Hi everyone,

Until today I've always played PartyPoker. Why? Because I found it easy and the useability is good. So I opened a account on PokerStars today, because most people here play there and I went through the payment options first ( ofcourse ). The problem I have is the Dutch government. Playing online poker (or poker anywhere else than in the casino) is illegal here. So paying by creditcard directly is a no no. On PartyPoker I use paypal. So if I cash out, the money goes to my paypal account and is then transferred from there, to my bankaccount, which will state "pay-out from paypal" or whatever, which could be money coming from basicly anywhere.

PokerStars doesn't use paypal, so I can't play with real money, because if I do, the government will know I played illegal online poker which will get me into trouble. So have to conclude that playing for real money on pokerstars is not possible for me.

Also, I find the useability pretty bad. Tables have weird names, I have to open a table window to see how much money the other players have and the list with tables keeps jumping up and down which can make it hard to select a table. After finally selecting a table (I gave up on trying to find a table where the stacks were kinda equel), the view is pretty annoying. Now it might just be that I need to get used to a different table view. Anyhow, the pictures annoy me and when I disable the pictures, my cards block my view of how much money I have, so I have to look somewhere else to see how much it is. I can't find an option to make the dealer shut up in de chatwindow and rebuying ingame seems impossible.

Alltogether: I'll play for a while longer with playmoney for now and see if I like it any better in a while, but I think I'll head back to PartyPoker if it doesn't get any better. Certainly for playing with real money.

Use epassporte, it's pretty much instant in terms of depositiing.

Pokerstars has better tournaments than Partypoker, and their support team is probably the best that you will find ANYWHERE, AINEC. I once emailed support a question and they responded to me within 2 hours. Thats amazing.

There are many ways to get real money in your account on PokerStars.
www.netspend.com to find where to get pre-paid cards... just make sure they start with 400765, 400766 or 438093.

Also... is it illegal to play on-line or is it illegal to use a credit card to play on-line. I'm probably wrong on this, wouldn't be the first time, but my understanding in the US atleast that it's not illegal to play...just to use a credit card. That's why they can no longer use PayPal and load your money directly back into your account.

I dunno... but there's ways around anything I guess.

Bottom line is... PS is a better site for tourneys. It may take some getting used to the way it looks...but it's better.

I saw in another topic on this same board that there are a lot of issues with pre-paidcards, so I am reluctant. Also, to cash out, PokerStars will have to send the money to my bankaccount, which will be traceable.

It is illegal to play poker for money in The Netherlands, doesn't matter where you play it or how you pay for it. You may only play for real money in casino's (which are all owned by the government itself). So that's the issue I've got.

To cash out PokerStars does not have to send the money to your bank...they can send you a check.

Checks aren't accepted in most places here anymore, it's a lot of fuss to get them cashed...

You can't take a check written to you to a bank and cash it?

Where in the hell do you live?

Nope. Gotta take it to a postoffice, get some kind of strange receipt, take that to the bank... I dunno, way too much fuss.

Live in Amsterdam

i think if you cash you via epassporte the money path is as follows:

PS --> Epassporte ---> your bank

PS is a better site in every single way. Plus, most people here on FCP play at PS and so you can jump into barrages with everyone else. Barrages are when a bunch of FCPers all agree to play the same tournament.

You can do drugs, and **** hookers, but you can't cash gambling checks?

Don't use Epassporte, the only reason anybody uses it is because they allow Americans.

Since you're European I suggest using either Neteller or Moneybookers. They are both available to Europeans and Moneybookers is used by a lot of businesses that aren't gambling related as well.

It's like you read my mind!!

Checks are considered old fashion here

LMAO! Oldfashioned? Yea...taking my check to the post office for approval..THEN going to the bank is definitely mainstream.

That's what I'm saying; because it's considered oldfashioned, banks don't just accept them anymore. Hardly anyone uses checks here.

Unless I am mistaken, the drugs and hookers have to be licensed by the gov't just like the gambling. Vice is a great source of gov't revenue and government monopolies on vice absolutely rock

Fleur why are you so pressed to switch sites? If you have found one you like so much and have an extremely reliable way to fund it (PayPal) then I say stay where you are. Like another poster said, people only use ePassporte b/c they allow US players, they were a nobody before Neteller had their thing go down. Besides if the Dutch Gov't were to audit your bank acct, and you use PayPal they'll just think you're selling a bunch of stuff on eBay and not claiming the income haha.

IMO, it just is not worth it to be paranoid about the new funding process, you don't want that tilting your mind everytime you're playing on PStars.

LJ

Well I tried both. I will stay with PartyPoker. I like it best. It's a nice interface and especially if you are new to online poker - you will learn fast there and this was important for me!

This person must work for Party Poker.... first time I've ever seen anyone say PP>PS

Since when did they start accepting PayPal? I thought PayPal didn't do adult or gambling? Has this changed?

You don't get it. Checks are a leftover from the 20th centry and no civilised country should be using them anymore .

Seriously, there are only 2 major money flows in Holland, Cash and electronic.
Everything I buy in stores is paid for either by cash or by my bankcard which deducts directly from from bankaccount.
If I need cash I go to an ATM and deduct it using my bankcard.
Anything I purchase regularly (morgage, phonebill, heating, lifeinsuarance,etc) is either deducted from my bankaccount automatically or they send me an invoice which I then transfer electronically.
Any incomming money is transfered to my bank account directly, such as wages, money back from energy suppliers and such.

When I need to pay or get paid by friends, family and such it is either cash or they transfer the money to my account.

Give me one good reason why a check is a good form of payment other than that you are used to it?