While online poker is legal in most states, its interpretation of the 1961 Wire Act effectively banned online play in the United States until 2011. In 2011, the Office of Legal Counsel revised this interpretation, urging it to be more specific about its reach. With each passing year, it seems less likely to happen. Nonetheless, you should keep an eye out for sweepstakes and promotions. Once you’ve found a great site, you can practice and test the waters.
If you’re a new player to online poker, here’s some advice: don’t play poor hands. While online poker can be fun, it can get a bit tedious when the cards aren’t in your favor. To combat this problem, try playing fast-fold cash games such as turbo Sit ‘n Gos. In addition, be careful not to overextend yourself by playing too many hands and losing your money.
While online poker has become extremely popular worldwide, Illinois doesn’t have a legal monopoly on it. While many states have legalized online gambling, Illinois doesn’t. That means that there are a large number of unregulated sites that operate from outside of the US. These sites are not subject to the same regulatory standards as regulated gaming in Illinois, so there is a chance that they won’t be safe to play on.