How to Play Poker Online

If you’re looking to play poker online, you’ll find a wide range of options. Most sites feature multiple game formats, including cash games and tournaments. However, you’ll want to make sure the site you choose offers the type of game you enjoy playing. Also, the limits at online poker venues are often lower than those of traditional casinos. This is because the marginal cost of opening a new table is much less than that of a physical casino.

Another difference between live and online poker is that in many online games players can choose their own chip values. Adding and subtracting chips is as easy as changing the values in a text box. This allows players to experiment with their chip stack and see how it affects their chances of winning a hand. This is one of the key aspects to success in poker.

In addition to changing chip values, players can also alter their preflop bet size. For example, in some online games players may be able to open for 5x or even 10x the big blind, which can make it easier to get called by strong hands than in live games.

Lastly, players can use different poker software programs to improve their performance. These include hand database programs that scan active tables for known players and display previous statistics on their names (known as a heads-up display or HUD) as well as odds and equity calculators. Ultimately, poker is a game of skill over the long run and top pros spend as much time studying the game as they do playing it.