If you’re just getting into playing poker online then this guide is exactly for you. Let’s start with the statement that online poker is safe and it’s not a scam in any way. It’s business for poker rooms as they generate commissions from every pot or tournament you play, but it’s definitely possible to earn money by playing this game on the internet and if you’re good enough, a serious amount of it. There are several steps that you’ll need to fulfill  before you can actually jump into action and get started so lets take it step by step.

Step 1 – Finding The Right Poker Room

So you’re ready to get started, but don’t have an idea which poker room you should choose? That’s completely normal. Here are some of the aspects and questions to ask for yourself.

• What region are you based in? Is Online Poker Regulated? The industry is mainly divided into two main sections – USA Poker Rooms and Non-US. There are other separated and licensed markets, but you won’t have any trouble finding a site for those.  I personally recommend the Bovada Poker room for US residents and Betway for non-US players.
• What payment methods are available for you? If you’re looking to play poker, chances are that it will be for real money thus you will need to use a banking method for funding your account. By determining what methods are available for you, the choice of a Poker Room becomes much easier as you can divide them into ”compatible” ones and the others.
• What games are you looking to play? While most reputable rooms will offer a diversified range of games, there will be a couple of them that will lack traffic. Before you join a room, think about the games and stakes you’re looking to play and check whether that particular site has any traffic for them.

Step 2 – Downloading Poker client and opening an account

While this might seem like an easy one, you might run into compatibility issues. What computer are you using? To be more exact, what’s the operating system that empowers it? Users of Windows powered computers will be able to play at any online poker site out there, while any alternate operating systems are not as much as support. If you’re using Mac or Linux powered device, check whether the site offers a compatible software. Nowadays there are plenty of Mac Poker Rooms out there so there’s no reason to worry too much, but it is still worth a consideration.

Step 3 – Making a Deposit

So you’re all set for having an online poker experience, but before you do there’s one last thing. In order to play poker for real money, you will have to fund your account. Now all poker sites accept major credit and debit cards, but what if you don’t have one or want to deposit more than this method allows? There are a handful of alternative methods that you should certainly give a look. Examples include Skrill, Neteller, PaySafeCard, Bitcoin and more. It all comes down to which is the easiest and most accessible for you.

Step 4 – Poker Tools

So you’re ready to hit the tables and become a champ! This is a bit more advanced topic and we will get in more detail about it later, but for now some basic knowledge will be enough. If you’re going to pursue a serious poker career, you should look into purchasing some poker tools aka software. No, it won’t help you to see your opponents hole cards, if that’s what you are thinking now. What it will do is help you to analyse the hands that you’ve played already and have some statistical data on opponents. The best tools are always changing so I suggest searching around on google or poker forums to see what the best software is at this time.