Online poker is a card game in which each player receives two cards, known as hole cards, and then shares five community cards, dealt face up in three stages: the flop, the turn, and the river. Each player must decide how to best use their hole cards and the community cards in order to win. Online poker rooms offer a variety of games, including Texas hold’em, Omaha, and more.

To play poker online, first visit a reputable poker site and create an account with your real name and valid email address. Then, deposit funds using one of the many available methods. Once your account is funded, you can start playing poker for real money. Some poker sites also have a loyalty bonus program that rewards you with additional chips when you make a deposit.

The best poker sites are secure and easy to navigate. They offer a range of payment options, including traditional credit/debit cards and bank transfers, e-wallets such as PayPal, and cryptocurrencies. They also have secure software that protects your information. If a poker site’s terms of service are unclear or overly complicated, that’s generally a red flag.

Database software is vital for anyone serious about online poker. It allows you to track your own hand histories and poker statistics, as well as calculate your opponents’ statistics (assuming your poker site of choice allows HUDs). Poker Copilot, for example, is a popular tool that offers a complete set of filters and views to help you find leaks in your strategy. It is relatively expensive, however.