Online poker is an ever-growing global phenomenon. Many of the top real money sites offer players a variety of thrilling tournaments and cash games. They also feature high liquidity, a significant player base and a generous selection of bonuses.

For years, players who were serious about improving their game largely relied on experience alone. The lessons learned were often painful and expensive, but fortunately the rise of poker strategy books has given players another way to learn about the game and improve their own strategies.

The online poker market is a competitive one, with the best providers fighting hard to win over new customers. When perusing potential platforms, players should first consider what kind of game play they want to do. If they plan to play primarily in tournaments, for example, they will be interested in the kind of traffic a site attracts and the calibre of its players. Similarly, players interested in playing in low-stakes online poker should look for a site that offers a decent range of games at these stakes.

Next, players should review a site’s banking methods. Ideally, a site will allow players to deposit and withdraw using a variety of methods, and some of them may even support multiple currencies. They should also take note of any fees that may be applied to deposits and withdrawals. Finally, they should evaluate a site’s welcome bonus offerings to determine how much they can stretch their initial deposits.