Michael Singh, online poker player for more than a decade

There are many poker companies offering their services online. There are large sites with thousands of players online at the same time, and conversely, there are smaller, “boutique” operators that might only have a couple dozen playing at once. The appropriate site for any specific player depends on a number of factors, like the types of games he or she plays and at what stakes, which poker rooms accept players from which countries and the deposit/withdrawal methods available.

Because poker is a game of money played with cards, it’s better to compete for actual cash rather than playing for free. Play chip poker is fine for starting out and learning the rules, but anyone who is serious about the game will eventually want to made a deposit and try to hone their skills further even if they’re only willing to risk a small sum at the tables.

It’s important to find a poker site you can trust with your money. There have been several instances in the past of poker rooms that closed down, taking players’ funds with them. This is why it’s best to only deal with firms that have a solid track record of honest gameplay and reliable payouts.

If possible, try to get a rakeback deal at whatever site you sign up for. The house takes a small portion of each pot or tournament prize pool for itself, but you’ll get a refund on a part of this money with a rakeback arrangement. View a list of some of the top rakeback rooms here: poker online