Online poker is a great way for players to play any time of day or night and at many different stakes. It is also a much easier option for new players to get into the game than playing live. Online poker sites have lower overhead costs and are able to offer more games at lower stakes. Players can start out by playing free games and then move to low stakes and eventually tournaments.

One big difference between online and live poker is that bluffing is much more effective in online poker. This is because you can see all of a player’s tells – every twitch of the nose, dart of the eye and subtle body movement. It is easy to pick up on these and use them to your advantage. In addition, many recreational players give away a lot of information about the strength of their hand by the way they play it. This is often more obvious than in live play, where people tend to fold bad hands more often.

Another benefit of online poker is the convenience of making deposits and withdrawals. The process is usually simple and quick, but some sites may require a bit of additional documentation to ensure that you are who you say you are. This is nothing out of the ordinary and is a good way to protect against IRS tax return fraud.

It is also important to remember that poker has a large element of short term luck built right into it. A bad player who gets smashed by a stronger opponent should not be discouraged and should simply keep working on his or her game.