Online poker rooms (not unlike other online businesses) have a few options to provide this support to customers:

E-mail Support:
For general questions and inquiries that aren’t of real urgency, e-mail support is generally adequate for getting help.  Of course, that depends on the competence of those answering said e-mails, as well as the turnaround time on receiving a response.

Most rooms, at a bare minimum, offer some kind of e-mail support, either through posted addresses or online forms that can be filled in to contact support.

Telephone Support:
Support by phone is always a good thing.  For more urgent concerns it gives the player the opportunity to get a hold of someone quickly, without the wait of an e-mail response.  Many poker rooms have a call center to handle these inquiries, and the better support lines are available 24/7 for their clients.

Hours of operation are important to bear in mind, as well as the competency of the people on the other end of the line.  Some venues may outsource their support center, which can result in timely, but not always quality help. 

You should verify that telephone support is available in your specific area as well.  The majority of places will have a toll-free option for the U.S. and Canada.  But is there an 800 number for your region?  If not, is there an international number posted at all?

Live Online Support:
Chances are that if you’ve been surfing the ‘net for a while, you’ve probably seen one of these ‘click here for live help’ buttons once or twice.  Usually they are accompanied with a picture of an operator.  This type of live support is basically a quick chat application that allows you to type and receive text messages in real time with a support operator.  It’s quicker than e-mail and, provided you can type at a good pace, it’s not a bad option and also allows the operator to pass along URL’s easily if there’s anything they would like to refer you too.

Hopefully you’ll have a smooth playing experience wherever you get your game on.  Knowing beforehand that solid customer service is available can save you a lot of heartache if problems should ever arise.

Although most do, new player incentives do not necessarily have to be free chips.  Some poker sites will offer free tournament entry fees, others offer raffles and still others actually mail a thank you gift to loyal customers.  Depending on the room, the level of play and the variety of poker the incentive gifts may vary and change frequently.

There’s nothing wrong with trying out different poker rooms by taking advantage of the incentives that they offer. It is definitely common for people to play at more than one online poker room, allowing them to utilize the bonuses of several different rooms.

Here are some of the things that you should keep in mind when you are considering taking advantage of incentives offered at online poker rooms:

Terms and Conditions.
There are almost always some terms or conditions attached when you accept an incentive. Otherwise the site owners would lose profits because people would cash out their free chips and never play a single game.  Thus, there are generally no cash out bonus chips and other rules that apply before a player can take advantage of the bonus,

Often, there is a completely separate account for bonus chips - which you actually receive after making a deposit or meeting a number of plays requirement.  This gives the poker room administrators the ability to gain profit from your participation before offering you a gift for choosing their site.

The requirements tend to vary from room to room. The general rule of thumb to follow is that the better the bonus offer, the more requirements you must meet in order to take advantage of it!  For example, if a site offers you a 100% matching bonus on your first deposit there will probably be a long term commitment required prior to your actually getting the bonus.

Getting the Bonus:
As mentioned earlier, the requirements for receiving a bonus will vary from room to room, before you can actually realize the benefits of your incentive bonuses.  Occasionally, the bonus will be credited immediately on sign up although other times you will be required to enter information, play a certain number of hands or make a specific amount of deposit into your account.

Before you accept any bonus offer, we advise you to read all of the small print! Find the area on the website titled Terms and Conditions - and see what will be required before you get the bonus that you anticipate.  If you cannot find this information - or you do not understand the statements provided, please contact the customer support team who can help you.  It is important to understand the rules, before you lock yourself in to a membership without realizing what you have agreed to do. Customer service is generally available through email or telephone.

Incentives are a great deal for new and loyal returning customers, just be certain to know what you are agreeing to prior to accepting the offer.

Finding a Table:
Only a few players are needed to being a game of poker, but since online poker rooms offer a fairly wide variety of game options, players will tend to spread out according to their interests.  This is in contrast to what is typical of real life casinos.  Some of the game options may provide less of a draw to large numbers of players, and so it is important that there are enough players online to give players a chance to take advantage of the variety offered.

Obviously, if you want to play at a table with a decent number of opponents it is necessary that there actually be enough players to play with you.  High limits games, and those that are no as popular as Texas Hold ‘Em (for example) draw less players. If these are your interests, then you need to look to see that there are active players with similar interests.

Playing ‘Other’ Games:
Globally, at this time the most popular form of poker is Texas Hold’em.  This is especially true in the world of online gaming.  If you do not prefer to play Texas Hold ‘Em, but rather you prefer Omaha - then you will have a more difficult time finding the right place to play.  If you are interested in the more unique offerings such as maybe Razz, you will find it even more challenging to find opponents at most sites.

Considering this information, you can see why indeed it matters that there are enough players in an online poker room with the same tastes.

