How to Play Online Poker
Practice for free at PacificPoker

Many visitors to our site have questions about how to get started playing poker online. Getting started is actually quite simple, and you can be playing in a matter of minutes.

Here's a list of things you'll need to do to begin playing...

First, you'll need to register at an online poker room. The choice of which is yours, but we have a list of the most popular poker rooms on our "where to play" page (Click the link to the poker room you'd like to play, then click their "download our free software" button, or the "register now" button). Most poker rooms require a short, one-time software download, although there is an exception. If you don't want to wait around while software downloads, PokerRoom allows users to play directly through their browser. Again, the choice is yours.

Second, when registering your new poker account, you'll need to provide an email address and nickname (or handle) to activate your account. Poker rooms will send you recepts via email for your transactions, such as deposits and withdrawals.

Third, if you're only planning on playing for fun money (assuming the poker room you registered at offers play money tables, and every single one I know of does), you should be able to log in with your user name and password and play immediately.

If, however, you're a serious player looking to play for real money, you'll need to look at deposit options. Every poker room's options vary. The universal methods are Neteller, FirePay, and credit cards (typically Visa).

Neteller and FirePay both work almost exactly like PayPal. With these options, you register a bank account, fund your new Neteller or FirePay account from your bank account, and then use this new account to deposit at the poker room. Some poker rooms accept e-checks as well (you just enter your checking account information and the amount of your deposit). We suggest Neteller, as many poker rooms are offering promotional bonuses through them.

Last, log into your new account with the handle you selected and the password that you (or sometimes the poker room) provided. Click around the site to get a feel for where all of their services are located (account info, tournament info, etc.). Find a table you want to play at and start playing!

Note: It is your responsibility to check to see if playing poker online is okay with your local government!