Playing Holdem Online - with or without $$

[jabaco]

I am based in the U.S. I wondered if someone could please suggest a good poker website where I could practice my holdem play without necessarily playing for money, if such a site still exists. I had enjoyed playing at mansionpoker.net, but that site was closed to US residents today.

[yskhyr]

I think partypoker.com is still open for US no limit texas holdem players

[Tommy1234]

Pokerstars. Have fun!

[Orlando Salazar]

If you know the basic rules, playing poker for play money is like target practice with blanks.

[Nairb]

I believe all the sites are still open for free play, just with a .net address not the .com address. IMHO you will not gain much usable experience because of the lack of reality in situations on the play money tables. Even the $1 tables on Stars represent a more realistic poker experience. When I first started my online bankroll I was able to build from $50 to just over $200 in a couple of months playing $1.10 SNG(18 person) exclusively. Then moved to $3.40 and 3.25(6man) and now am on the 12's and the 16's. Play money tables really just piss you off and in my experience can hurt more than help when you start playing for real $$$. They bear no resemblance to the play even at the smallest buy ins on the money tables.

My .02

[IvanXDurham]

Pokerstars. Hands down.

"Come test your skills against me at the 50k SNG's"

[img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] .......no, seriously.

[jabaco]

Thanks, Tom!

[IvanXDurham]

if you end up playing stars, i play under 'XO, MOM' and 'Dayvid_Brent'

[jabaco]

Thanks veru much for the insights. You are right about the worthlessness of playing for funchips - the play is so completely random since it doesn't cost anything.

Two followup questions please. (1) If I am in the U.S., how can I play online for $$ given the U.S. anti-gambling restrictions? (2) Would this be obvious from the company's website? Thanks!

[misclick odds]

i started my roll selling playchips. 1 mil play chips for 10 bucks. i peaked at 1600, but im down to around 360 due to a bad downswing. ive went down and im rebuilding now.

and if i recall, stars allows US deposits