Online poker is a card game played over the internet using real money. It’s a popular pastime for many and can be lucrative if you’re successful. However, it takes a lot of practice to get to that point. It’s not uncommon to find millions of new players signing up for a site each year, looking to turn poker into a hobby and perhaps a career.
The first step is to sign up at a reputable online poker site. You’ll need to create an account with a screen name and password. It’s a good idea to choose a screen name that you won’t be tempted to change later on because multiple accounts are against the rules.
You’ll then need to fund your account with some money. This can be done via a credit or debit card, prepaid cards or eWallets which are all available online. Many sites also offer a variety of options for withdrawing winnings including wire transfers and old-fashioned cheques.
Various software programs are available for online poker use and can help you improve your game. These include hand databases which save, sort and recall all of your hand histories. They can even scan active tables for known players and display their previous statistics next to their name (known as a heads up display or HUD). They can also do odds, equity and variance calculations.
Finally, it’s important to keep track of your results online. Most poker sites provide their own player tracking software which allows you to see how much you’re winning and losing per session as well as what your overall profit is.