Online poker is played on your desktop, laptop, phone or tablet. You sign up for an account and deposit funds, usually via credit cards or e-wallets. Once you’re a member you can play real money games and tournaments. Some sites offer a variety of game variants, while others specialize in one or the other. Most top sites are regulated and follow the strictest security guidelines. This ensures a safe gaming experience and prompt payouts when you win.
You can choose from a huge range of real money games at online poker sites, from the smallest stakes to satellite entries into live events. Some sites also pay back a percentage of the rake that you contribute to the site. It might be a simple percentage, or it could be an exchange of points for bonuses or cash. There are even sites that pay a cut of the rake back to players at each table, rather than only at the overall site.
Unlike live casino gambling, online poker is not taxing on your computer’s memory and most modern laptops and desktops have enough processing power to run it. There are even mobile apps for iPhone and iPad users. There are a number of online poker software programs that can help you improve your play. These include hand database programs that scan active tables for known players and display previous statistics next to their name (known as a heads up display or HUD). Other poker tools can help you find the best spot on a table, estimate your odds of winning a particular hand, or flag likely mistakes in your play.