How to Play Poker Online

Poker was once played primarily in smoky bars and casinos but online poker has taken it to a whole new level. Players can now play a variety of games for almost any stake they want to, all from the comfort of their own homes. From low limit cash games to satellite entries into the biggest live tournaments in the world, there is something for everyone.

One of the first things that new players learn when playing poker online is how fast the game is. Compared to a live game you will see more than double the amount of hands per hour and there is rarely any downtime between each hand. This can be overwhelming for some people especially if they are not used to it. This is why it is a good idea to start out slow by playing just one table until you are comfortable with the pace of the game.

Another aspect of online poker that can be difficult to get used to is the fact that it is nearly impossible to read opponents in the same way you would in person. This can be a major adjustment for some players especially if they are used to being able to read other players tells such as their manner of speaking, body language and facial expressions. It is possible to work around this though by utilizing a number of different poker-specific software tools that can help you figure out if an opponent is bluffing or not.