Online poker is a card game that involves placing community cards on the table and betting rounds. The strongest hand ranking wins the game and the total value of the pot. The main variations are Texas Hold’em and Omaha Hi/Lo. Most online poker sites feature both of these, but some also offer other games and tournament formats. Many of the best online poker sites also have small buy-in or high-value guaranteed prize pools that appeal to novice players.
The rules of online poker are identical to those of live poker, but the skills required are different. While live poker requires a certain level of skill to read physical ‘tells’, online players can use a variety of software programs to obtain additional information about their opponents. These include huds (heads up displays) which display previous statistics from hands with other players alongside their name, and equity or odds calculators that can help you determine the correct play in any situation.
Another useful tool is a poker stats program, such as Poker Copilot, which allows you to overlay player info directly on the poker table. These statistics are broken down into more than 60 categories and allow you to see exactly how an opponent has played against you. This helps you target the weaker players by targeting their fold to 3-bet percentages, for example, which is one of the best ways to improve your game. The software can also give you a full set of game theory optimal play tools, including a built-in equity coach for every street and resources to understand hand strength distribution on unknown flops.