Online poker is a fun and profitable way to earn money. You can play in a variety of formats, from cash games to tournaments. Tournaments are a bit more intense, but you can make good money by playing them.
The game is becoming increasingly popular as more states legalize it. It is currently available in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Legality
Online poker has been a fixture in the United States for decades. It thrived in the wake of Chris Moneymaker’s 2003 World Series of Poker win and subsequent “poker boom.” However, as with all things that flourish, there were setbacks. These included UIGEA and the FBI’s raid of Full Tilt Poker in 2011.
This legal battle has centered around whether or not online poker is a form of gambling. Fortunately, there is little chance that the US will ever make it illegal to play poker unless there’s a significant shift in public opinion.
Currently, regulated online poker is available in Nevada, Delaware, New Jersey, and Michigan. Pennsylvania and West Virginia are also preparing to join the mix. This expansion should make the multistate poker compact more appealing to operators.
Software
Online poker software connects players from around the world, transfers money in seconds and calculates odds with blazing speed. It must also be compatible with new technology and keep up with the latest trends and regulations.
Tracking poker software is vital for anyone who takes the game seriously. It can help you identify leaks and exploit weaknesses in your opponents’ strategies, making it the most valuable tool a player can have.
One popular program is called Equilab. It converts all values on the table into BB count and lets you make bets without seeing your money. This allows you to concentrate more on decision making than worrying about the money you’re risking. It also makes it easier to compare your ranges with your opponents’.
Payment options
Online poker players need a range of payment options when it comes to funding their accounts and collecting payouts. The good news is that online poker sites now offer more deposit and withdrawal methods than ever before. These include eWallets like PayPal & Neteller, and also credit cards (Visa & MasterCard).
You can find a poker site’s deposit options by visiting its cashier page. Each method should be listed clearly & with its associated fees, which are often either fixed or counted as a percentage of the deposit amount. Some payment methods, like bank wires & checks, can take longer to process and may require verification of player identity. Other deposit methods, such as mobile payments like Boku & Zimpler, are much faster and simpler.
Rules
Online poker is similar to the traditional card game in a few ways but it tends to be faster, more accessible and offers lower risk. You can play a variety of games and stakes from your computer or mobile device.
One rule to remember is that players must protect their cards. This means putting chips or another object on them to prevent other players from seeing their hand. If a player fails to do this, they will lose their turn.
Tight players will be tough to beat. They will usually only play their strongest starting hands and be hesitant to 3-bet. To counter this, you can mix up your range and include marginal hands like suited connectors from late position. This will help disguise your strength and make your opponents think you are tight.
Strategy
Online poker takes traditional card games and turns them into an online, global game that can be played for free or for the smallest stakes imaginable. Players can play for cash, satellite entries into major live tournaments and more from a computer, tablet or smartphone.
A big part of the strategy of online poker involves understanding the basics of the game. A good understanding of starting hands is necessary, as is the ability to read your opponent. The way your opponent moves, the time it takes him to make a decision and his sizing will tell you a lot about his game.
The table statistics available on most online poker sites can also help you choose the best tables for your game. You can use these to filter out the poorer players and find tables with a higher average pot size.
