Online poker is a virtual card game that allows players to participate in real-money games and tournaments from anywhere with an internet connection. Unlike live poker, online poker sites do not have to pay for room rent and staff, so they make money through the rake charged to each player. This enables them to offer competitive rakeback and other rewards programs to their players. The best online poker sites use high-level encryption technologies to protect their players’ personal and financial information, display this prominently on their websites, and have their games and random number generators audited by third parties to ensure they are fair.
The first step in playing online poker is creating an account with a poker site. This typically involves entering a valid email address, providing a username and password, and selecting a deposit method. Once the funds have been credited to your account, you can start playing real-money games and tournaments.
Most poker sites offer multiple deposit and withdrawal options including credit cards, e-wallets, and cryptocurrencies. It is important to choose a site with secure, reliable banking methods and responsive customer support. A site with slow or unreliable payment processing may be a red flag for fraudulent activity.
In addition to offering a large selection of games, most poker sites also feature a wide range of strategy-related content. Some of this is available for free while much of it can be found under the ‘Strategy’ menu option. The ‘Beat the Pro’ challenges are particularly interesting, featuring videos of former WSOP champions such as Scott Clements and Qui Nguyen explaining how they would play a hand.