Interview With an Online Poker Player: Part One

Somewhere in the back of my mind I remember a science fiction novella about the future. People lived underground in cubicles they never left. They operated by committee, never alone, and were secure in their cocoons. One day this writer's son knocked on her cubicle door, startling her -- no one ever came to another person's door, you see. The young man was there to warn her that the system was failing. He wanted her to work her way to topside and get out before everything broke down. But everything she needed was right there within arm's reach and she couldn't imagine this disappearing yet along having to live without it.

So it is that a friend of mine decided to give online poker a try.

"Hey, I don't have to look at some of those ugly faces; I don't have to inhale their secondhand smoke; and best of all, I don't have to be away from my comfort zone. I can choose my own games; I can bring my own food or drinks."

While we were discussing the various pros and cons of cyber poker, I realized this would be a great opportunity to put together kind of a blog based on his experiences. Not only could this be interesting reading but also, it might help other newcomers get a better feel for what it's like to play poker on the computer.

His name isn't Paul but that's what I'll call him since he's fairly strict about personal security. Paul's computer experience has grown over the years; he was a hardcore AOL user who had to make the transition to high-speed access and Internet Explorer to ensure that AOL would not hog his system resources while he was playing online. While this shouldn't be a problem for people who have plenty of memory, Paul's 128k just wasn't up to snuff. (He's since added k.)

Paul's first step was to read up on online poker at www.holdemtips.com. Next, he clicked on one of the banner ads on that site and downloaded the software.

Before he committed real money, he decided to play some of the free games. This turned out to be an excellent idea because even though he has plenty of poker experience, he doesn't have any when it comes to online games.

"Before I even played, I watched some of the live money action," Paul told me. "And I really had to pay attention. There was so much going on. I'd try to figure out who won what and they were into the next hand."

Paul's advice? "If the site you choose has a Getting Started section, read it. There are a lot of buttons and boxes so it helps to familiarize yourself with them and it will make your transition into the game saner."

Paul of got into the rhythm of the game after watching for about a half hour but wanted additional feedback so he checked out the play money area and grabbed a seat.

"I think it's a good idea for beginners to play for free two or three sessions so your eyes get used to following the action and you get used to the various buttons. The dealer's summary goes by very fast, for example, so you'll need to be trained, so to speak, to know where to look when."

After two sessions of free play, Paul funded his account from Neteller and started to play.

"It's not bad," he said. "This online stuff works. Now that I have the hang of it, I might even order my groceries online!"