From Vegas to Hollywood: Professional Poker Players are Today’s New Celebs
According to Celebrity Apprentice Joan Rivers, poker players are “beyond white trash.” But I bet you could find millions of poker fans who disagree with that assessment. As a matter of fact, poker is wildly popular right now and so are its practitioners. This is evidenced by the fact that poker players like Annie Duke, Phil Gordon, Mike “The Mouth” Matusow and many others have achieved huge celebrity status in recent years.
This surge in popularity has caused many to try their hand, so to speak, at making a living playing on Internet casino websites. Some have actually been very successful and as a result, poker has created a whole new wave of Internet millionaires. These poker successes are not always who you would expect them to be, because they’re often quite young and not seasoned professionals. But for every group of successful poker players, there are also plenty of people who are victims of online gambling scams. These scams befall mostly new players, because they are lured by the promise of easy money and don’t do their homework first.
To make sure you don’t fall into this same trap, the following points can help you determine whether a site is a scam:
- If the site doesn’t look professional, don’t play there. Sub-standard construction could be an indicator of the work of a quick-buck artist or a cash-strapped owner who may go belly-up and take your winnings with him.
- Check if the site or its owners are members of the Interactive Gaming Council (IGC). IGC members pledge to follow a code of ethics.
- Make sure the site has 24-hour support with a toll-free phone number and e-mail.
- If a site passes the first three requirements, do several small test transactions before you put up any major money. These should tell you a lot about the workings of the site.
Everyone has to start somewhere, so there’s no reason why with a little luck and a lot of practice you couldn’t become one of online poker’s stars. Just make sure to do your homework first, so your success won’t be tainted by regret.