Here is a step-by-step guide to launch your online gaming experience. If you are anything like me, you may be hesitant to start playing online. There are so many options and it can be hard to decide exactly how to start. It took me three months from the time I downloaded my first poker software to actually play in my first online game. I just wish I had a list like this to help me back then. This list is written with poker in mind, but getting set up to play at a casino or sportsbook will follow the same process. As a side note, one of the largest reservations about playing online for me was the security of my money and trustworthiness of the sites I wanted to play at. Of course there are no guarantees in life, but I have personal experience with every poker room listed on this site and have never had any problem with the security of my money. I currently have money in accounts at some of them, will have in all of them again and will continue in the future without any concern.
Set up a normal bank account, either checking or savings. (You probably already have one.) Though I use my personal account, many players set up a different account just for online play.
Go to neteller.com or firepay.com and set up an online payment account. These both operate like a Paypal account. You may be asking why can't I just use Paypal? Paypal won't authorize payments to poker rooms, casinos or sportsbooks. I use and recommend neteller, but firepay operates the same way so either choice is ok. When you set up your account you will link it directly to your normal bank account from step one. You can then transfer money from your bank to neteller or firepay and back. If you use neteller, request the free ATM card. It gives you fast access to your funds if you need them. Then any deposits you make to a poker room or withdrawals of winnings are to/from neteller/firepay. Some poker rooms and casinos even give you an added bonus for using neteller.
This step is optional but I highly recommend it. It will pay for itself many times over. Download Pokertracker and use it from the first hand you play online. You can download and try it out for free (no credit card needed). I use it and wish I had known about it two years ago. You can click on the link in this step or go to the software page to order it.
Go to the site reviews or site of the month page and choose a poker room. For specific advice depending on your bankroll see below.
Go to the site you select and download their free software.
Set up your account. You will need to choose a name to play under and a password. I use the same name at most sites I play, but you may have a different one at each site if you wish.
Play in a few play money games to get a feel for the speed of online play and to get used to all of the controls. All of the poker sites offer play money tables that are available even before you make a deposit.
Go to the cashier section of the poker site and use neteller/firepay to make a deposit.
When you start playing for real money, start at a level one or two steps below what you are comfortable with. Do not jump into a high level game at first. I still occasionally play in .50/1.00 games at times as a way to relax.
Progress to higher limits slowly. Make sure your bankroll and comfort level can handle each higher level. Also there is no shame in dropping back a level if you need to.
When you are ready to cash out any winnings, go to the cashier section and request a pay out.
Depending on your starting bankroll, here are a few suggestions on where to play first, second etc.
I recommend starting at Superior Poker because of their sign up bonus and customer service. If you have any questions or problems, and the first time is the scariest, they do the best job taking care of them. Of course you can continue to play there forever, but if you decide to try another site, download Paradise, Ultimate Bet or Party Poker. Don't download one of them until you have $500 to deposit so you can get the maximum bonus. After doing these steps you will be able to decide which site you like the best and play there most of the time. If I could only choose one site, it would be Superior Poker.