Online poker is a game of card skill played over the internet. It has become very popular because it’s a fun and easy to play game that rewards actual skill unlike slots or the lottery. People also love it because they can play for as long as they want, for any stakes they choose, from the comfort of their homes.
The first step in playing poker online is downloading the software of your choice. This can be done on almost any computer and shouldn’t take very long at all even with older Internet connections. However, there are now several sites that offer no download poker and this is also a great option if you have a slow or unreliable connection.
Once downloaded, the poker software will ask you what type of games you want to play and you’ll be automatically taken to a table when one becomes available. There are a number of benefits to this, the biggest being that there’s no waiting around in the lobby for a seat. This feature can be especially useful when you’re a new player trying to learn the ropes as you’ll often be seated quicker than you might expect.
Another advantage is that a good poker site will keep track of all your sessions and hand history. This allows you to analyse your performance and identify areas for improvement. It can also help you to identify any patterns in your play that might be indicative of cheating or collusion.