If you are thinking about playing online poker, there are a few things you should know. First of all, you should choose a site that is legally licensed for play in your state. You should also look at the games that are available and the player pool. The bigger the site, the more players it will have.

Secondly, make sure that you track your results. This can be helpful for even the most casual players. It will give you a better idea of where you are winning and where you’re losing. Most online poker sites will provide such a feature. You should check your session stats regularly after playing, and pay close attention to your win-rate, the number of flops you have seen, and the number of times you have gone to showdown.

Lastly, online poker is regulated by law in some states, including New Jersey. It is currently illegal in California, Michigan, and West Virginia, but Delaware is a pioneer in this respect. The state has a low population, so there are fewer restrictions on online poker than in other states. Delaware is a member of the Multi-State Online Poker (MSOP), which allows WSOP/888 to share liquidity among states. Delaware also has a number of licensed casinos that offer poker games. These casinos are all powered by the 888poker software.

Before the UIGEA made it illegal for US banks to process transactions with offshore online poker sites, it was common for many poker sites to still accept US players. The good news is that a few sites found ways to get around this issue. As a result, online poker continued to grow until April 15, 2011, despite the law.

While online poker is available in many different formats, one of the most common types is cash games. These games are played in a ring style and require players to buy-in a certain amount of chips. Most online poker sites also have a quick start option that helps new players get started quickly. Using this feature, players can select the type of game, stakes, and number of players they want to join. They can then be seated at the game within seconds.

Another advantage of playing online is the ability to multi-table. When playing low-limit games, it is often helpful to have more than one table open at a time. This way, a player can focus on two tables at once and double their profits. While playing fewer tables at once, the cost of starting a second table is minimal compared to what it costs to operate a table at a brick-and-mortar casino.

Another advantage of online poker is its simplicity. The game is easy to learn, and the game site will automatically notify players when it is their turn. This is an important advantage over playing live poker, where a live poker site may yell at a player for holding up the game.