To play online poker you need to be of legal age to enter the game. Most poker sites do not accept credit cards, so players need to create a virtual bank account. You should choose a bank with a large number of customers. Then, when you play, you deposit money into your virtual bank account. If you win, the money is deducted from your virtual bank account, and vice versa. However, if you are not of legal age, you should not play at all.

In general, you should always have 20-30 buy-ins set aside for cash games, and 50 for tournaments. This way, you can handle swings in your bankroll, and you can call bluffs with aggression. Online poker training sites are also a good place to start, and they include interactive tools, tutorials, and quizzes to help you learn the game. Aside from videos, there are also websites that teach poker strategy.

Unlike real-life casinos, online poker sites invest the money that players deposit. Because of strict regulations, online poker sites cannot take excessive risks with their clients’ bankrolls. Despite this, these investments can bring significant revenue to the sites. You can also take advantage of promotions and bonuses offered by online poker operators. However, you should make sure you know the rules before signing up with an online poker site. You should also find out if the site accepts your payment method and offers a deposit bonus.