When it comes to poker online, there are many factors that come into play. Obviously, players need to be of legal age to gamble (in most jurisdictions that means 21+) and they must be willing to spend time playing to hone their skills and hopefully win some real cash. However, even though there are strategies that can increase your prospects of winning, poker is still a game of chance and there is always the potential to lose some of your hard-earned money.

Some of the best poker sites have an extensive game selection, offer a range of buy-in rates and feature large tournament fields with a lot of guaranteed prize pools. Licensing and safety are also important considerations, and you should look for sites that use advanced Transport Layer Security encryption software to protect your personal information. You should be able to deposit and withdraw funds easily, although processing times vary from site to site.

In addition to the real-money poker rooms, there are free-play and social poker apps that allow you to play for fun with virtual chips. While they don’t provide the same experience as playing with real money, they are a great way to learn the game and to have some fun without risking any of your own hard-earned cash.