Online poker takes the game of skill-based card games that is so popular in casinos and live tournaments around the world and cranks it up a level. The best poker sites offer a wide range of games for the smallest stakes imaginable (literally pennies) all the way up to satellite entries into the biggest live tournaments in the world. Players can play for free, for real money or even for big cash prizes and there are a variety of ways to deposit and withdraw funds from an online poker site.
The game is very popular because it is fun, easy to play and rewards actual skill unlike slots or the lottery. It also can be very thrilling, especially when the cards fall in your favour. It is also a very social game where you can chat with other players and with friends and family, making it great for entertainment at parties and special occasions.
The rules of poker are very similar whether you are playing in a casino or at an online poker table. The main difference is that when you play online poker you cannot read the physical tells of other players, so you need to pay attention to their betting tendencies and bet in a manner that is consistent with your own. In addition, a good poker player knows when to fold and will not waste any chips on weak hands. Using tools such as our Which Hand Wins Calculator will help you understand this concept better.