When you play poker online you can do it on a desktop, laptop, tablet or mobile device. You can play for real money or just for fun. You can even play for satellite entries into some of the world’s best live tournaments. You can choose from the smallest stakes imaginable to the biggest ones.

It’s also very easy to get started with poker online. There are a lot of sites to choose from and all of them offer free accounts that you can use to practice your skills and learn the software. Once you have an account you can then deposit money and start playing for real. Many poker sites will require you to verify your identity before you can withdraw funds but this is a normal and painless process.

There are a few things to keep in mind when playing poker online that you may not be used to from playing in a brick and mortar casino or at a home game with friends. First, you need to eliminate any distractions. This means turning off the TV, putting away any books or magazines, making sure there is no food or drink within reach, and not having your phone buzzing with notifications. All of these things can cause you to make silly mistakes at the poker table.

Another thing to remember is that your position at the table will change how you play your hand. This is especially true if you are in early position and your opponent is in late position. For example, if you have pocket kings in early position and your opponent has AK in late position, it is very important that you don’t call a bet with your hand because it will give him a huge advantage.

You also need to be aware of pot odds. These are the odds that you have of winning a pot based on how much money is in the pot and how strong your hand is. Using this information can help you to make more profitable calls at the poker table. It can also save you from going on monkey tilt and throwing your entire bankroll at a bad beat.

Lastly, you need to have a good understanding of the different types of poker players that you will encounter at an online poker site. The two main types are tight-aggressive and loose-passive. The tight-aggressive player plays fewer hands and bets only when they think they have a good one. The loose-passive player plays more hands but often makes bets without a strong hand.

The bottom line is that when you play poker online you need to treat it like a business. This means eliminating any distractions and treating it with the same seriousness that you would a work meeting or a day at the gym. If you don’t, you will find it very difficult to be successful at the poker tables. Remember that it’s perfectly normal to have bad runs when moving up the stakes. Just drop down a level for a while, grind it back up and try again.