Online poker is a game where players bet real money against other people, with the aim of winning. Many people only want to play this type of game if there’s real cash on the line; for others, it’s just not as much fun if there’s no risk involved. Fortunately, for those who don’t want to risk losing their own money, there are plenty of other options available. These include sweepstakes games (which are pretty close to being indistinguishable from real-money games) and free-play games. The latter often don’t have quite the same level of quality as real-money games, but they can be a good place to practice your skills and get a feel for the game before you deposit any money.

There are also a number of online poker courses that teach the basics of the game and give you some tips on how to improve your play. These are generally delivered via video and can be a great way to learn the basics of the game without risking any money. Most of these courses are free, though some may cost a small amount to cover the costs of materials and tuition.

When it comes to playing online poker for real money, the biggest factor is going to be your location and whether or not there are legal restrictions in place. The best sites will maintain licenses in regulated markets and will be careful not to operate in any gray or black market jurisdictions. This is to reduce the chances of their payments being seized or their executives arrested by local law enforcement agencies.

The best online poker sites will also provide a wide range of games with buy-in rates to suit all budgets and skill levels. This means that you’ll have a choice of micro stakes, low, mid and high-stakes tables, along with tournaments from freezeout to rebuy formats. There will be deepstack and hyper-turbo events for those who like a measured pace, plus bounty hunter games and progressive KO tournaments to reward players who win multiple heads up in a single session.

Many poker sites will run loyalty or rewards programs, rewarding players for the time they spend playing and interacting with other members of the site. This can be a great way to build up your bankroll while also gaining access to other prizes, including merchandise and tournament tickets.

Unfortunately, many people are prevented from enjoying online poker for real money because they live in countries or territories where it’s illegal to do so. This includes the United States, Russia and a number of other countries and regions. In most cases, the larger public-company operators (like PokerStars, 888 and Unibet) won’t offer their services in these markets because they can be considered too risky. However, there are independent operators who specialise in providing games to these under-served markets. These operators will typically use a third-party software platform to protect players’ data and provide an extra layer of security.