A lot of people play poker for fun but many also do it to make money. Whether you want to play for the minimum stakes or satellite entry into a big live tournament there is sure to be a game at your fingertips that fits your needs and experience level. Online poker takes that notion and cranks it up a notch offering thousands of games at all skill levels at any time of day or night on your computer, smartphone or tablet.
You can find a variety of games at online poker sites including Texas Hold’em, Omaha and Omaha Hi/Lo. Some offer video poker too while others specialise in a specific type of game such as low limit or high stakes. Some also have specific tournaments for new players or more experienced ones.
Some online poker sites allow you to play more than one table at a time – this is known as multi-tabling. This allows you to spread your playing time around and increase the amount of money you can win without having to wait for a good hand.
It’s important to choose a trusted poker site when you start playing. This is especially true if you’re going to be dealing with real money so that the security of your personal details and finances isn’t compromised. The best way to do this is to choose a site that uses a secure socket layer (SSL) connection. You can usually tell by looking at the address bar in your browser that a site is SSL compliant.
Once you’ve signed up to an online poker site it is a good idea to track your results. This is a great way to see how well you’re doing and helps you work out your strengths and weaknesses. Fortunately most poker sites have this facility built in and it’s a simple matter of clicking on your session stats to view them.
Another thing to look for in an online poker site is a rakeback deal. Rake is the percentage that poker sites take from the pots of real money that players play in and it’s a good way for them to reward loyal players. Typically a rakeback deal is around 3-10% and you’ll find it on most top-rated poker sites.
Most poker sites will let you deposit using a variety of methods such as credit cards, debit cards, pre-paid cards, bank transfers and third party eWallets. Withdrawals are equally as easy and you can usually use the same methods to get your money out. Some sites may even allow you to cash out using a cheque in the mail. You should be aware that some sites will require you to supply identification to verify your identity before they’ll release your winnings so make sure you check this out before you sign up. This is a standard procedure that protects the player’s funds and is in place to prevent fraud and money laundering. Some sites will even ask you to provide proof of your address and date of birth as part of this process.