Online poker takes the classic card game of chance and ratchets it up several notches. You can play for free or for the smallest stakes of any type, you can play for satellite entries into live poker tournaments around the world or you can gamble with huge amounts of money at high-roller tables. And you can do it all on your laptop, computer or even smartphone.

For those who have never played poker before, free play is offered at most online poker sites. This allows players to get a feel for the game without risking any real money. You can also read some of the best poker books (Harrington on Hold’em, Theory of Poker and Super/System) to learn more about the basics of the game.

If you want to start playing for real money, be sure to use a reputable poker site that is licensed in your country. This will ensure that your account is secure and the games are fair. Additionally, it will protect you from unscrupulous operators who run illegal online casinos without basic consumer safeguards.

The largest online poker websites generate millions of dollars a year, so they have far more to gain from retaining your business than they would by cheating you out of any amount of cash. They also employ complex systems to deal the cards and use random number generators to make the games as fair as possible for all players.

Some online poker sites are able to return a portion of the pot to their players, which is known as rakeback. This is a great way to attract new customers and reward existing ones. We give bonus points to sites that offer the highest rakeback rates, as they prove that they are serious about player retention.

Another important consideration is the size of the player pool at a given poker site. The more people playing poker at a given time, the better. This ensures that there is always action at a given table, gives you a better chance of finding weak opponents to call or fold and also acts as a tacit endorsement of the poker site’s trustworthiness.

If you’re looking for a safe place to play poker online, look for a website with a UK gambling license. This will guarantee that the site is regulated by a government body that has a proven track record of protecting players. The best European-licensed poker sites also have a reputation for excellent customer service, and are likely to pay out winnings within a reasonable amount of time. They may even be able to process your withdrawal using your preferred method of payment. Just make sure to ask the site about their withdrawal times before making a deposit. This will save you a lot of frustration down the road.