Goin' Bananas Over Free Poker

Poker is one of the most diverse and popular card games in the world. The game has an extremely large and devoted fan base and their numbers are increasing exponentially. A good reason why players are so hooked on the game is the nearly infinite number of variations the game has. Different strokes for different folks they say; some play poker to make money; some play for glory; and others play for recreation. There is a poker variation for every poker player's need.

The advent of online poker games created more opportunities for the game. The medium enabled poker to reach a broader audience. It also made possible for new variations of the game to be created to take full advantage of the new technology.

Today, poker is the leading online card game. The game's dominance can be attributed to free poker games offered by online casinos. These free poker games can be downloaded or played online.

Downloadable free poker games are highly portable; you can install them in your laptop or pocket pc. You can play or sharpen your skills while riding a train; traveling by plane or while having coffee at your favorite coffee shop.

Free poker games played online are convenient in their own way. There are no programs to install; this makes them very attractive for technologically challenged individuals. Free poker online games are also viewed as less obtrusive. Since the programs remain online, there is no danger of spywares or viruses being installed in the player's computer.

There are three kinds of free poker games: money games, play money games and free rolls. Money games are online poker games where real money is involved. Much like real casinos, real money is wagered and the prize money is - well - real too. These money games rival real casinos in terms of participants and prize amount.

Play money games do not make use of money; values wagered and earned are more like points. Play money games are good for two things: a test of skills or practice for the money games and playing for pure fun.

Free rolls falls somewhere between money games and play money games.

While free poker games are very popular, there are players who favor real over virtual games and consider online poker as child's play. This is not a cause for alarm because the bottom line is poker is all about having fun. So don't take it all too seriously.