Online poker takes the same basic concepts of the popular card game and cranks them up a notch. You can play for fun at the lowest stakes imaginable or for satellite entries to the most exciting live tournaments in the world. All of this can be done from your laptop, desktop or even mobile phone. The online poker industry is a very competitive and regulated space where player safety, privacy, security and fairness are of paramount concern.
Online Poker in the US
If you live in the United States and want to play poker, it is important to select a reputable site. Most reputable sites are licensed by state gambling regulators and follow strict consumer protection laws. These sites are also subject to age restrictions to ensure that they do not accept players who are under the legal age to participate in real money games. This helps to ensure that all players are treated fairly and their accounts and personal information remain secure.
The first step to playing online poker is to download the software from a site of your choice. This will only take a few minutes and should not put much of a strain on your computer’s memory. Some sites offer no download versions that will run in your browser but they don’t have the same functionality or playability as a full-fledged software client.
Once you’ve downloaded the client it is important to create a user account and verify your identity. You’ll need to provide a valid email address, phone number and address as well as confirm that you are of the legal age to play poker in your jurisdiction. Most reputable online poker sites will use several methods to verify that you are in fact located in a jurisdiction where it is legal to play online. This is usually done using your IP address and sometimes with other methods such as triangulation via cell phone towers.
After you’ve verified your identity you’ll be ready to deposit and withdraw funds. Be sure to review the available banking methods and look for a site that offers the method you prefer. You’ll also want to pay attention to the minimum and maximum amounts that you can deposit and withdraw as well as any fees per transaction.
Poker Tracking
There are many benefits to tracking your poker results, whether you’re a professional player or just a casual recreational player. Most poker sites have built-in poker trackers that will give you an idea of your win/loss record as well as other stats like the number of flops seen and times you went to showdown.
Poker is a great social game and one of the best things about online poker is that it can be played with friends from across the country or even around the world. It’s easy to find a group of people online who are interested in playing at your skill level and you can set up private games as well.