Despite its history of being played in the back of smoky bars and casinos, poker is now one of the most popular pastimes online. There are thousands of ring games available at any time of the day or night as well as tournaments with buy-ins from free up to thousands of dollars.

Signing up for a real money account on an online poker site is relatively simple. You’ll need to provide personal information such as name, address and phone number to verify your identity. Once verified, you can choose a deposit method and funds will appear in your account balance. Be wary of sites that don’t require this verification as they may not offer a safe gaming environment.

In addition to providing a variety of real money tournaments and cash games, good poker sites will have top-of-the-line security and anti-phishing features. These are essential for keeping your personal information and bankroll secure. You should also check that the poker site is regulated in your jurisdiction, which will protect you from fraudulent activity and ensure that all games are fair.

When you play poker online, it’s important to pay attention to player tells and betting patterns. It’s impossible to read physical tells when playing poker online so you’ll need to learn how to spot tells based on the speed at which players make their decisions and the size of their bets. Using a software program like a HUD (Heads-Up Display) will help you to see these stats and make better decisions.