No. Poker is a reference to a five-card hand, consisting of ranks from high card to straight flush (some games allow for a five of a kind). In reality, there are many different types of poker. Some games involve more skill than others. For example, the most popular poker game is currently Texas Hold'em, which requires a lot of skill but still has a decent amount of luck (at least in the short run). Games that involve a lot of wild cards tend to have a much stronger luck element (such as baseball). More information can be found in our Types of Poker section
Generally, poker is considered gambling. Many people, who play with their friends, do not always play for real money. Also, many people play on the internet for fake money, which would not be considered gambling because they are not risking anything of real value. However, most people play poker and wager real money, though generally at low stakes. One can win in the long run at poker because there is a lot of skill at poker. Because of this, poker is generally considered a different type of gambling because you can win at it in the long run. Nevertheless, no one is ever guaranteed to win, and each session can produce a variety of outcomes.
Casino poker includes video poker machines, let it ride, and caribbean stud. These games have set house advantages, and it is impossible for the player to win in the long run. These games are much more similar to other casino games like craps and slot machines than they are to multi-player poker. The type of poker strategy covered on this site is about multi-player poker, where people play against each other and not the house. Multi-player poker has much more skill, and it is possible to win at this type of poker in the long run.
It depends where you live. In some areas, gambling of all kinds is forbidden (such as the American states of Alaska and Hawaii). In other areas, such as in the United Kingdom, online poker is considered legal. This site is not a legal authority of any kind, so please consult the laws of your area before playing. If you are not sure about the legality in your jurisdiction, just don't play online poker.
It should be as long as you follow several precautions:
A. Play at a reputable site. The one's reviewed here with higher scores have a very clean history and you shouldn't have trouble with them. Make sure the site is licensed and many other people play there.
B. Cash out often. Why risk losing a lot of money if something bad happens? It is always good to cash out often. Not only is it insurance against having your money stolen, it prevents you from losing a lot of money if you ever go on tilt.
Being 'on tilt' means playing poorly due to your emotions.
There is something known as collusion, where people gang up on their opposition by telling their friends at the table what cards they have. They do this on the phone or through an instant messaging program. This is cheating. Poker rooms do their best to find and ban colluders, and many have been banned from poker rooms. It is very easy for a poker room to detect collusion because they have the ability to review every hand for suspicious play.
Also, people who resort to cheating are usually bad anyway, so it's not a big problem. Furthermore, collusion only works well at the longer tables where it is harder to spot it. People trying to collude at a game with 5 people in it may in fact hurt their play rather than give them an edge.
If you are ever suspicious of collusion, leave the table and notify the poker room.
The answer is: it's up to you. Never deposit more money than you can afford to lose. Not only do you not want gambling to have a negative affect on your financial health, you should never play scared. If you care too much about the money at the table, it will adversely affect your play. When deciding what limit to play, you should generally aim for a limit where you can afford at least 100 big bets (i.e. have $200 for a 1-2 game).
Read our Reviews. Currently, Party Poker holds the top spot from reviewers of online poker rooms. This is because Party Poker has very easy competition (good for beginners) and Party Poker is a good all around poker room (many games, many players, good about cashouts, etc.)
Each place is different- the average is about two business days. Some places take longer though- like Pacific Poker.
Not by the poker rooms, but you generally need to report your winnings to your government on your income tax return (assuming you live in a country with income tax).
