Can US Play Money Poker Sites Help You Develop Fundamental Skills?

For those thinking about taking up poker, the biggest obstacle is usually the fear of losing money. You may be attracted to strategic concepts of the game and like what it has to offer, but many people are simply reluctant to put their hard-earned money on the line in a card game that they have no experience with.

This reluctance is completely understandable, as many of us prefer to get at least some hands-on experience with a particular activity before putting too much time or money into it. When it comes to poker, there is actually a way to try the game for as long as you like without risking a single dime, and you can do it by playing on free-to-play or play money sites.

As the name suggests, these sites give you an opportunity to get familiar with the rules, strategies, and different game formats without having to risk any cash. These platforms let you practice how to play by using play money, i.e., virtual chips that have no real-world value.

The question is whether such an environment can really help prepare you for the real thing and if free poker sites are a good place to start.

It’s Your Approach That Matters

There are quite a few quality play money sites available to players in the United States. Easily the most popular is the WSOP Poker app, powered by the World Series of Poker. It is free to download and play on, and you can experience cash games and tournaments using virtual coins awarded for free.

The issue here is, if something is given to you for free, why would you care about the result? In a real poker game, players worry about losing because it costs them money. In free-to-play environments, there are no such concerns.

However, you don’t need to worry about what other players think. It’s only your approach that matters.

If you decide to use a free poker app as a training ground, it can teach you things such as:

You can treat your free chips as an actual bankroll and practice good discipline when deciding what games you can afford. It’s arguably even harder to do when no money is on the line, because it’s so easy to break the promise and go for it. So, this will help test your resolve and how dedicated you are to sticking with the goals you set.

While you’ll see people playing all sorts of nonsense on these free poker sites, you don’t have to (and should not) follow suit. Instead, find a good poker hands chart and stick to it. This will help you develop good preflop habits that will serve you very well once you move to real money games.

When Is the Right Time to Move?

Different players approach free poker apps differently. Some are quite content to compete for play money and virtual titles, and they never feel the urge to move to real money games. For others, funny money poker becomes boring after a while, and they start feeling the itch to join some real games.

There is no one-fits-all answer here. The only thing I would say is that if you can’t beat play money games consistently, you’re probably not ready to graduate to the real thing. Yes, people play crazy styles on these apps, and variance can be insane, but, at the end of the day, these free games are extremely soft.

If you’re struggling to beat play money poker, you won’t do well in real money cash games or tournaments.

Beyond that, it’s really down to what you’re comfortable with. If you’re doing well in a free-to-play environment and would like to try something more challenging, you don’t have to risk hundreds of dollars. Most US poker sites will let you deposit as little as $10, and that will let you enter a few tournaments or play in the smallest cash games.

You will inevitably notice a very sharp change in player skills. Even the cheapest real money poker games are quite a bit tougher than anything you’ll come across on play money apps. But if you’ve already built the proper mindset and used your time at free tables to develop solid foundations, you should be able to compete.

Give Free Poker Sites a Shot

If you like poker but aren’t quite sure if it’s the right game for you, you should give free play poker apps a try. They will help you develop a much clearer picture of what the game is really about and whether you enjoy the challenges it presents.

Watching top poker players on TV is cool and all, but it’s not exactly the reality for most people. You’ll only understand what it’s all about when you put yourself in a spot to call the shots, make decisions, and deal with inevitable bad beats.

With free poker sites, you can experience all of this without risking any money. You’ll have to invest some time in it, but that’s true for any new hobby. If you learn that you enjoy the game, you can take it from there, and if not, there is no harm done. At least you gave it a proper shot!