Online poker takes the concept of a game played over a table at a casino and cranks it up to a worldwide scale that is accessible from any computer, smartphone or tablet with an internet connection. It can be played at any time of the day or night, from any location and for any stakes that a player chooses. This accessibility is one of the major reasons why poker has become so popular.

While online poker rules are the same as those that are played in your local live game, it does require a different set of skills since you cannot read physical tells and can only size up opponents from the betting patterns they exhibit. Many of the best online poker training programs have community elements that allow players to interact and play against each other. This helps players learn from each other and improve faster by gaining insight into the mistakes that their opponents make.

Some players also use online poker solvers to help them develop a winning strategy. These tools are free to use and can help you understand the ranges of possible outcomes for certain hands and spots. They do require a decent amount of processing power and are usually reserved for higher-stakes players.

Prior to online poker becoming as popular and regulated as it is now, rogue employees were able to cheat players out of large sums of money. This type of cheating is a thing of the past now that most players stick to licensed, regulated poker sites.