Poker is perhaps one of the most well known cards game out there, and is played everywhere, from hobbyists in an evening game, to professionals who play the World Poker Tournament for millions of dollars. It's a fairly simple game to learn, but can be challenging to master. Usually, it requires at least two people, although it often is played with four or six people around a table. But if you don't have that many friends, what you may want to do is playing online poker instead.
Online poker is very similar to the real thing. The game is played with a deck of cards, except that these cards are virtual and shown on the screen. Each player sees his own cards, and can put down cards just like in a real game, on a real table. The web site serves as the dealer, and handles dealing cards, bets and so on. The rules of poker can vary slightly, but most sites provide similar rules, and have good tutorials on how to play. Also, some sites offer single play, where the user is alone playing at the table, or plays against bots, fake players that are controlled by a computer. They can also offer multiplayer options, or ways for multiple people to play on the same virtual table.
Note that poker is seen as gambling in many countries, and as such, playing for real money can be illegal. In the US, it's illegal for online gambling sites to transact with financial institutions, and as such most of the popular online poker sites are off shore. Still, many people play there, and can win or lose large sums of money.
Transactions are typically done by wire transfers or by using various online services that can send and receive money for you, and then you play using chips the same way as you would in a casino. If you just want to play for fun, you can play with fake money, so playing online poker is possible on many sites, including on Facebook and other social networks where you can play against friends. These games typically happen in your browser, and are free to enter. With the amount of players out there, it's not hard to find a match.
As for sites who do play with real money, the way they make money themselves is with the rake, by taking a percentage of the pot, just like in the real thing. There's also some very professional leagues and matches online, and those can cost money to enter. The online poker world is quite large and filled with shady dealers however, and you should be careful who you entrusts your money to. Sites open and close every day, so sticking to well known communities is a good idea. Overall, playing online poker can be a very fun and entertaining pass time, as long as you don't go broke.
Online poker is very similar to the real thing. The game is played with a deck of cards, except that these cards are virtual and shown on the screen. Each player sees his own cards, and can put down cards just like in a real game, on a real table. The web site serves as the dealer, and handles dealing cards, bets and so on. The rules of poker can vary slightly, but most sites provide similar rules, and have good tutorials on how to play. Also, some sites offer single play, where the user is alone playing at the table, or plays against bots, fake players that are controlled by a computer. They can also offer multiplayer options, or ways for multiple people to play on the same virtual table.
Note that poker is seen as gambling in many countries, and as such, playing for real money can be illegal. In the US, it's illegal for online gambling sites to transact with financial institutions, and as such most of the popular online poker sites are off shore. Still, many people play there, and can win or lose large sums of money.
Transactions are typically done by wire transfers or by using various online services that can send and receive money for you, and then you play using chips the same way as you would in a casino. If you just want to play for fun, you can play with fake money, so playing online poker is possible on many sites, including on Facebook and other social networks where you can play against friends. These games typically happen in your browser, and are free to enter. With the amount of players out there, it's not hard to find a match.
As for sites who do play with real money, the way they make money themselves is with the rake, by taking a percentage of the pot, just like in the real thing. There's also some very professional leagues and matches online, and those can cost money to enter. The online poker world is quite large and filled with shady dealers however, and you should be careful who you entrusts your money to. Sites open and close every day, so sticking to well known communities is a good idea. Overall, playing online poker can be a very fun and entertaining pass time, as long as you don't go broke.
