Beginner's Guide:
- What is Internet Poker?
- Is Internet Poker Legal?
- Is Internet Poker Safe/Fair?
- Choosing a Poker Site
- Poker Bonuses
- Internet Poker for Windows
- Internet Poker for Macs
- Creating a Player Account
- Play vs. Real Money Poker
- How to Deposit Money
- Cash Games vs. MTTs/SNGs
- Browsing the Poker Lobby
- Using the Poker Table
- Internet Poker Etiquette
- Multi-Tabling
- How to Cash Out Money
- Internet Poker FAQ
- Poker Lingo and Terms
- Further Reading
How to Create Your Player Account
Now that you have downloaded the poker room's software, your next step is to create your player account. A "player account" is your identity at the online poker room, and allows you to log in from any computer in the world. This article is going to explain exactly how to create your player account, and will provide a few tips for setting up your account.
Setting Up a New Account
Since we have been using Full Tilt Poker for the entire beginner's guide, we are going to continue to use them as an example in this article. In the last section of the guide we left you at the Full Tilt Poker log-in screen, which looks like this:
If you already had a player account, you would type in your "Login" name and password to log into your account. However, since you don't have an account yet, you need to click "Create New Account". Here is the account creation form:
For the first step of the process, you need to enter a Player ID, Password, E-mail, and Referral Code. We will provide tips for each now:
Choosing a Player ID
Your Player ID is the name that will represent you at the poker site, forever. You cannot change your Player ID, and you cannot create a new account later on. Because of that, we recommend choosing a Player ID that you will remember, and that represents something you are very invested in. For example, you don't want to make your name "Accountant373" if you are an Accountant who is about to leave his job.
There really isn't much to choosing a Player ID - the biggest tip we have is to choose something you will remember.
Choosing a Password
This choice is far more important. There have been numerous cases where players figured out each other's password, and logged into accounts to steal money. Because of this, you want to choose a very secure password. We recommend a password with at least eight characters, including lowercase and capital letters as well as numbers.
If you are afraid of forgetting your password, we recommend putting it into a text file on your computer that is disguised as something else. For example, you could put your password in a text file named "Grocery List". If you have a file named "Password", it is a lot more likely for someone to open it up.
Entering Your E-mail
This is simple - just choose an email address you check regularly.
Entering a Referral Code
Most poker sites allow you to enter a "bonus" or "referral" code. These codes track you to the referrer who sent you to the poker room, and also ensure you receive the correct sign up bonus. At Full Tilt Poker, if you use our referral code (IPOKERORG) you will receive a 100% up to $600 bonus on your first deposit.
Final Steps
Ok, so once you have entered all of that info, click "Sign Me Up". Your account will be created, and your last step is to verify your email address. Log into your email and find the email from Full Tilt. There will be a six digit code inside the email. To verify your email and complete your account, enter the six digit code in the Full Tilt lobby and click "Validate".
Now that you have created your player account, your next step is to:
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