For poker fanatics who live far away from casinos, or even far away from other poker fanatics, getting your poker fix can be hard to do. Sure, you can rustle up a few amateurs to play a couple of hands every now and again, but where can you go to find poker games that really challenge you and expose you to new ideas and new variations of the game?

 The answer is as close as your computer. Online poker games are popping up all over the Internet. Whenever you’re in a mood for a game, just log in, and you could soon be showing off your poker skills with players from all around the world.

Online poker is big business, and seems to be getting more and more popular every year. The way the sites work is simple. You join a site, usually for free, deposit some money into your online betting account and you’re ready to play. Each site works a little differently, but sometimes you can sign up to play a particular game in advance, and some sites allow you to join ongoing games between hands. On some poker sites, you can have several games going on at the same time. Many sites even run their own poker tournaments, allowing their members to duke it out for cash prizes and poker crowing title glory.

The competition between poker websites is huge, so you can usually find great incentives, like cash bonuses, available in exchange for signing up to a site or for making a new deposit to an existing account. These incentives often come with strings attached; for instance, sometimes you cannot take advantage of an incentive until you have participated in some games on the site, but if you’re a savvy player who has the control to not blow all of your money while waiting to get your hands on your bonus, then these incentives can be extremely worthwhile. It’s buyer’s market in the world of online poker websites, so if one site is not offering you anything in exchange for your patronage, it is worth shopping around.

Choosing a poker site largely comes down to personal preference. Go for the site that you find the most user-friendly and the offers the kind of games you like to play. Popular sites of course will have the most games going, because they have the most players, but be cautious on jumping into any old game. Try to choose a site that has players of your skill level and games that offer the kind of betting with which you are comfortable.

It’s not all good news with online poker gaming sites, however. These sites have long been the target of US government investigations, and in October, 2006, Congress passed the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act. This law makes some kind of online betting illegal for US customers, leading some poker sites to ban US players. Before you get involved in a game as a US player, you should investigate the site and make sure it is legal to take part in the game. Playing fantasy poker games and playing games that are educational or not for money are exempt from the law across the board. This law is extremely controversial, and online gaming enthusiasts across the US are lobbying for the law to be repealed.

When you’ve found an online game that is legal for you, remember to approach it with the same care you would a normal poker game. It’s easier to get carried away with your betting when you play online, because you can’t actually see the money leave your hand. It is real money nonetheless. Remember that, and soon you’ll be hitting the poker jackpot while hanging out in front of the computer screen.