Poker is a fun, easy-to-play game that can be thrilling and rewarding. It’s something you can do at any time, for as long as you like, for the smallest stakes imaginable (literally pennies) or for massive prize money and satellite entries into some of the world’s most amazing live tournaments all from the comfort of your own home. And online poker takes that concept and cranks it up a notch allowing you to play for real money on any device from desktop computers to tablets to mobile phones.
There are a huge number of ways to play poker online from the most popular forms of Texas Hold’em to Omaha, 7 Card Stud and more. Most major sites offer a variety of games and tournaments to suit every skill level and budget. Licensed and secure poker websites are regulated by government and financial bodies to ensure game integrity, safe transfers of money and personal data protection for players. And they’re usually pretty easy to sign up for too – you simply need to provide some basic identification and a few banking details.
Getting the money on and off a poker site is also pretty simple nowadays compared to old days when most people had to get their bankrolls wired to a casino. Most poker sites accept a variety of credit and debit cards along with pre-paid cards, eWallets and even bank transfers. And if you’re playing in the USA, you can often use an IRS IP PIN to protect your identity and prevent IRS tax return fraud when depositing funds at a real-money poker site.
If you’re new to the game online it’s best to stick to one table at first, at least until you have a handle on how things work and you’re comfortable with the pace of play. The online game moves much faster than the live version and you may find yourself faced with twice as many hands per hour, meaning there’s rarely any time to rest between hands.
It’s also important to stay focused and avoid distractions when you’re playing poker online. You can be distracted by watching TV, chatting to friends or surfing the web and these interruptions can easily cause you to make a mistake at the poker table that costs you some of your hard earned cash.
Using poker software tools such as a HUD (Heads Up Display) can help you improve your game by providing you with information about your opponents that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to see. These tools overlay your online table and show you real-time statistics such as your opponent’s average raise size or how often they fold to a raise, helping you play the game more intelligently. There are many different poker-specific tools available, but most poker sites already have this functionality built in and you should always be sure to check it before you start playing. You’ll be amazed at how much better you play with the right information at your fingertips!