Online poker is a game that can be played from the comfort of one’s home on a laptop, tablet or mobile device. Players can play for a variety of stakes starting from the smallest of amounts (literally pennies) and can qualify for satellite entries into some of the biggest live tournaments in the world.
Getting started with an online poker site is relatively easy. Most sites require basic personal information such as name, address, phone number, email address and password to create an account. Once an account has been created the process of adding funds to play can begin. Most sites offer a variety of deposit methods including credit cards, debit cards, pre-paid cards, bank transfers, third party eWallets and even good old wire transfer.
Once you have selected an online poker site that accepts your preferred banking method it is time to start playing. Adding money is as simple as visiting the cashier section of the website and following the directions to add funds. Many of these methods work both ways so you can withdraw winnings as well. Be sure to review the minimum and maximum amount allowed for withdrawals along with any fees per transaction.
The software required to run an online poker game can be downloaded from the site you have chosen and installed on your computer. Once installed, the application will take up very little memory on your system. This means that it can be played on even the most outdated computers.
Most reputable online poker rooms will have some form of rake involved in each hand. This is a scaled commission fee that is taken from the pot by the poker room for offering their services to each player. Each poker room will have a different rake percentage and it is important to understand how it works before signing up to play.
There was once a clear distinction between “live poker players” and “online poker players”. Many of the top live professionals shunned online poker and complained that it wasn’t “real” poker. However, these days most players, regardless of skill level, play both online and live.
In fact, the best online poker sites are often able to offer a more competitive environment for the player than a local casino’s own poker room. That is because the internet poker sites can attract players from all over the world, not just from the nearby state of Michigan.
Another factor in the growth of online poker is that players can use multiple devices to play – desktops, laptops, tablets and mobile phones. The convenience of these applications also helps them to stay on the go, even when they are at work or school. The accessibility of online poker has helped to increase its popularity and the market is expected to continue growing over the next few years. The major drivers of this growth are the surging usage of internet services, and the relaxation of regulations governing online gambling.
