Online poker
Online poker is poker that is played online over the internet. In so-called online poker rooms, registered players can either play for fictitious play money or for real money.
Legal position
The legality of online poker is questionable in many jurisdictions due to the possibility of real money wagering. As a result, many online poker providers have their headquarters in countries where the legal situation is clearer and more favorable for them.
- Germany : German criminal law generally only permits games of chance to be operated with a corresponding license. Both offering (Section 284 of the Criminal Code) and participation (Section 285 of the German Criminal Code) in unauthorized games of chance are generally punishable, this also applies to online casinos. Online gambling is generally prohibited by the State Treaty on Gambling , State Treaty on Gambling § 4 Section 4: "The organizing and brokering of public games of chance on the Internet is prohibited."
- Austria : In Austria it is currently only allowed to play via the win2day portal . Otherwise, according to the Federal Ministry of Finance : "The promotion and offering of foreign or otherwise illegal games of chance in Austria, as well as participation in foreign games of chance from within Germany - also by electronic means - is not permitted!"
- USA : As of October 13, 2006 , money transfers to online gambling sites have been banned. US President George W. Bush signed a law ( Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act ) that was passed by Congress in early October. The law forbids credit card companies, banks, and payment services from transferring money to gambling operators mostly located outside the United States. This means that players can no longer place their stakes and bets online. Some platforms like Partypoker and Titanpoker have since stopped allowing American players on their platforms. On April 15, 2011, also known as "Black Friday" in the poker community, the FBI blocked the sites Full Tilt Poker, Poker Stars and Absolute Poker in the USA and reported those responsible and the like. a. Accused of money laundering.
- Switzerland : In Switzerland the online poker provider is punished. The player is not subject to the threat of punishment under Art. 56 Para. 1 SBG, but he has to reckon with the fact that money he has invested or won based on Art. 70 of the Swiss Criminal Code of December 21, 1937 (StGB, SR 311.0) criminal proceedings against the provider.
Partial circumvention of the advertising ban
Due to the complicated legal situation and the associated ban on advertising, many poker sites operate their own gaming money sites. The game money pages are used to draw the attention of potential gamblers to the sites, especially since advertising for real money sites is prohibited. The difference, however, is marginal: the .net sites are mostly the play money variants, while the .com sites are the real money sites.
Advantages over traditional poker
Traditional poker used to be played in casinos . For them, however, it was hardly worthwhile to offer poker, so the more profitable slot machines were set up more often. For an online casino, however, poker is more profitable as there are no high fixed costs for staff and rooms and a larger number of gaming tables can be offered. This compensates for the significantly lower minimum stakes.
For the players, the rules are easier to learn than in a casino, as the software supports the player by, for example, indicating who has to bet next. More games per hour are possible thanks to the faster process when dealing with cards and allocating the pot.
The largest poker rooms offer online tournaments where you can qualify for real tournaments in the World Series of Poker or World Poker Tour . In 2003 Chris Moneymaker qualified for the "Main Event" of the WSOP through such an online elimination, which he then won. There were four players at the final table who had qualified through online poker rooms. Greg "Fossilman" Raymer , the 2004 winner , also qualified online.
Special dangers of online poker
Watching your opponent, an essential part of traditional poker , is not possible in online casinos. This eliminates an essential component of the game that could be decisive for the game.
Numerous analysis tools are available in the form of software on the Internet. This can be installed in parallel to the software clients of the best-known providers. After installation, the analysis programs track the progress of the game in progress and deliver z. B. statistical analyzes of the running game, up to suggestions for action for the current game situation. Internet gamers cannot understand whether computer programs, so-called bots, are also participating in online poker in relevant numbers. In the case of human opponents, there is also the risk that they will collude in chat , for example .
Otherwise, there are the same dangers as in classic poker, but to an increased extent due to the higher game speed and constant availability of online casinos. In addition, there is the lack of verification of the emotional or physical condition of the player, as would be ensured in a traditional casino by the employees. The higher speed of online games can also lead to ill-considered actions.
The operators of the online casinos can usually not be legally prosecuted, as they are often based abroad. Both offering (Section 284 of the Criminal Code) and participation (Section 285 of the Criminal Code) in state-unapproved games of chance is prohibited in Germany and can be prosecuted.
Influence on the spread of poker
The many online poker rooms have made a significant contribution to the increase in the popularity of poker worldwide and significantly more poker players are active today than in times when there was no online poker. In addition, spectacular successes such as B. the success of Chris Moneymaker at the World Series of Poker 2003 on the boom. This poker boom also led to the fact that the turnover of the online poker rooms in 2003 was already 34 million US dollars a month. By December 2006, earnings were estimated at $ 100 million a month. Texas Hold'em is the most popular type of poker online.
Rake
Poker rooms earn money by withholding a certain amount from every pot played like in "real" casinos (usually 5% up to a maximum of $ 5). This amount is called "rake". In some poker rooms it is sufficient for a "raked hand" to be given cards, while in others you have to be involved in the pot.
Some providers pay back part of the fees to the players; this repayment is known as rakeback.
currency
Until 2011, the common currency in online poker was the dollar. Even today, the dollar is the most common currency among international providers. In addition, the euro has established itself in order to be able to distinguish the players from Europe from the US players. This was necessary after the American players had to be excluded from the game by many providers due to the legal situation in the USA.
bonus
In order to attract new players, the providers lure with bonus offers. Usually the player gets an amount between 5 and 150 "real" dollars. However, he has to unlock this amount, which means that he can only really dispose of the money if he has generated rake of a similar amount. In the golden era of online poker between 2004 and 2009, enormous sums of money were invested in player acquisition and no attention was paid to sufficient repayment by the players. This was deliberately exploited by many players - so-called bonus whores. In addition, there were always errors in the bonus systems of the providers, which allowed the players to earn enormous sums of bonus money.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Hamburg Justice: Law on the State Treaty on Gambling ( Memento from August 4, 2012 in the web archive archive.today )
- ↑ Federal Ministry of Finance: Frequently asked questions about the gambling monopoly (FAQs) ( Memento from January 15, 2012 in the Internet Archive )