When playing poker online you have a huge number of options that aren’t available at live tables. You can play at any time of the day or night, you can play cash games or tournaments, you can choose a game with a low or high stakes. There’s also a wide choice of bonuses and promotions which can be extremely attractive. However, it is important to read the fine print as these often have conditions attached.

One of the first things to learn is that poker isn’t just about luck. It’s a game of skill and understanding the game takes a great deal of work and practice. Even the top players spend just as much time studying the game as they do playing it. They sign up for training sites, network with other successful pros and brutally analyze their own performance after every session.

Getting a feel for the poker software is another essential skill to develop. The best online poker sites will offer a clean and simple interface that is easy to navigate. They should also provide a range of game controls that are intuitive and not too flashy or complicated. This will help you concentrate on making the right decisions at the right time.

Once you’ve got a good handle on the interface it’s a good idea to play a few hands. This will give you a feel for the game and let you familiarize yourself with the table surroundings. You’ll want to know where the raise buttons are and how they work, what the chat options are and more. Taking the time to get familiar with your surroundings will speed up your play and may prevent you from making a costly mistake.

While you’re playing online it’s a good idea to limit the amount of tables you have open at any given time. Too many tables can make it very difficult to pay attention to the action and it’s easy to misread your position at a table. A good rule of thumb is to have no more than four tables open at any given time.

When you’re new to online poker it’s a good idea to stick with the lower level tables. This will keep you from being tempted to be aggressive and play too many hands. Aggressive play is often a sign of inexperience and can quickly burn through your bankroll.

Once you’ve developed some experience you can start to move up to higher stakes but be sure to always play within your comfort zone. It’s also a good idea to find a poker site that has “beginner” tables. These will usually be a separate tab or filter within the main lobby and will match you up with opponents who have marked themselves as beginners. This can really level the playing field for new players and makes it easier to concentrate on the game.