The emergence of online poker was a revelation in the world of card games, and it makes a lot of sense that Sweepstakes Poker is now an established presence in the US. One of the most popular competitive gambling games online, Sweepstakes Poker games are the only legal options for Americans outside of a select few states.
The different types of online Sweepstakes Poker games
There are countless variants of poker, but Hold’em and Omaha remain the most popular variants by far. At a Sweepstakes Poker room, as with a traditional online poker room, you’re likely to find these games dominating the selection.
Tournaments and ring games
There are generally two types of poker games: tournaments and ring games, or cash games. In a tournament, a group of players each play the same entry fee and compete for shares of a total prize pool until one player remains. In a ring game, the chips represent actual currency and players can come and go as they please.
No Limit Hold’em
No Limit Hold’em is the most popular variant of poker in the world, mostly due to its simplicity and high levels of action. Players are dealt two cards and must make the best five-card hand from those cards and five shared cards. “No Limit” refers to being able to bet any amount at any time.
Pot Limit Omaha
Pot Limit Omaha is an even more action-packed variant that rapidly grew in popularity after the invention of online poker. Because each player has four cards as well as the shared community cards, it is possible to make much stronger hands than in No Limit Hold’em.
How to get started playing Sweepstakes Poker
If you want to play poker online in the USA then Sweepstakes Poker is the way to go in most states. Here’s how you can sign up and play Sweepstakes Poker to win real money.
Choose your poker room
Check out our reviews page in order to find the best Sweepstakes Casino at which you can play poker. Global Poker is the current market leader and offers the widest range of poker games.
Register and receive a welcome bonus
Sign up to a Sweepstakes Casino or Sweepstakes Poker room and you will receive a bonus of coins, including Sweeps Coins that you can use to play poker and win real money.
Purchase additional coins or get extra bonuses
You can get further free Sweeps Coins by purchasing Gold Coins, using bonuses or requesting them.
Hit the tables and win real money
When you play poker online with Sweeps Coins, any Sweeps Coins you win can be redeemed for cash prizes at a rate of $1 per coin.
Sweepstakes Poker: legality and rules in the USA
While real money online poker is only legal in a handful of states, Sweepstakes Poker is legal in every US state except Washington. This is because sweepstakes, which do not require money to participate, are legal. Because you do not play with real money and the coins with which you play are free, Sweepstakes Poker rooms can operate legally in the US.
Online Sweepstakes Poker strategies
Poker is a simple game to learn, but to become adept takes a lot of practice. It’s a very skilful and tactical game, so be sure to follow some basic strategies in order to win.
Play tight and aggressive
You might think that the best strategy is to play many hands to try and win, but the best players in the world will fold between two-thirds and three-quarters of every hand they are dealt. Be selective with your hands, but be aggressive: don’t be afraid to bet instead of taking the timid route.
Play your position
Poker is all about position. The last player to act has a huge advantage, because they already know what the other players have done. That’s why the pros play three or four times as many hands when last to act as they do when first to act.
Manage your bankroll
As with all forms of betting, it’s vitally important to not risk too much of your bankroll on any one hand or tournament. Risking only a small amount of your total funds at one time is the way to succeed in the long term when playing Sweepstakes Poker.
Can I play Sweepstakes Poker games for free?
Under sweepstakes law, games are free to participate in. You can get free coins when you sign up to a Sweepstakes Poker room and no purchase is necessary to acquire further coins. You can use these coins to play and win real money prizes.
Online Sweepstakes Poker terms every player should know
Poker is a very popular game full of insider terms and slang. You’ll pick it up as you play, but here’s a few pointers to give you a head start.
Check, bet, raise, fold
These are all the actions you can take when it is your turn to act. To check means to do nothing, to bet is to wager some chips, to raise is to increase the last bet, and to fold is to give up on your hand.
Under the gun, on the button
Positions at the poker table all have their own unique names. The positions change as the dealer button rotates around the table. Under the gun is the first player to act, in the worst position. On the button is the last player to act, and is in the best position.
Blinds and antes
Before each hand begins, blinds and antes must be posted. Blinds is a shortened term for “blind bets” that are placed by two players in order to incite action. Antes are blind bets posted by every player at the table.
The nuts
The nuts is the slang term for the best possible hand, usually referring to the highest value combination of cards a player can hold based on the community cards. It can also mean a very, very strong hand but not the literal nuts.
Drawing dead
If you do not have a hand but are only one card away, you are “drawing” to a hand. However, if you are “drawing dead” then it means there is no card that can give you a hand that can win. Perhaps because you’re up against “the nuts”!
What is the difference between Sweepstakes Poker and real money online poker?
In a real money online poker room, players deposit cash and use this to enter tournaments or play ring games. This is not legal in most states, but in Sweepstakes Poker room players receive free coins or purchase extra coins to play poker, and can redeem some coins for cash. This makes Sweepstakes Poker legal in 49 states.