Online poker is a great way to play for a variety of stakes. It offers a number of benefits, including the ability to play for free or at low stakes and even win satellite entries to some of the world’s most prestigious live tournaments.

When choosing an online poker site, it’s important to find a reliable one that is trustworthy and has a sterling reputation among players. This means checking to ensure that the site is licensed and regulated by an independent gaming commission, as well as being regularly inspected by a third-party security firm.

If you’re a beginner, you’ll want to choose a site that is user-friendly and easy to navigate. This means a site that has a good selection of games, a variety of payment methods, and a fast and secure payout process.

Fortunately, there are plenty of top-rated poker sites out there that you can choose from. These include BetOnline, which caters to a balanced mix of new, casual, and serious players. It has a high volume of traffic and a wide range of deposit and withdrawal options, making it a solid choice for beginners.

The best poker sites are safe, reputable, and offer high-quality customer support. They also offer secure payment options, including paper checks and e-wallets. These options provide added security against theft and fraud, and ensure that your money is never intermingled with casino funds or other operator funds.

Some of the best poker sites also offer a plethora of bonuses and promotions, including cash giveaways. These promotions are great for boosting your bankroll and getting you off to a good start.

For example, Ignition Poker has a unique loyalty scheme called Miles that lets you earn points for every dollar you spend at the tables. These can be redeemed for a number of things, from free seat upgrades to cashback.

Ignition also has a handy Quick Seat feature that will take you directly to the table you want when it’s ready for action. This eliminates the need to surf the lobby and hope that a seat opens up.

Another benefit of playing poker online is the fact that you can play more than one table at a time. This can help you increase your profits, as you’re able to keep tabs on how you’re doing and when it might be a good time to fold your trash and move onto the next table.

It’s also a good idea to keep track of your session statistics, such as how many flops you see and how often you go to showdown. These will help you determine how to improve your game and avoid bad beats.

The most popular poker games are Texas Hold’em and Omaha, but there are more than a few variants that you can try. Some of these are even invented by the poker sites themselves, which can be a fun change from the standard Texas Hold’em rules. These include 7-Card Stud and Shortdeck.