Tournaments:
Sit and go tournaments, where the tournament begins once the table is filled, are a popular form of poker tournament play.  If you enjoy this - then you prefer to not have to wait for a seat to become available.  Busy rooms mean busy tables that fill in a few minutes, but they also mean constantly added new tournaments.  Smaller rooms may have less tables, and may lead to waiting times before you can get in to a tournament.

As mentioned above, the variety of game you want to play will also affect tournament waiting times. You may also find it true when you want to play in a high stakes tournament..

If you prefer larger tournaments will big prize pools, the number of players active matters even more so.  You want to participate, not just to sit and wait for a seat to open up for you.  And you certainly don’t want to waste your time with tournaments that have lower prize pools because the ideal number of players weren’t present to contribute to the pot.

Recognition:
If your play technique and strategy are commonly used - then perhaps you are best off playing in a poker room that draws large crowds.  This is because experts will be able to identify your strategy and to successfully counter your actions.  When you are a small fish in a big pond in terms of poker, this type of play leads you to more wins than if everyone knows your style.  It really depends though - because in situations like no-limit aggressive poker you will need to have a reputation among other players. The decision about how many active players you seek in a poker room really is individual, so choose carefully to ensure the best advantage to your style of playing.

Our overall recommendation is that you seek an online poker room which is popular - and additionally where the number of active players is relatively high. This will most likely give you more of an advantage in the long-run.

Tournament Rebuys
Most tournaments save for free roll games; require the payment of an entry fee to be made at the beginning of the game.  In most rooms this requires that the players all have real money accounts set up and the entry fee is taken from this account.  Upon rare occasion players are allowed to join a game that does not have an entry fee, like the free roll game, but the account will still be required in order to have a place to deposit winnings, or in case the player desires, and the tournament allows, a rebuy.

In most tournaments the rebuy is a one-time option to purchase the same number of chips as you did at the first of the game.  Very rarely are amounts of greater or lesser value allowed to be purchased on a rebuy.  In the case of a one time rebuy the rebuy is allowed only after a player is below a certain number of chips, which means that rebuys can occur a few times during the game as various players reach the cut off point.  Some tables put further conditions on a rebuy and allow it only within a specific number of hands of each game, or before the passing of a certain amount of time.  Alternately a table may allow unlimited rebuys but only within a certain time period.  For example rebuys are allowed for the first hour of a game, as often as the players need or want, but after that they may not rebuy again.

The pro of the rebuy is that it extends the tournament, allowing players who get a poor start early on to get a second chance at getting back into the game.  Rebuys also increase the pot that is available for the eventual winner, unto double if all players were to use the rebuy option within the space of the game.  In some ways the cons of rebuys are the same as the pros, with the game lasting much longer than anticipated, and sometimes having several people rebuy creates a sense of pressure on other players to also rebuy.

Tournament Add-Ons
An add-on is another option for players to buy additional chips after game play has begun.  Unlike the rebuy the add-on does not generally require that the player drop below a certain number of chips before becoming eligible for using the option.  Even a player that is ahead in the game can use the add-on option to further increase his or her lead.  The number of chips that can be purchased through the add-on is restricted as is the price that is charged for these additional chips.  Most rooms will not allow add-ons to take the pot any higher than double the starting pot.

If you intend to join a tournament it’s a good idea to find out at the start whether rebuys or add-ons will be allowed.  As well, check to see if there are minimums and maximums that you will need to abide by within these options.

The biggest difference between a sit and go tournament and any other style of tournament is that the sit and go does not have a particular starting time.  The rules of a sit and go are simply that the room in question specifies a certain number of seats that will be involved in the tournament.  These seats may all be at one table or they may be at multiple tables where the final prize will be won in an elimtion fashion, winners from each table coming together until there is only one man standing.  Thus far the set up is much like other tournaments.  The place where the sit and go tournament is different is that there is no specific starting time for these tournaments.  Once the seats are full, play begins.  This is unique in the poker tournament world where most tournaments are set for a specific time and players have to sign up for seats based on the times when they can be there.  The greatest advantage of this style of play is that with players coming from around the world it is possible to find a game at almost any hour and be into play within a few minutes.  Very few people are willing to wait for very long to play, particularly when they have a limited time available to spend playing.  Sitting around for ten minutes waiting to start can be frustrating and cause players to give up on the game.

When you are searching for a sit and go tournament to join, the first choice to make is if you would like a multiple table game or a single table game.  There are pros and cons to both and most rooms offer either style, though sometimes the multi table games are harder to find than the single.  It all depends on the room and what the owners have decided to offer. 

The advantage of a multi table situation is that the pot and prizes being played for are generally much higher.  The more people donate towards the pot the bigger the pot.  As well this gives a great deal of opportunity to play with a higher number of people, which some folks enjoy for the social aspect and for seeing various styles of poker playing.

