I just started playing on Full Tilt this morning and I have already made 45 dollars, it's a good way to waste time. You can also play for free on that site also if you don't want to use actual money. Anyone else use this site?
Im not entirely sure the new law has gone into effect yet. I think a few small companies are holding on to what little freedom is left. Most of the juggernauts have already cashed out of the industry. IMO, they fuck with new comers biig time. I started accounts with a few of the bigger companies; this was 6-8 months ago. I started with $100...immediately went up to $175 in the first day and by day 3 I had tripled up ($300). A week later I had only $25 and decided to cash out; not to mention I played conservative 90% of the time. I went to another site and the same thing happened. I talked to some friends of mine who were currently or previously playing online and they said that it happenes to a majority of new comers..almost like its rigged. They get your hopes up really high.. you double or triple up...and magically you loose it all within a week. I really dont trust the online companies. They fuck with you big time. I stick to playing with friends now-a-days ($10-$20 buy-in; 8-12 people) and always play in Vegas.
I used to play poker a lot before most sites banned people in the US from playing for money. I played many many many hands on pacific poker and can say that it wasnt rigged. (at least that site wasnt) By the time they shut the site down to people in the US i had been playing 15/30 limit and bankin hard. Now i have an account with bodog but rarely play there cause i do believe that site is somewhat rigged. Too much crazy shit happens way to often for it to be legit, so now i use my poker money for sports betting on bodog.
The sites are not rigged in any way. They make their money off the rakes. Any money you lose is going to other players. I'm guessing that if it is quite common for people to win at first then lose it all, it was just a case of beginner's luck. When you are less experienced/skilled at poker, it is a lot more like gambling. But I assure you that good players do win money online and if you are truly a good player and put in the time you will eventually turn some profits.