Online Poker is a game that allows players to compete against each other over the internet. It’s responsible for a big increase in the number of people playing poker and can be much more lucrative than live games. But being successful at online poker takes a lot more discipline and control than live play. There are more players, the game moves faster and it’s easier to get caught up in short term luck swings.
While the first online poker sites started appearing in the late 1990s, they gained a huge following after Chris Moneymaker won the World Series of Poker in 2003. The popularity of the game boomed until Congress passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in 2006, and many major sites opted to leave the US market.
Despite the setbacks, online poker continues to thrive in some states and there are now more than 100 regulated real money poker sites. Those that remain have invested heavily in new technology and have created a competitive gaming environment that’s safe for all types of players.
To ensure a seamless experience for their players, the best online poker sites have developed user-friendly interfaces that work seamlessly on both desktop and mobile devices. They also feature large, varied bonuses to encourage players to sign up and play. They may offer rakeback, which returns some of the money that the poker site takes from each pot, or they may run tournaments with large guaranteed prize pools.