Online poker is a fast-growing game where players from all over the world compete for real cash prizes. There are tournaments for the smallest stakes (literally pennies) and players can also win satellite entries to live poker events around the world. It’s a game that rewards actual skill unlike slots or the lottery and is available to play on almost any computer, tablet or smartphone.

Getting started in online poker is very easy. Most sites offer free resources that will help you learn the rules of the game and even some online courses that teach you strategies that you can use at home or in live games. If you want a more hands-on learning experience, find a local group of people who play regularly and ask to join in. Many of these groups hold practice sessions using chips that don’t represent real money, so you can get a feel for the game without risking any real money.

Some people like to play the game for the social side of it, but others like to try and beat the house. The best way to do that is to study, practice and keep analyzing your play. There are a number of software programs that you can download to your computer to assist you in this process. These include hand databases that save and sort all the poker hands you have played and can recall them for you at any time, as well as odds, equity or variance calculators. Some software can even scan the active tables for known players and display previous statistics next to their name at the table (this is called a heads-up display or HUD).

The popularity of online poker is partly due to its accessibility. You can play for as little or as much as you want and you can do it from anywhere there is an Internet connection. There are also a wide variety of payment methods that you can use to fund your account, including credit cards, debit cards, pre-paid cards, third party eWallets and wire transfers. Many poker sites also accept checks in the mail.

There was a time when there was a big difference between “live poker players” and “online poker players”. There would be stories of live pros venturing online and not doing well, or even complaining that it wasn’t “real poker”. Today, though, the lines are blurring with most top players playing both online and live.

Another reason for the growing popularity of online poker is that it’s a very social game. Most poker rooms have chat features and players can talk to each other while they are playing. This can be a great motivating factor to keep playing, as it helps players stay focused on the game and avoid distractions. Some poker rooms even have special events and parties for their players. This is a fantastic way to meet new people and build your poker community. In the past, these events were usually hosted at casinos and were open to the public but now most of them are held in private homes or venues such as bars and restaurants.