rec.gambling.poker FAQ - What is the best way to access RGP?

rec.gambling.poker FAQ

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What is the best way to access RGP?

Author: Rich M
Last updated: May 2004
Copyright © 2006 Rich M
The official and up-to-date version of this answer is here.

Since RGP is a Usenet Newsgroup, the best way to access any Usenet Newsgroup is through a newsreader. Usenet and Newsreaders have been around since long before the Internet was created. However, due to the success of the Internet, there are now several other ways to access RGP, although none of them as flexible as the least capable of the newsreaders.

Below, I have grouped the access methods into three types, listing only the free solutions. There are also a number of paid Usenet access websites and news servers.

1. Free Poker-Only Web Interfaces: The following is a list of poker-related web interfaces for reading and posting to RGP. If one of these sites is ever down, you should be able to quickly setup an account at another site.

2. Free Multi-Group Web Interfaces: The following is a list of free websites that offer access to RGP plus many other Usenet groups:

3. Free Newsreader Access: The best way to find out if your computer is already setup to access RGP via a newsreader is to click on this link: news:rec.gambling.poker (if you do not see a link above, then your Internet browser does not support this feature, but you can still setup a newsreader).

If clicking on the link above loads a news reader such as Outlook Express, you are halfway there. If not, you will probably need to install a newsreader on your computer. Below is a list of a couple of good free ones:

Forte - the makers of Free Agent
Newsreaders.com - a complete list of other newsreaders

If you have a newsreader setup, but it tells you that you need to setup the news server, you will need to get a username and password from a news provider. Most ISPs (the people who connect you to the Internet) offer free news servers as part of their package. Either call their support line (the best solution if you are new to computers) or go to their help page and search on "News Feed" or "News Server" or "Usenet" or "Newsgroups" for information on how to setup their news service.

If your ISP does not offer a news service, then send an email requesting a userid and password to access www.individual.net which is hosted by a University in Germany. It may take a week to get the user id, but you will have RGP access plus thousands of other Usenet groups. Visit www.individual.net for details on getting the userid and password setting up this news service on your computer.