Online Poker: So Many Hoops

In my last post, I commented how hard it was to actually get my money into an online casino. My credit cards were declined because they don’t do business with online casinos. In The Real Deal, by Phil Gordon, he suggests using Neteller, a secure online funds transfer service, which is accepted by PokerStars.

I tried to open a Neteller account. I start entering my address. I go to choose the state. Maryland is not in the list. Huh? Did we secede from the Union or something? I check again and again. I even count the states listed: 49 + Washington, DC + some territories. Where’s Maryland?

I contacted Neteller’s customer service. It seems that they have chosen not to allow residents in the state of Maryland to open new accounts. That sounds kind of random, so I did some research. I didn’t find any concrete details, but it seems that Maryland has convinced Neteller, a non-U.S. company, not to do business with Maryland residents. Not sure if that information is accurate. Should I call my state representatives?

There are a few other Neteller-like companies accepted by PokerStars, like FirePay and Central Coin, that I may try. I’m in no rush. Last night, I won about 300 chips in play money giving me a total of 1750. For now, I’ll stick with play money.

I actually have my regular game with my co-workers tonight. If I do well, it will only fan the flames of my interest in playing online. If I do poorly, I may cool off a bit.