When playing online poker, you may want to consider putting in extra documentation to prove your identity. For example, you may be asked to send a utility bill to verify your name and address. Once this information is verified, you can play for real money. But there are some precautions you should take before making any investments.

First, before you play online poker, you must download the poker software. This usually takes only a few minutes. You must also register and create an account on the site. You can only have one account at a time. This is important because if you sign up for more than one account, you may be banned from the site permanently.

Another important consideration when playing online poker is minimizing the bad beats that you can incur. Many players report more bad beats online than live, and they are more likely to happen at lower stakes, where players are more likely to call with less-than-ideal hands. As a result, these players can end up outdrawing better hands.

In addition to legal online poker sites, you can play on sweepstakes poker sites to earn virtual currencies. Some of these sites also offer the opportunity to redeem prizes for real cash. One of the most popular sweepstakes poker sites is Global Poker.