Online poker, as the name suggests, is the game of poker played online. Online poker has been accountable for a dramatic rise in the range of poker players worldwide. Thanks in part, to the proliferation of online casinos, the craze for poker is spreading beyond the mega-rich, business-suited elite, allowing everyone a fair chance to place modest bets from the comfort of their own homes.

Statistics confirm the above mentioned. In January 2003, the total global daily cash game turnover for online poker was just $10 million (Ł5.3m) as well as in 2004 it rose to $60m (Ł32m). Basically, $180m (Ł95m) is wagered in cash game pots in online poker every day! Not surprisingly, this number is expected to grow steadily yearly.

You can find hundreds of portals offering online poker; a lot of them are, more or less, similar. The real difference, if any, will be in the gaming environment and the quality of interaction with other players. This could depend a lot on the recognition of the site, as popular gaming sites try and have certain in- built checks and attract serious gamblers who will subsequently, enhance your overall gaming experience. In addition, while some portals have a responsible, informative approach and offer quite a bit of content (news, tournament results, strategy articles, reviews of online card rooms, etc.), others attempt to act as mere conduits to other sites, normally where actual gambling games are offered.

Although people have many different views, as far as differences between and brick and mortar poker is concerned, most agree on at least few of the following:

Online poker rooms tend to be more player-friendly, because they offer suggestions, enable the players to play for low stakes and are very much suited to beginners.

Online poker playing is a whole lot faster, as there’s no banter around the table. Although local casino players consider this interplay a central element of the game, for many playing online, the stress is laid on mathematical calculations and actual moves. Fixed place or offline poker game is time-consuming where a typical rate of play is approximately thirty hands every hour while in online poker these delays, dealing and shuffling, are instant and thus a typical play is faster due to ‘auto action’ buttons.

One disadvantage of playing online poker is that it is more vulnerable to certain kinds of fraud even though most poker sites have safety checks.

Unlike a bricks and mortar casino, you may play at more than one table at a time whenever you play online. As such, you may log into more than one poker site simultaneously, meaning that you should not have to be as good a player to make the exact same sum of cash online (since you improve your probability of winning by playing on the main page multiple tables simultaneously)!

Some experienced players also feel that men and women who mostly play online poker might be at a disadvantage in a brick and mortar casino, because they don’t have opportunities to learn to study and influence body language.

Another differentiating feature of online poker is the fact that it provides free money play, in order that new players may practice without the risk of losing real money.

From the legal point of view, some legal issues are common. Online game poker is very legitimate and regulated in several advanced countries in Europe. Many online poker web pages are certified by legal Game Commission bodies and major auditing firms like PWC (Price Waterhouse Coopers) to review the fairness of the shuffle and payouts.

Whether you are a professional or possibly a novice online poker offers you a comfortable and interesting gaming environment and also a safer (compared to local casinos) means of learning just how to play using smaller bets. You will discover numerous sites that offer guidelines and tips on learning just how to play well. Below are some interesting poker- related terms to get you started:

Royal flush: high cards (ace, king, queen, jack) of the same suit in number sequence.

Straight flush: cards of the same suit in number sequence.

Four of a kind: cards of the same value (e.g. four queens).

Full house: three cards of one value, two of another.

Flush: all cards are of the same suit.

Straight: cards are within number sequence, but not of the same suit.

Three of a kind: three cards of the same value.

Two pair: two pairs of cards with the same value (e.g. queen, queen and king, king)

Pair: two cards with the exact same value.