Online poker takes the classic game of cards and cranks it up a notch. It’s available for play on desktop computers, laptops and mobile devices like tablets and phones. You can play for free or at the lowest stakes, or you can compete for satellite entries to the world’s biggest live tournaments. It’s all regulated in the states where it is legal and your account funds and information are safe.

Online training programs are available for players looking to get a leg up on the competition. These can include hand database programs that save and sort hands played and display previous statistics from those players next to their name (as known as a heads up display or HUD). There are also odds, equity and variance calculators available. Some of these tools can help improve your decision making and strategy at the tables as well.

Almost all online poker sites offer some kind of sign up bonus to attract new players. These can range from an instant free bonus to match your first deposit up to a certain amount. Some of these bonuses are easy to unlock and others require you to play a certain number of hands to clear.

One of the best things you can do to improve your game is track your poker results. This helps you see exactly where your money is coming and going and what you’re doing wrong or right. Online poker games typically have higher variance than live games due to the faster pace of play. This can artificially skew your results and give the impression that you are experiencing more bad beats than you would in reality.