Security - Online and Live

Marcus Bateman / Marcus Bateman / 09 January 2009 / Leave a Comment

Any business or game that attracts lots of people with large sums of money is going to attract criminals. Be it in the live arena, when hooded men come and hold up private games, or even on shady Internet sites, where you have no guarantees of what is happening to your money, security should be one of your major priorities. In my experience, there are two key ways to protect yourself from thieves when playing poker.

Firstly, if playing live and for high stakes, play in a reputable and well known card room. The days of having to play in shady back rooms are long over for the most part - there are lot's of games at nearly all stakes going on in casinos all over the world. Perhaps the most important reason you pay rake to the casino is not so much for the dealers, but for the fact that you know you (and your money) will be kept safe and secure. This also holds true for cashing out - nearly all card rooms will be able to give you checks instead of cash if you ask them. It is simple enough to stop yourself getting robbed of large sums of cash when you leave - just simply don't carry any.

Secondly, sensible measures also need to be taken when playing online. With a site like Betfair you know that it is well regulated, has an international reputation for reliability and security, and that your money is completely safe. If you start to deal with small and up coming sites you may encounter problems with security. It is not hard to set up an online site, and it is not a good idea to start throwing money at companies that have little or no reputation or are not regulated by some kind of reputable authority.

There have been examples of even quite a major site being the victim of cheating scandals where players could see the hole cards of everyone at the table. Before starting up a new account it is probably worth doing a little research into the past record of a site - it is doubtful that a site that has treated its customers like that once will be very good in terms of not only security, but also customer service and reliability.

Although poker started as a game synonymous with guns, cheating and violence, in the modern era it no longer is. By taking a few basic precautions and doing a little research, you can keep both your bankroll and yourself safe and secure. Although poker is a game that is obsessed with the winning and losing of money, always remember that your life is probably the most precious thing you can lose, and protecting it should be your number one priority.