When you play poker online you aren’t just playing against your friends or family – you’re competing against players from all over the world. It’s important to only play on sites that are licensed by a state regulator and accept players from your jurisdiction. Using an unlicensed site can result in serious legal issues. Checking that a site is legal in your jurisdiction can be done by contacting the state gaming commission and asking them to verify that it does indeed fall under state gaming laws.
A good poker online site will feature a large variety of games and tournaments with some specializing in specific formats. They will also have a variety of deposit and withdrawal options. Players can expect to find tournaments in a variety of buy-ins, from micro stakes all the way up to multi-million dollar prize pools.
The table software should be visually appealing and easy to navigate. New players should spend a couple of hands familiarizing themselves with the software, finding where the raise buttons are and how to use chat. Taking the time to do this will speed up play and could prevent a mistake that costs you money.
As with live poker, knowing your starting hand range and understanding the rankings is a key part of online strategy. This helps you determine whether or not to play a particular hand and, if you do, how much to raise. It’s also crucial to understand your opponent’s style and how to adjust your own play accordingly. This can be done by studying betting histories and determining their tendencies.
Another important consideration when choosing an online poker site is how many tables you can play at once. Some online poker sites allow players to play at multiple tables and this can make a huge difference in your profitability. However, when you’re first starting out it’s recommended to only play at one table. This will help avoid sensory overload and give you the best chance of making a good call.
Most online poker rooms have special “beginner” tables. By putting yourself in this category you can be seated with other players who are also classified as beginner, which will significantly level the playing field for newcomers. This is a great way to build up your bankroll and get used to the game without risking too much money.
Tracking your results is an essential part of improving your poker game. Most sites have built-in tools that let you view stats like win rate, number of flops seen and times you went to showdown. You can also invest in a poker tracking software program like Hold’em Manager or PokerTracker 4. These programs overlay your online table and show you information about your opponents, such as their pre-flop raise percentage or how often they fold to a raise. With this information at your fingertips, you can better understand where your strengths and weaknesses are and improve your poker game.