Online poker has become increasingly popular over the last few years, in which 23 million people play online poker from the US alone. In fact, there are many professional poker players that have migrated over to the online world after finding the game more beneficial in the online space.

However, despite how enticing online poker can be, even the pros can struggle at first when adapting to playing in the virtual world. Below, we’ll take a look at the differences between poker in the physical and virtual worlds, look at what beats what in poker, and provide an all encompassing guide on how to get started playing poker online.

Online poker VS. physical poker

Online poker is much like the game of poker played in real-life casino venues. It follows the same rules, the same card decks, and the same way of playing. However, there are a couple of key differences when it comes to playing online.

Speed – Online poker is usually played much faster than physical games. While regular poker players will usually play around 25 hands per hour, online poker players will play around 72 hands. In addition, if the game is fast folds then it will be played even more rapidly at 200 – 250 hands per hour for games like Zoom, Zone, or Snap.

Less Risk – Online poker games usually come with less risks. One of the things that help this is that there is an increased number of people playing one poker games. This means that there are more people contributing to a jackpot. What’s more, with online poker, the jackpot is usually progressive. This means that if no one wins the total jackpot amount keeps rising.

Playing Strangers – The chances are that if you’re playing online poker, you’re playing with strangers too. It can be incredibly hard to work out if a new player is bluffing as you cannot see their face and don’t know their usual tendencies. However, it certainly makes for an exciting game.

How to play online poker

The first thing to do when getting started with online poker is to choose a good online casinos site. There are a huge variety of sites available when it comes to online casino games, although not all provide the same quality. Some of the top things to take note of when choosing an online poker provider include:

  • What bonuses are available to new players (eg. no deposit, free games)
  • What payment options there are
  • The variety of poker games
  • If the casino is licensed (You should be able to find this information in the footer of the site or on the about us page)
  • If there are games available with low stakes while you’re getting familiar with playing online

Once you’ve chosen a credible provider, it’s time to get down to business.

What device will you play on?

How to master online poker: A beginners guide

One important thing to consider is that device will you play online poker on? Many sites offer the full gaming experience on the desktop site and this may be where you can find the most variety of games. If playing on a desktop device, consider how you can improve the environment around you so you’re not distracted by anything.

This could include boosting your FPS (frames per second) by choosing a high-quality device to play on, checking you have a good quality internet speed, updating your graphics card display drivers, and closing all of your background apps so that there are minimal distractions.

If you’re playing on a mobile device or tablet then it’s important to choose a provider that offers a high-quality mobile gaming experience. Many providers also offer an app, making it much easier to navigate through the different offerings. You may also be able to use a gaming controller with your device to maximize your user experience.

The different poker hands

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How to master online poker: A beginners guide

There are a variety of different poker hands that you will need to learn to get started. While these are the same as in physical poker games, it can never hurt to recap. Some of the main hands include:

Royal Flush – The strongest poker hand of all, where you have A-K-Q-J-10 – all in the same suit.

Straight Flush – Made up of five consecutive cards that are in the same suit.

Four of a Kind – This one is how it sounds. It’s four cards of the same value.

Full House – A hand that is made up of a matching three of a kind together with a pair of a different value.

Flush – Five cards that are all part of the same suit, but not in consecutive order.

Straight – Five consecutive cards which are not all the same suit.

Three of a Kind – Again, as it sounds. Three cards of the same value.

Two Pair – Two pairs, which are each of a different rank.

One Pair – Simply, two cards of the same value.

High Card – The lowest possible hand, made up of five cards that do not produce any of the above.

How much money do you need to begin playing online poker?

As a beginner online poker player, there are a number of sites where you don’t need to make a deposit at all. This is a great way to get a feel for the site and the different types of poker games while figuring out what your preference is.

After that, the average deposit ranges from $50 to $200 and that should keep you going for a while.

Overall, online poker is very similar to live poker games that are played in brick and mortar casino venues. While there are a few key differences we covered above, the game is generally played in the same way and once you’ve begun to master some of the hands, the terminology, and the art of online bluffing, the rest will come naturally.

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A passionate ink singer with the idea of sharing the new vision and different perspectives on various concepts and thoughts in good reads. Also, aims for spreading the word with the best SEO techniques. 

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