Online poker is available any time of the day or night and offers a huge number of variations in game play. Players compete against people from all over the world in thousands of ring games and tournaments with buy-ins ranging from free up to thousands of dollars. Unlike live poker, which is played at casinos and private clubs, online poker is fast, fair and easy to use.
To get started playing poker online, you need a stable Internet connection and a good quality poker software program. The software shows the table on your computer screen, and it’s easy to make in-game decisions with a click of your mouse. In addition, many online poker sites offer additional software that can help you win more. For example, hand database programs save and sort your online poker hands. They can also display previous statistics for players you’ve played with next to their name (known as a heads up display or HUD) at the table. Other software tools include odds, equity and variance calculators and quizzes.
Another way to improve your online poker is to spend more time studying the game. Top pros work as hard at learning the game as they do playing it and they spend much of their time networking with other successful poker players. They also work on their game by signing up for training at sites like Chip Leader Coaching or Upswing Poker and brutally analyzing their results after every session.