a bigger poker site to play at. A site that's been around for awhile, with a large player base and a good reputation is not going to steal your money. They have a good profit margin and in a purely business sense, they make more money if they keep you, the player, happy and coming back for more.

Even if you manage to make enough playing poker to use as an income, the site itself still earns money. Some people could even argue that with the US economy in flux that your money is safer in your bankroll, as poker sites don't invest your money the same way banks do. Depending on the laws where they are located, they may not even be allowed to invest it at all!

There is a benefit of playing on a smaller, less well known site, of course. The competition will be much weaker and an experienced player could make a decent profit. The risk however, is that the smaller site does not earn enough money and goes under- so even if you make the educated decision to deposit money on a smaller room it's a good idea to cash out often.

But is that the only risk? Plenty of new players get discouraged after a bad run and question if the cards are rigged. There has been in the past an instance of cheating- but it was dealt with swiftly, the cheat was patched, and the affected parties had their money reimbursed. The poker rooms today track everything, and it is in their best interest to run an honest site. The money they make off the rakes would disappear quickly if people found out they were being scammed.

The biggest poker sites are consistently scrutinized, not just by their own staff but by the millions of players who visit. Even if you were to play in a brick and mortar casino like in Las Vegas, you would still come across bad runs, the cards will swing in your favor and back out again. These are just the odds, the hazards of playing a card game.

The important thing is to remember that yes, luck can change. But it's also wise to patient and smart. Have a solid bankroll that can take a few off cards, but if they're just not going your way it may be time to log out for the night. This will save you from depleting your whole bank account while attempting to change your luck, or by being discouraged and walk away from the great fun and winnings that can be found playing online poker.