Online poker is hugely popular around the world, with more new players coming on board on a daily basis.
This is a fun game, but it’s also highly skilled, and it challenges individuals on their strategy and their analysis of opponents.
In order to meet the ongoing demand, more poker websites and apps are also appearing. Most are legitimate and trustworthy operators, but sadly, like most areas of e-commerce, there are some scams to avoid.
If you’re interested in joining the millions of poker players online, here’s what you need to do in order to stay vigilant, and away from those damaging scams and bots.
Choose Your Operator Wisely
The first step in avoiding online issues is to play with a recognised and trusted operator. Genuine online poker platforms have been in place for decades, and they have established reputations for trust and fair play over several years.
Anyone with an interest in online casinos will already be familiar with many of the established brand names. If, however, there is any doubt, it’s simple to spot a legitimate operator.
A poker platform offering games with real money stakes has to be licensed and regulated by the relevant authorities. Details of the license have to be displayed on the website and they will usually be shown at the bottom of the homepage. The information can also be verified externally: If, for example, a license number from the United Kingdom Gambling Commission is shown, this can be easily checked on the UKGC website.
A regulated operator means you are playing at a safe and secure website, but it also ensures fair play. This is a key quality, and one that is often lacking at rogue websites.
How to Spot a Bot
Casino games, including poker titles that are run by automated software, are operated using a random number generator. This is a piece of software that is also used by regular video games, and it ensures that every turn of a card produces a random result.
Anyone who has the misfortune to play with a rogue poker operator will find that the patterns of play aren’t so fair. The cards will likely be loaded in favour of the house, and there is little chance of claiming a win.
You should suspect a bot is in play when your opponent isn’t making mistakes. There will be no scope for human error, while their own hands will often be unbeatable. A good tip for all poker players is to start playing with minimum stakes. If your opponent’s play raises any suspicions, quit the table, withdraw your balance immediately, and never return.
Be Aware of Phishing Scams
When you register with a poker site, the operator has access to some of your most personal information. Your banking details are needed in order to make a deposit, while name, address and other contact information will also be required as part of the sign up process.
All of these details are of value to scammers and a rogue website may target you as part of a phishing scam. The advice is to be vigilant and to never give out these details. Phishing attacks may come via emails, text messages, phone calls or suspicious links that appear on the website.
They will often ask for login details, and from there, they will have access to all of that sensitive information. Be wary of phishing scams and never give out passwords or usernames in external communications.
Spotting Rogue Operators
Checking and verifying those license details is the best way to identify a legitimate operator. In terms of rogue platforms, there are other factors used that should raise alarms.
An unlicensed poker website will often send through offers that initially seem to be valuable. They may promise a huge amount of free hands or large sums of bonus cash. When you read the terms and conditions, however, the truth is revealed.
Such offers may well have unrealistic rules applied, such as a wagering requirement of 100x. Others may ask you to deposit larger sums of money in order to trigger bonus funds. In short, if the offer seems too good to be true, it’s likely to be a scam.
Trust Your Instinct
If you are not comfortable with a poker site for any reason, your best option is to walk away. Our instinct is often right when it comes to any rogue area of e-commerce, and this is a wise approach.
There are so many licensed, established, and trustworthy operators in place, so there is no need to take a risk.
It’s unfortunate that scammers will focus on the most popular areas of digital play. Poker is a historic game and one that attracts millions of players, so it’s sadly inevitable that fraudulent activity can arise.
Avoiding such scams and poker bots can never be guaranteed, but by following this advice, you will stand a far greater chance of swerving harmful activity when playing poker online.
