Online Poker Rooms - The Community Feel
Online poker rooms can form a real community. Hang out at poker sites and you'll make great friends that you'll want to hang out with even outside of the poker game.
Finding the Right Poker Community
Some poker sites really work to build a community, while others just give you a place to play poker games. If you're looking for a way to make friends and get to know people, the opening page of the website is a good place to start. If the poker site talks all about winning big and doesn't mention anything about the players, you can look elsewhere. If the site talks about players and chats and meetups, then you're on the right track for finding a poker community. One down side to many poker sites is that you can't find out what the community is like when you play for free. Sometimes, though, you'll find people waiting for a tournament in the free rooms, so you don't automatically have to deposit to find out if a site is social enough for you.
Starting Off on the Right Foot
You shouldn't go into a poker room and start chatting up the ladies, asking them all out on dates. You also shouldn't ask for age, sex, and location immediately. First, get to know the people in the room. Ask them who's new to the site, what their favorite game is, something a little less personal. When you've spent some time getting to know people, they're more likely to open up to you. Even when people open up to you, you shouldn't ask them for personal information right away. A lot of online poker players are quite fearful of identity theft, and will be afraid that you're trying to steal from them. In addition, many people are afraid of their internet chat friends becoming real-life stalkers. Be sure you're not projecting that image!
What Can a Poker Community Do For You?
Being a member of an active poker community has many benefits. First and foremost are the obvious benefits of being kept in the loop about poker events. For example, if there are great freerolls on Sundays, then your online poker friends will let you know. If you have the opportunity to play in a satellite tournament, then you'll be sure to tell your poker friends when the satellite is. Poker buddies will help you find the best ways to maximize your poker winnings.
What Should I Be Wary Of?
When you're joining a poker community, you need to be wary of people who ask for too much information. Remember that nothing you say in chat is safe. Assume that even your private chats are public information. Don't ever give more information than you feel comfortable giving. Remember that site administrators will never ask you for your login information or credit card information in the poker room chat. They'll always ask by email or telephone. Don't give information to anyone unless you're convinced that they are who they say they are. Making online friends can be a lot of fun, but making mistakes can be devastating.