For many years poker was a game that existed mostly in the back of smoky bars and casinos but in the early 2000s online poker really took off and has since grown into a huge industry. Online poker allows players to wager against each other from the comfort of their homes and at any time of day or night that they wish.

To get started you will need to choose an online poker site and sign up for a free account by providing some personal details such as your name, email address and password. Once you have an account you can then deposit funds to start playing for real money. Some sites will require you to provide additional documentation to verify your identity such as a utility bill or bank statement but this is usually a quick and painless process.

Most of the top online poker sites are secure and offer a range of payment methods including credit cards and cryptocurrencies. Some also have live chat support for instant help and assistance. In addition to this the best poker websites will have a wide variety of games that suit all skill levels and budgets. The games will be categorized by cash games, tournaments and sit and go’s and you can also filter the lobby to find specific types of games.

Once you have logged into an online poker website you can find all the games that are available and select one to play. You can also create a player profile and add friends to join games with. This will allow you to keep track of your wins and losses and make it easier for you to find the right game for you.

When you are new to online poker it is important to stick to low stakes tables to begin with and try to avoid high stakes games until you have built up a decent bankroll. It is also recommended that you sign up to a training site and network with other successful pros as this will really improve your chances of winning in the long run.

Poker is a game of chance but it is also a game of skill over the long run and the top pros spend as much time studying the game as they do playing it. So if you are prepared to put in the work and invest in your development by signing up to a poker training site, network with other professional players and brutally analysing your game after every session then you can become the next poker superstar.

One of the most important factors in becoming a successful poker player is having a short memory. This is because there will be many bad beats and cooler plays that will really hurt your ego but you should always remember to stay positive and remind yourself why you play poker in the first place. If you do this then the math will eventually sort itself out and you will be a profitable poker player in the long run.