Getting Started Online - Picking a Site

Fundamentals of Playing Online Texas Hold'em : By Mike Matteo

Picking a Site is an excerpt from the book Fundamentals of Playing Online Texas Hold’em Poker published by Mike Matteo, the Founder and Owner of PlayGreatPoker.com. Read More About Fundamentals of Playing Online Texas Hold'em

If you have never played online before you will need to find and pick a site to start. Not all sites are created equal and you will want to pick one based upon the factors that are important to you. I will highlight some areas that you should research when choosing a site to invest your money into.

• Site Traffic - Generally you want to select a site that has a lot of traffic. The main reason is that there is a high likelihood of finding the tables you want to play available and with a wide choice of games. A word of caution, sites with the most players are known to have the most skilled players as well. Sometimes you can find a site that has less traffic, but the competition is weaker at the same stakes.


• Rewards - Most sites offer a reward program. For example, you may get a certain percentage back from the rake based upon how many hands you play per month. These programs typically have escalation levels which give you a higher percentage the more you play. Sites also offer incentives to attract new players. You should look for first time deposit bonuses. Sites can offer a 100% match for opening an account which generally is phased in as you play. Be sure to read the fine print about these matches. It usually takes a massive amount of hands at the lower levels to get the full 100% matching.


• Rake – The house cut, known as Rake, can be lower online vs live. But you should still research the sites and compare one to another to understand the rake. This is typically not a deal breaker since most sites are similar.


• Site Support - You probably want a site that has good customer support. This can be helpful for anything from loading the client to withdrawing money.

These are some of the most important factors that need to be considered when picking a site which is best for you. To help with your research selecting an online site, you can visit my website at PlayGreatPoker.com. There you will find everything you need to help you pick the best site for you.



If you are just starting to play online for the first time, then you should crawl before you walk. Resist the temptation to sign up, deposit money, and go straight to the highest stakes you think you should be playing.

Here are some steps and considerations that can give you some guidance into the online world of poker.

• Poker Client – After signing up to a site the next step is to download the Poker Client. This is almost always quite small and shouldn’t take very long to download.


• Screen Name -- What should your screen name be? It’s up to you. Screen names come in all forms. Some use their real name as part of their screen name while others pick letters and characters that make no sense whatsoever. There are some who think the screen name can affect the game. For example, if you have a screen name that suggests you are a loose player and love action but are actually a tight player, that could give you an edge.


• Navigation - Once you start playing you don't want to lose money while getting familiar with the interface of the poker client. You should consider playing low stakes or even for free until you are comfortable with the navigation. You should experiment until you are comfortable with features like call, fold, raise, hand history, the chat window, buying chips, and rebuy options.


• Lobby Stats -- most if not all poker clients have lobby stats. Here you can see all the tables with stakes and number of players. These stats can become useful in choosing the best tables once you are comfortable online.


• Heads up Display - when you first start online you may not have a HUD from the first hand, but you should be thinking about getting a HUD soon after getting comfortable playing online. Many of the Poker tracking software packages with HUDs can be downloaded with a free trial period. You should do some research and try one or more to see how you like them and ensure they work on your site. The sooner the better. Beware that some sites do not allow HUDs, so make sure you check if your site allows HUDs before making any investment. For help researching poker tracking software packages, you can visit PlayGreatPoker.com.

Playing from your computer is different than a home game or Casino. You will need to make sure you are set up to play at your best all the time. A good computer setup and an environment that will instill discipline to the game are good places to start. Here are some considerations for setting up and playing online.

• Computer Setup - You can play online using a Smartphone, iPad, or almost any mobile device. But if you want to play multiple tables you will want to use your computer. You should strive to have a computer with a large monitor or even dual monitors to ensure you can play multiple tables with no problem.


• I would advise that you don't watch TV, Text Message, check Social Media, or Drink while you are playing. When you play, you should concentrate only on the game.
• Don’t surf the Internet while you are playing -- if you have extra time between hands, either add another table or use the Poker tracking software to analyze the other players you are playing against.

This is the most important question. When you start playing online you will need to find the level which is right for you. There is no easy answer. It all depends on your skill, your tolerance for variance, and your bankroll, which we will explore more in a later chapter on Bankroll Management.

In a perfect world, you would start at a very low level like 5\10 cents, play at that level and gauge your skill level against the other players. Once you are comfortable try adding an extra table or two. When you are consistently winning at that level you can consider moving up.

Once you have moved up, repeat the same steps. Keep moving up in stakes until you hit your ideal level. Be aware that the players are going to get better at each level. Be prepared to move back down if you hit a level that you are not ready for.

Unfortunately, this is not a perfect world and most players probably will do the exact opposite. They will start too high and move down losing money until they find the level where they have an edge. By that time, they are already in a deep hole.

Another consideration is your bankroll and tolerance for variance. Tables are available from 1/2 cent blinds all the way up to as high as you want to play like $25/$50 blinds and everything in-between. Based on what your bankroll represents can be a factor. If the money you are playing with is totally recreational and you can easily make another deposit, then you can probably risk starting at a higher level. If you are going to have a hard time replacing the money if you lose your deposit then the safe and recommended method is the one mentioned earlier in this section. That means beginning at lower stakes than even you think you should and start your upward journey methodically.

Don’t compare online table stakes to stakes at a live casino. Remember online you can and probably will be playing multiple tables while playing many more hands per hour. Due to this extreme number of hands per hour online vs live, you can play at a lower level and still risk the same amount of money as you would in a live casino at higher stakes.

Think about a 25\50 cent table with a maximum buy-in of $50. This may not sound like a lot for someone playing $1\$2 live. But remember you could play multiple tables at once. It would not be out of the question to win or lose well over $100 in a few hours.


Getting started online can be exciting. Resist the urge to just pick the first site you hear about, sign up, and start playing. Do some research and read some reviews first. Most importantly, when playing online start at a lower level than you think you should and work your way up.

One last thing about playing online for the first time. As previously mentioned, players are more skilled at lower betting levels than at a casino. This is not just my opinion. If you listen to any of the poker podcasts, you will routinely hear the show hosts, as well as the guests who are professional players, talk about the higher level of skill of the online players vs players at a casino.