How To Play Online Poker

Online poker games are a good way to start practicing if you're a beginner. Simply choose from the numerous online poker sites, enter the site and then click on the free games. Some poker rooms will require you to register and download their free software before you can play. Poker sites have both real money and play money games, anybody can register to play money games. You start out with a certain number of chips, and when you lose them all you can ask for more. Here are the basic features of a typical online poker room and its functions. We will be using play money Texas Hold'em for this purpose:

The Lobby: Once you've downloaded poker client software, an icon will appear on your desktop. Double-click this icon to sign up and enter the Lobby. The Lobby screen shows you the active tables, the number of players currently online, and the types of games being played. Browse through the lobby and look for a play money Texas Hold'em game.

Sit-In: When you find a table you like click Go To Table, find an open seat then click Sit-In to join the game. The dealer will ask how many chips you want to put on the table, since this is play money you have the option to buy a lot of chips. Although some rooms have limits, and you can simply ask for more when you run out of chips.

Wait for List: If there is no available seat on the table, you can be on the Wait List or simply look for another.

Betting: When the betting rounds begin your two-hole cards will be shown on your screen. When it's your turn to bet, buttons appear marked Fold, Call, Check, Bet, Raise, and so on. Click on the action you wish to take.

The Showdown: At the end of the hand, the dealer manages the showdown. The dealer starts out by showing the cards of the person obligated to show first. Then each player in turn is given the option to show their hand or “muck” their cards without showing. To speed up the showdown, most sites automatically show winning hands immediately. None of the sites allow a player to muck a winning hand, so you don't have to worry about making that mistake. When all the cards have been shown, the dealer awards the pot according to the rules of the game.

Sitting Out: If you want to take a break, simply click the Sit Out button, you will be allowed to sit out and keep your seat, for a few rounds. When you want to come back, click Sit-In again. If you sit out too long, you will be stood up and your chips will be returned to your account.

Chat: All the poker clients allow you to chat with the other players at the table. Look for a one-line text box near the text display area and start typing in it. Some clients let you chat if you are not seated at the table, while others restrict chat to seated players. Below, we talk about some etiquette guidelines you should follow when chatting.

Client Options: Most poker clients let you customize your poker experience. You can turn on and off the sound and the animation if you have a slow machine.