Online Poker is one of the most popular forms of gambling available and it’s a very enjoyable game that rewards actual skill rather than luck. You can play for free or for the smallest stakes imaginable and you can do it from your computer, laptop, tablet or phone in the comfort of your own home.
For a long time the majority of online poker was played in chat rooms but that changed when secure poker sites were created and people could deposit and withdraw money without worrying about being scammed. This led to a huge increase in the popularity of online poker and it’s something that continues to this day.
As more and more states legalize online poker you’ll find that many of the top sites feature different games and tournaments for players of all experience levels. Most of the time you’ll find a section of the lobby dedicated to cash games while others feature tournaments, Sit & Go’s and any other special formats that the site may run. You’ll also find that the lobby is usually categorized so that you can filter for certain games and the best part of all is that many poker sites feature beginner tables where you can be seated with players who have classed themselves as beginners.
When it comes to depositing and withdrawing money there are a number of banking options available depending on the online poker site you’re playing at. You’ll need to check with each site to see what methods are available and how easy they are to use. Generally speaking you’ll find that the easiest and most convenient way to add and remove funds is through a debit or credit card. Most poker sites also accept a variety of electronic wallets as well which can save you some time in the future.
You’ll also want to be sure that you have the latest version of your browser and that it’s configured properly for poker. Then you’ll need to create a user account and, if you haven’t already, you’ll need to download the poker client software. This is fairly quick and easy to do and it shouldn’t take much more than a few minutes even on the slowest Internet connections.
As you play more and more hands with different online poker sites you’ll begin to get used to the pace of the game. While no one can really prepare you for the speed of an online table it’s a lot like driving a race car for the first time. The average online table deals hands about 3 times faster than a live one and you can often be playing on multiple tables at once so this is something that you’ll need to get used to pretty quickly. This is another reason why it’s recommended that you start off with a smaller bankroll and then gradually build it up as you gain more confidence in the game. This will help you avoid getting wiped out early on.
