The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a massive rise in online poker traffic. The disease has closed most live gaming venues around the world. Many unlicensed gambling venues have closed, resulting in an immediate shortage of live entertainment options. As a result, casual poker players have turned to online poker as a substitute for the lack of live options. In response to the lack of live entertainment options, many operators have reported seeing double or even triple the traffic they’d previously experienced.

While brick-and-mortar casinos don’t offer the same flexibility as an online casino, there are still many advantages for players. For one, they can play at more than one table, a feature that traditional casinos don’t allow. In most online poker rooms, you can play multiple tables, and you can view them in separate windows. At low limit games, it’s generally considered good to play at $10 per 100 hands. The more players you play against, the more likely you’ll win.

Regardless of your preferred mobile device, if you want to play poker on the go, you’ll need a computer with a relatively low minimum system requirement. Online poker doesn’t require a great deal of memory, and computers from the early 2000s are usually adequate. Real money poker apps can be downloaded from most mobile devices, including iPhones and Android phones. No download poker apps, however, do not provide the same features as the desktop software.

However, some states have gone further than that. In 2006, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) made it illegal for banks in the United States to process payments related to online gambling sites. While these laws are vague and did not specifically ban online poker, some websites still operate legally despite the U.S. government’s intervention. As a result, many publicly-traded sites left the US market. After states passed laws regulating legal online poker, most of them returned to the market.

Real-money online poker is legal in five states. Delaware went live with legal online poker in 2014, and PokerStars went live on Nov. 4, 2019. BetMGM and Michigan will follow suit in 2021. The only online poker website that shares players between all three legal states is WSOP/888 US. As more sites are launched, the list of legal poker sites will continue to grow. So, if you’re planning to play poker online, get started today! You’ll be glad you did!

Security and privacy of your funds is of the utmost importance when playing online poker. Top sites use the latest security and privacy technologies to protect their customers’ information. While there have been reports of online poker sites disappearing with players’ funds, the truth is that these operators are far from legitimate. So, don’t be fooled by shady operators. Stick to quality sites. You’ll be rewarded for your efforts!

To be eligible for these bonuses, you must register for an account on an online poker site. Sign-up bonuses aren’t instant, so you’ll have to play a certain number of hands in the first few weeks to get your bonus. However, if you’re interested in playing poker for real money, you can join a VIP program at most online cardrooms. It is possible to earn up to a 50% bonus by playing just a handful of hands in the first couple of weeks.