What is Poker Online?

Poker Online is a game of cards played using software on a computer or mobile device. The game is decided by a computer program that uses a pseudorandom number generator to decide the odds of winning a hand or losing. The game is usually played in tournaments with a single winner taking all the money, or in cash games where players buy in for an amount of real money and receive winnings in return. Some advanced poker players also use specialized software to aid them in playing the game, including software that saves, sorts and recalls hand histories or scans active tables for known players and displays previous statistics such as equity or variance next to their name.

Many reputable legal operators offer online poker for real money. These sites have strong security measures and are regulated by gaming authorities, meaning players are protected by the full weight of US consumer protection laws. They also employ firewalls and encryption tools to protect their databases, and have excellent customer support systems that can be accessed via phone, email or live chat.

When choosing an online poker site, players should look for a secure connection and a variety of deposit methods. Bovada, for example, accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards, as well as prepaid vouchers and popular digital currencies such as Bitcoin. The site doesn’t charge any withdrawal fees, and payouts are processed within one to five days.