If you’re in the US and want to play online poker, it’s best to choose a legitimate USA poker room. These sites offer many players the chance to play in a safe and regulated environment. However, there are several factors you should consider before signing up. First of all, you should always check the website’s SSL certificate.

Secondly, the player pool in live games is typically smaller than in online games. That means that if you’re not the best player in the game, you’ll be a little more difficult to beat. As a result, the online poker games tend to be tougher to beat. For example, online poker games are more competitive and players tend to put their money in regardless of their hole cards. Unlike live poker, multiway pots are more common in online games, making it difficult for new players to navigate through them.

Another factor that should be considered is the risk that online poker sites take with the player’s bankroll. Fortunately, regulations prevent these sites from taking excessive risks with clients’ money, and the majority of them are safe and virus-free. In order to play online poker, you’ll need to download poker software and register an account. It’s best to register only one account, since multi-accounting is illegal and can lead to permanent ban from a poker site.

There are various promotional schemes available in the online poker world. Some offer free tournament entries to new depositors, while others offer reload bonuses that replenish your bankroll when you deposit more money. Other offers include loyalty bonuses, which reward players for playing regularly. These bonuses can come in the form of a flat rate or a percentage match. Some poker rooms even offer satellite qualifiers for big live events.