In contrast the advantage of single table play is that you can get to know the game play style of your tablemates, which can be to your advantage as play continues and people drop out of the round.  You don’t have to worry about a player with more chips being moved to your table after a round or two of play, and because all the chips come from just the players on your table the pot is consistent and play remains evenly balanced.

For beginners to tournaments the sit and go poker game is a good way to become more familiar with the world of online poker games.  Perfect for a casual evening there are such tournaments starting all the time giving you the opportunity to play whenever the mood strikes.

Like most tournaments, freeroll games generally include multiple tables, often each playing an elimination round and then those winners coming together for the final game, and are a large draw for spectators.  Each poker room has different requirements for participation in a freeroll tournament, and some rooms do not use them at all as the money put up by the room may or may not be recuperated.  In these cases such losses are sometimes deemed acceptable if they bring more people to the room in question, the freeroll game then becoming a marketing tool as well as a fun tournament for players and viewers.

Reasons and methods for running a freeroll tournament:

• Getting practice players or new applicants to join a room.  In this case the freeroll tournament is a way to offer incentive for new players to join a room, or to upgrade their account from a practice account.  The only thing required for entry is the creation of a real money account by the player for cash to be deposited to.  This type of freeroll game is based on the drawing of new players to the room, so even a player that has never participated in a ranked hand or a fee table game can be involved and potentially win the big pot.
• Rewarding regular players or keeping a player from cancelling their account.  These tournaments are held for players that have been participating at the hosting room for some time.  Players will be invited to the freeroll tournament based on the length of time the player spends at real money tables, or the number of ranked hands that a player has participated in.  Usually the higher the freeroll potential pay out the longer a player must have been active to be invited.  Sometimes players that have been part of a room for a long time and are considering quitting their account are also invited to the freeroll tournament as a way to generate new interest in staying and continuing to play.
• Rewarding new players.  Slightly different from the first case listed here the players invited to these freeroll tournaments must have already created a real money account and, often, have played in at least one ranked hand before being invited to participate in a freeroll tournament.  The pot for these kind of freeroll tournaments is usually fairly modest, but significant enough to make it worth continuing to play in the room and maintain an active account.

All in all a freeroll tournament can be a great way to get involved in a poker room, whether as an active participant or a spectator to the game itself.  If you are in a room and you see an advertisement, or invite, for such a tournament, check it out, but make sure to verify the rules and regulations of the room so that you are familiar with the requirements for participating and taking your winnings home.

The Rio All-Suite-Hotel and Casino, located in Las Vegas, will be the home of The 2006 World Series of Poker. From June 25th until August 10th, a large variety of multi-table tournaments will take place, including Omaha, 7 Card Stud in addition to jackpot and table-limit games.  The most popular game at the even will be the world renowned No Limit Texas Hold’em finals. 

The Rio event will last 6 weeks, while the World Series of Poker events actually span the course of the year.  Small buy in tournaments with entry fees as low as $200 will be available to those wishing to get involved in the WSOP. This enables participants to attend the main WSOP events without have to pay the $10,000 fee normally required.

Here is a schedule of events. Please note that these dates are subject to change.

• Grand Casino Tunica, Jan. 4-27, 2006
• Harrah’s Atlantic City, Feb. 7-17, 2006
• Harrah’s Rincon San Diego, Feb. 26-March 8, 2006
• Caesars Atlantic City, March 21-31, 2006
• Caesars Palace Las Vegas, April 3-14, 2006
• Harrah’s New Orleans, May 18-28, 2006
• 2006 WSOP at Rio, Summer 2006
• Harrah’s Lake Tahoe, June 6-16, 2006
• 2006 TOC at Rio, June 28-29, 2006
• Grand Casino Tunica, Aug. 11-25, 2005
• Harrah’s Las Vegas, Sept. 6-16, 2005
• Caesars Indiana, Oct. 19-Nov. 2, 2005
• Paris/Bally’s Las Vegas, Nov. 9-22, 2005
• Showboat Atlantic City, Nov. 28-Dec. 9, 2005

Anyone can participate in a World Series of Poker Event - it’s a chance to show that they’ve got what it takes.  Every player is welcome, once they supply the necessary buy-in for the game. If paying for the entire buy-in yourself seems like too much of a commitment, it’s always possible for players to work their way to the top using satellite entries and to gain access to the big event for less of a financial cost.

Many of the smallest satellite tournaments are held in online poker parlors with buy-ins beginning at $30.  Chris Moneymaker was the 2003 World Series of Poker winner, and he actually qualified online after spending $40 for his buy-in and then successfully ending up at the final table.

Joseph Hachem from Melbourne, Australia, won the 2005 WSOP event and pocketed an amazing $7.5 million jackpot when he took first place during the Texas Hold’em Championship.  The final event prize totals for 2006 are not yet available for publication, however if recent trends are indicative the totals will be much bigger than ever before.