We are currently living in very poker-friendly times. Several cable channels offer poker-related programming, with everything from celebrity poker matches to poker-related television shows. Many would-be players are wondering how to get in on this extremely popular pastime. Fortunately, there are some sophisticated poker sites out there, like VIPpoker.com, that offer free poker play.

Free poker works in much the same way that real money games do. The only difference is that the "chips" have no monetary value. VIPpoker.com will give guests a stack of free "play" chips which can then be used in any of the site's free play rooms. VIPpoker.com has a number of rooms offering free Texas Hold'em poker, so waiting for a table is a rarity.

Free play Texas Hold'em rooms operate exactly like their real-money counterparts. The rules are exactly the same, which makes these rooms a great way to learn the game without investing anything more than your time. If you are serious about moving up from the free play rooms, it is important to try and treat the play money as if it were real.

If you really put in the effort, playing Texas Hold'em for free can be a wonderful way to learn the basics of the game. There are those who choose to simply go "wild" with the play money, but doing this can impart bad habits that will quickly become expensive in a real money game. With a little research and some easy memorization, one can make a free Texas Hold'em game a sort of high school for poker. Start poker school now by signing up at VIPpoker.com.