Online poker can, of course, be great fun. It's main advantage over live play is its constant availability.

Getting Set Up:

There are many reputable companies with easy-to-use on-line poker rooms. If you intend to play poker regularly, it is important to get an internet connection that you do not have to pay for on a per-minute basis. There are many deals from Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that provide you with virtually unlimited access to the internet for a fixed monthly fee. This is usually the standard agreement if you have broadband internet access, but is also available with dial-up.

Making your moves:

Whilst each internet poker site is different, most are very similar in a number of ways. In nearly all of them you play using your mouse. Each time it is your go, you are presented with a number of "buttons" giving you options such as: Fold, Check, Call, Bet and Raise. You simply click on the button you wish to use. If you want to raise or bet, you also need to use the "slider" to show how much you wish to bet or raise by. You click and drag the slider along a scale to show how much you want to bet and then click on the bet/raise button to confirm how much you wish to bet. With the slider moved all the way to the left you will be making the minimum bet. With the slider all the way to the right you will be making the maximum bet (in no-limit games, this will be an "all-in" bet). Nearly all the poker rooms are really easy to use.

Depositing and Withdrawing Money:

Nearly all internet poker rooms operate using US Dollars, although you can, of course, deposit money in Pounds (or any widely used currency). Each poker room website has its own procedures for depositing and withdrawing money. On the whole you can easily deposit money using either a credit card or a debit card. You can usually also use internet facilities such as Neteller or Click2Pay. Withdrawing money has also become increasingly straightforward. If you use a debit card to deposit, you can often have your winnings send straight to your bank account. Neteller and Click2Pay withdrawals are also straightforward. If you pay with a credit card, however, you may not always be able to withdraw money back to your card and an alternative withdrawal method may need to be arranged - some companies still send cheques in the post (be aware your bank may charge a extra fee if cheques are made out in US Dollars). Some poker sites are run by bookmakers and these often allow you to walk into one of their shops and withdraw money in cash -  perhaps the most satisfying way to get your hands on your winnings!

When you first deposit money at an online poker room, you may well be eligible for receiving bonus chips - e.g. if you deposit $100, they might give you an extra $25 in chips for free. Sometimes there are excellent deals available - but be sure to read the small print - usually you have to meet certain conditions, such as playing enough (raked) hands, before you get your bonus or before you can withdraw it.

Plus....

When playing online poker, you need to be aware of the "rake." The "rake" is the charge poker sites charge for hosting the game. They take a small percentage (typically 5%) of each pot, subject to certain restrictions. The amount of the rake may vary considerably from one online poker room to another - so it's a good idea to look it up. When you play a tournament, instead of paying a rake, you pay an administration fee. You might, for example, pay $5 to enter the tournament and a 50c fee - so the online casino is effectively taking a percentage of the prize money. To make a profit at online poker, you must beat the rake as well as your opponents. If you play well, however, and pick your opponents carefully, this is often perfectly possible.

One additional disadvantage of playing online, is that, sometimes, you get unwillingly disconnected from the internet or your connection to the poker site is temporarily lost. If this happens you may be forced to fold your hand (this may happen automatically if you do not quickly reconnect). Some sites (e.g. Poker.com) offer protection against this happening by sometimes allowing you to stay in a hand when you are disconnected (you are considered as being "all-in" so you can see the showdown without betting any more money).

In general, however, the main advice is to be aware that disconnections do happen and to make sure you are playing at a stake level where a hand lost due to unfortunate disconnection is not a disaster. If you are able to, get a broadband internet connection - it won't guarantee you won't get disconnected, but it is usually massively more reliable than dial-up!

You can usually get used to online poker by playing on play money tables. These tables are good for getting used to the rules of a particular game and getting used to the controls you need to use to place bets etc. However, you can't expect to become an expert player just by playing on these tables. Because it is play money and not real money, a lot of players will simply bet and call to the end with any hand at all - and this is just not how people will play when they have real money (even small amounts) at risk.

Once you have opened a real money account, you can often play in freeroll tournaments (which have real prize money but are, as the name suggests, free to enter). You can then move on to real money tournaments and low stakes cash games when you feel you are ready.