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Online Free Play
By
J.
Phillip Vogel
Online Free Play or practice play is a luxury that often
goes unappreciated. While
I’m the first
to admit that online free play gambling shaves a bit of the excitement
off the
action (okay,
a lot of the excitement) its value isn’t in the thrill of the chase.
Rather, for the
novice player, such free play affords a wonderful opportunity
explore the internet gaming environment
with no risk. People can test proven and theoretical strategies, learn
the
basics of unfamiliar games, or just have fun knowing that there’s no
risk no
matter what they do.
But these games aren’t just for
novice players. They’re
a terrific
resource open to gamblers of all levels of experience.
Unfortunately
it’s often
difficult to convince veteran gamblers to play these games,
even when
the situation warrants it, such as while testing out a new site. Although clearly to their
advantage, many
feel that their familiarity with internet gaming makes it an
unnecessary step
claiming (erroneously) that all online gambling software is identical,
so why
bother trying it out when it will be no different from the previous
site?
Whether
this is your first or 1000th
time, it’s never a good idea to try a new site without first
getting some hands-on experience with the software. It’s just too
important of
a step.
Mind
you, that’s not to say that
these games aren’t wholly without drawbacks.
Like everything else in life, they have their
good points and their bad
points.
A Few Good
Points
Forgetting the entertainment value of playing
casino games,
there are some important reasons why both veterans and aspiring
real-money
players should give the preview games a whirl.
Players can test
before they
commit. Allows
players to try out a site’s software
before plunking down any cash. This
is a
good way to examine the look and feel of the graphics, which can help
you to
determine if the site is a good match of your preferences.
Practice makes perfect.
It’s never a
bad idea to get in a little practice on your favorite games, especially
if
you’ve been away from the tables for a while. Practice play is
especially important
if you are working on any new strategies that may need fine-tuning.
Players gain experience with unfamiliar
games. When
dealing with new games,
it’s to the player’s advantage to first learn the theoretical basics
and then
get some practical experience playing it.
Taking the time to master new games when
there’s no risk is the most cost-effective way to learn.
Get your feet wet.
For those gamblers who have never even been
in an online casino before, playing in these games section affords the
opportunity to make the leap from land-based to Net based with no
pressure.
And Now the
Bad
Points
It’s true that nothing is perfect.
Below are a few of the
problems practice
gamers are likely to encounter during online free play.
Incomplete selection.
Not every game
that’s available in a real money setting is available for this type of
play at every
site. If you’re
visiting a new site and
are unsure if a desired game is available, contact customer support and
ask
them—they’ll be happy to answer any questions.
A limited amount of interaction.
You’re typically going to be facing off
solely against the computer-generated house—which can get boring
quickly. If you’re
looking to chat or compete against
other players, micro-limit multi-player games may be your only option.
It takes time.
Between registering and downloading the
necessary software (if there is any to download) it can take 20 minutes
or more
to go through the entire process.
And
after all of that, you may find that you just don’t like the site’s
software—meaning you’ll have to go through the process all over again
elsewhere.
Unrealistic action.
While identical to the real games, any
opponents you may face in multiple player settings tend to act
differently then
they would if the game were for real money.
For example, at an online poker room, don’t be
surprised
if 7 out of 10
players go all-in on just about every hand with garbage—something
they’d never
do if real money was involved.
While these games are a valuable
resource for online gamblers —especially if your web experience is
minimal—they’re not without their limitations.
But despite
any of its
drawbacks, free gambling is an important step for safely entering and
competing
in the world of online gaming.
Online
free play is followed by
Bonuses OR Go to the Online Gambling main page
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