Online poker is a thrilling card game that allows you to play at any time of the day and night from the comfort of your home. Its popularity is due to the fact that it’s easy to learn, intellectually stimulating, and rewards actual skill unlike slots or the lottery. It also provides players with the opportunity to play with people from all over the world, regardless of their geographical location.

To start playing poker online, you must first sign up for a user account. During this process, you may be asked to provide some personal information to verify your identity. This is done to protect your financial information and prevent online fraud. In some cases, the website may also require a copy of your driver’s license or utility bill to ensure that you are over the legal age to gamble.

Once you have signed up, the next step is to download the poker software. This process is quick and straightforward, and should not take more than a few minutes on most computers. Some poker sites offer no-download versions as well, but they may not be as feature-rich or playable as the full version.

There are several different types of poker games available online, including Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and Seven-Card Stud. The rules of each game are slightly different, but they all involve the same basic concepts. To win, you must create a poker hand that includes your private cards and the community cards. The ability to think about your own cards and what your opponent could be holding is an important element of the game that separates beginners from pros.