How to Play Online Poker
Online poker takes the fun and intellectual thrills of this game to a new level. It’s available on your PC, laptop or mobile phone from anywhere with an internet connection. You can play for the smallest stakes you can imagine (literally pennies) or win satellite entries to the biggest live tournaments in the world. It’s safe, secure and highly regulated in states where it is legal to do so.
It’s easy to get started, just visit a poker site that offers the game you want and sign up for an account. The process is usually painless and involves a few basic questions such as your name, email address and phone number (required if you’re playing for real money). You’ll also need to choose a screen name.
Poker lobbies are simple to use and many sites offer a quick start option where you can simply enter the game type, stakes and number of players you want to play against and you’ll be instantly seated at a table. You can also search for specific games and tournaments in the lobbies. Generally mobile apps will have a more condensed version of the lobby with fewer options but improved mobile gaming has made multi-tabling much easier.
It can take time to adapt to the pace of play in online poker. You’ll be dealt far more hands than you would in a live game and there is rarely time to rest between hands. This can be stressful for new players who haven’t played the game for a while. It’s also normal to run bad in the early stages of moving up the stakes so don’t be too alarmed if you lose a few hundred dollars on a short session.
