The online version of this classic card game is a popular pastime for many people who love the thrill of a challenging mental activity that rewards actual skill. It’s something they can do for free or at low stakes from the comfort of their own homes, or even on the go via mobile apps. And of course it’s a chance to win real cash.

The world of online poker is continually expanding. There are now more licensed sites available in the USA than ever before and many more countries now have access to regulated poker websites. We keep up to date with major news and legislative progress across the board so that you can be confident that you’re playing at a trusted site.

When you’re ready to play you need to choose a poker site that offers the games and format you want. Most of these sites will offer a wide range of options including live tournaments and Sit & Go’s in addition to the usual cash game tables. The best online poker sites will also usually feature “beginner” tables that you can filter to only be seated with players who classify themselves as beginners. This dramatically levels the playing field for newcomers and is recommended by most online poker sites.

Once you’ve found a site that has the games you want to play it’s time to sign up. It’s a relatively straightforward process that should only take a few minutes to complete and involves a basic set of personal details such as name, address and email address. Once you’ve completed your registration the poker site will send you a confirmation email with a link to start playing.

Most of the top online poker sites offer a variety of deposit and withdrawal methods. These typically include credit and debit cards, pre-paid cards, wire transfers and third-party eWallets. Some will also accept cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Make sure you check the terms and conditions carefully as some poker sites can be tricky with their deposit and withdrawal limits.

A good online poker site will also have security measures in place to prevent fraud. These can include hiring security personnel who can view card, player and pattern history in order to spot suspicious behaviour. They will also look at the player’s computer IP address to determine if there is more than one person playing from the same household or workplace.

The most popular way to play online poker is at a reputable, trusted site. It’s a small poker world and word soon spreads if a site isn’t fair or honest. We’ve only included sites with a solid reputation and a great customer service team on our list.