Downloadable Texas Holdem

One of the best things to happen to Texas holdem in the last
20 years is the ability to play online. Now you can play online
using your desk top or lap top computer, or on the go using your
tablet or smart phone.

We cover many of these options on other pages, but on this
page you can learn everything you need to know about downloading
a software package that lets you play real Texas holdem on your
computer.

How to Download Texas Holdem

When you download the software needed to play Texas holdem
online you get something often called a software or poker room
client from a server. It’s installed on your hard drive and
creates a shortcut on your main desktop screen that you can
click on to access the games.

You have to be connected to the internet because when you log
on the software on your hard drive communicates with the servers
of the poker room. Once you log on and your computer
communicates with the server you can join a table and start
playing.

In order to get a download started you visit the poker room’s
main web site, click on the download button, and follow the
directions. Overall it’s simple and easy.

A few poker rooms use a no download solution. These games
load in your web browser instead of downloading a client onto
your hard drive.

What’s a Poker Network?

When you download the software and log in to start playing
you see players and tables where you can join games. What many
players don’t now is some poker rooms share players so they have
enough to offer plenty of table options to players.

Some poker rooms, like PokerStars, have enough traffic so
they don’t share players across a network. But some large rooms
are parts of networks also.

Bodog and Bovada are technically a network as the players
from both rooms play on the same tables and servers.

From a player’s perspective you don’t need to worry about
whether a poker room is part of a network or not. If the room
has enough tables and players to meet your needs you can start
playing without worrying about networks.

Free Play Download

After you get the poker room software downloaded you don’t
have to start playing Texas holdem for real money. You can try
out the software and learn how it works by playing a few hands
at the free money tables.

The controls, game play, sounds, and visual items are exactly
the same as when you play for real money, but you don’t have to
worry about finding the right button in time or making a big
mistake at the free tables.

Real Money Holdem Download

When you’re ready to play real money Texas holdem all you
have to do is make a deposit and join a table. This is easy to
do and you can get started in no time.

Find the cashier button or area once you log into the poker
room client. Once you enter the cashier screen click on deposit
and you’ll see which methods you can use to play. Credit card
deposits are the most popular in some areas, while other areas
use online e-wallet accounts like Neteller.

Your options for making a deposit and which rooms allow you
to play for real money depend on where you live. In areas where
online poker is licensed and regulated players have plenty of
safe deposit options and poker room options.

But if you live somewhere like the US you may have trouble
finding ways to make a deposit. You can find poker rooms that
accept US players, but banks don’t like to move money into and
out of online casinos for US players, except the ones lucky
enough to live where online play is regulated.

If you have trouble finding a safe deposit method, contact
the support department of the poker room. They have plenty of
experience helping new players get started and they should know
the best ways for players in your area to get money deposited
into the poker room.

Bonuses

When you get ready to make a deposit, see if you qualify for
a sign up bonus. Most poker rooms offer a matching bonus for new
players and many also offer bonuses for players who want to make
additional deposits.

Sign up bonuses at most poker rooms are a 100% match up to a
certain amount.

Always make sure you read all of the terms and conditions for
the poker bonus before you make a deposit. If you don’t
understand how something works ask support. Keep a record of
what they tell you so you can refer back to it later if you need
to do so. Using email makes this easy to do.

System Requirements

When you get ready to download a poker room software solution
you can read the minimum system requirements linked to from the
download page. Most players don’t read them or have a problem,
but if you have an old computer you may want to check the out.

The biggest issue players have is when they have a slow or
unstable internet connection. This can create issues including
being disconnected while playing and lag times that cause you to
miss a play at the table. Both of these things are aggravating
and can cost you money in the long run.

Location Restrictions

Players from all over the world can play free Texas holdem
after downloading the software client. But in some jurisdictions
real money poker play is restricted or unavailable. You can even
find places where no one seems to know if poker is legal or not.

Most players simply see if they can find a poker room that
accepts their deposits and lets them play and figure if they can
play they won’t have any legal issues. While this has worked out
fairly well for players in most countries it isn’t the type of
thought process that tends to stand up in court if you ever find
yourself facing the judge.

Though it’s not as easy as some methods, the safest way to
find out is to speak with an attorney or find the laws, rules,
and regulations on your local government’s web site. Players in
the UK can find a list of licensed and approved online gambling
establishments on the government web site.

But players in other areas, like most of the United States,
won’t find answers quite so easily. A few states allow online
poker, a few specifically forbid it, and most states don’t
really have any laws currently regulating the market.

One thing you should realize is that in all of these
jurisdictions players can still find real money online Texas
holdem available. Even in places where it’s clearly illegal
players can still find rooms that accept their play.

Conclusion

When Texas holdem first became available online your only
option was to download the software to start playing. At that
time most people who had the internet were using a dial up
connection and it could take hours for the poker room clients to
download.

As far as technology has come over the years, many poker
rooms still let you download the software and the rooms operate
much like they did when they first opened. Some rooms offer
other options, but many still favor a download software package.

The good news is the internet connections seem to be much
better than they were at the beginning so at least the downloads
are faster.