Online poker is a fast, fun and exciting card game that rewards actual skill unlike slots or the lottery. It’s also a game that you can play at any time, for as long as you want and for as low or high stakes as you choose from the comfort of your own home. But it’s important to remember that playing online poker can be very expensive if you don’t practice responsible bankroll management and seek out resources for strategy development.
In 2003, online poker really took off when a Tennessee accountant aptly named Chris Moneymaker won the World Series of Poker Main Event. His story made national headlines, and millions of Americans thought they could be next.
The rules of poker are the same whether you’re playing online or live, but bluffing in poker is more difficult online because it is much harder to read physical ‘tells’ such as a twitch of the nose or darting of the eyes. Instead, players can size up their opponents by monitoring their betting tendencies. A good way to start is by looking at your opponents’ previous hands and paying attention to how they call or fold.
Another key difference between online and live poker is that players can play multiple tables at once. While this may seem intimidating at first it can be a huge advantage if you’re able to multi-table effectively. For example, if you’re waiting for good cards on one table you can fold your trash on the other and double your profit in the process.
Before you get started you’ll need to sign up for an account with an online poker site. This will require some personal information like your name, date of birth, address and email. The best sites will also have security measures in place to protect your financial and personal information, including requiring that you use a secure VPN connection and a unique user ID. Some sites will even request a government-issued ID and utility bill to verify your identity before you can deposit real money.
There are plenty of reasons to play poker, from the thrill of winning to the challenge of improving your skills. But you’ll never be a success at online poker unless you take the time to develop your skills by signing up for training sites, networking with successful pros, and brutally analyzing your play after every session.
Many people fail to reach their full potential in online poker because they aren’t prepared for the ups and downs of the game. It’s very common to lose a lot of your bankroll in a short period of time when you move up the stakes, but this is nothing to be alarmed about. Just move back down a little bit, grind it out, and try again. It’s the only way to truly succeed in online poker.