Most poker players are between 20 and 35 years old, but the prevalence of
online poker sites is allowing younger players to get more experience. This
means that anywhere you go, you'll likely run into someone that has the
poker itch.
Many of the biggest poker websites offer two flavors - a gambling site,
where you will usually give your credit card information and bet real
currency, and a non-gambling site, where you bet valueless tokens and don't
risk any real money. Some of these sites are Pokerstars.net,
Worldpokertour.com, Binions.com, and Pokerschoolonline.com, although there
are hundreds out there. Play well enough here and you may have a chance to
win an invitiation to a real tournament and win some big prizes.
If you have the urge, ask around your circle of friends and neighbors -
undoubtably, you will either find a weekly game scheduled or enough people
interested that you could start your own. Most games include chips and
betting, with moderately small buy-ins - the amount of money you have to
contribute to the winning pot. These buy-ins are set before gameplay
begins, and can range from $20 to $100 for a full set of chips; the higher
prices keep the rookies out and are more competitive. Once you are out of
chips, you're done until the next game begins, and the winner takes the full
pot.
Casino poker playing is often found at the larger venues, and prepare to
spend some quality time playing the game here. Antes for playing are
higher, from $100 to $1000 or higher, and gameplay is serious and
professional. With skill, you can win your way into invitational
tournaments, which take everything up a notch: antes are sometimes included
with your invitation but may be separate and in the tens of thousands of
dollars. Prizes are often awarded not only to the winner but also to the
runners-up, with the grand prize valued up to hundreds or thousands of
dollars or more. Clearly, these are the most serious players who frown at
newcomers and welcome peers.
