Online poker is a lot like live poker except it’s a whole lot more convenient. Players log on to a secure website, type in their username and password and they are ready to play. They can also choose to deposit funds using a variety of banking methods.
Online poker can be played on computers, laptops and mobile devices. The software required to run the games is not very demanding on the system’s memory, so almost any modern computer or device will be able to handle it. There are also a growing number of real money poker apps for mobile devices, including iPhones and iPads.
Getting started is easy with most online poker sites. They usually have a lobby where you can select the game you want to play and then enter your player details. The site will then place you at a table with other players and your real money account balance will be updated as you play hands.
There are many reasons why people love playing poker online. It’s fun, thrilling and an intellectual game that rewards actual skill unlike slots or the lottery. Players can win big money, even at the smallest stakes. Plus, they can play it anytime, from the comfort of their own home.
When people first entered the world of online poker it was a completely different landscape than what we have today. There were a few good poker forums, some decent poker software and a limited number of books that deserved a read. Nowadays there are a million poker forums to join, Discord channels and FB groups to chat in and a thousand pieces of poker software to help you improve.
While most players will start off at low stakes, they will soon begin to realize that winning at this level requires a little more than luck. This is when they will start to look into poker strategy. Online poker sites offer a variety of books and courses, some of which are free. Then there are sites that collect and rank poker strategy articles. All this information makes it easy for players to find what they are looking for and to learn the game from the best in the business.
For years, poker existed primarily in the back of smoky bars and casinos but that changed in the early 2000s. An accountant from Tennessee named Andy Bloch came up with the idea of using technology to safely hold players’ cash and let them wager against other players. This led to the creation of the first online poker rooms and the beginning of a new era for this popular card game.
The halcyon days of the online poker industry ended when Congress passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). This legislation made it illegal for payment processors to process payments to gambling websites and forced many major operators to fold. However, several smaller companies were able to remain open and a handful of states have legalized the game.