While poker players can play for real money on the internet, there are plenty of opportunities to play Internet Poker for free. Most internet poker sites provide play money tables that allow players to play poker with fun money that has no real value in addition to the real money pokerstars tables. The play money allows players to keep score when they play poker online, without having to put up the funds in order to play. Additionally, many poker sites provide free entry poker tournaments, which cost nothing to enter, but pay out prizes in real money. Finally, some poker sites like PokerStars allow players to pay a monthly membership fee as opposed to buying in with real money. The members will then have access to poker tables and games, where they can play poker for free and even win cash or prizes while playing for free on the Internet.

Play Money Tables

Play money tables use the same set of rules that real money tables use in their poker games. The play money tables are denominated based on desired stakes and follow the same format as their real money poker table counterparts do. For example, if a player sits down at a 10-20 NL play money table, the blinds cost ten and twenty play money dollars respectively and the blinds rotate just as they would at a real money 10-20 NL poker table. When a player takes down the pot, they are credited the appropriate amount of the play money pot. When they stand up from the table, the play money chips go into their poker player account balance.

Freerolls

Freeroll tournaments allow poker players to play tournament poker for real prizes without paying an entry fee. These free poker tournaments on PokerStar.net often are quite large and they do follow the same rules as normal buy-in poker tournaments. They typically play a lot looser than real money tournaments, however, because there are many poker players who either do not know the game of poker well, or understand that their downside risk is zero when playing free poker tournaments, as they paid nothing for the chips. However, freerolls provide players with the opportunity to play poker tournaments on the internet for free.

Membership Poker Sites

Playing at a poker site such as PokerStars.it that collects a monthly membership fee in exchange for providing an unlimited amount of poker play is a great way to play poker for free. Even though the membership costs money, the player can play as much poker on the site as they want to. Some membership poker sites such as Spade Club even award players prizes and cash in many forms throughout the month. Ring game poker and poker tournaments can both be played on these membership based Internet poker sites.