Online poker is a game of chance and skill that can be played for real money. However, it is a gambling activity and therefore you should always play responsibly and never gamble with more money than you can afford to lose. The best online poker sites use a number of measures to protect their players. These include licensing, digital device fingerprinting and security measures to ensure that only genuine players can access the site.

When you play poker online, it’s essential to find a good site with fast and stable software that can cope with the demands of high-traffic games. This will significantly reduce your variance and improve your win rate. Additionally, look for a site with a large selection of tournaments and cash games in different stakes. Some sites even offer mixed games like Hold’em and PLO.

A good way to start playing poker online is to find a site that offers a free trial. This will give you a feel for the game and help you decide whether it’s for you or not. It’s also a great idea to find an online poker room that accepts your preferred payment methods.

Lastly, it’s important to have a short memory when you play poker online. It’s easy to get caught up in bad beats, coolers and suckouts, but you need to remember that these things will happen and that the math will sort them out in the long run.