There are a number of online casinos that offer several different versions of poker, including ‘Texas hold ‘em’, ‘Seven-card stud’ and ‘Omaha’. Online gamblers play against each other rather than a computer and online poker tournaments have become very popular. It is thought that the online casinos are responsible for the explosion in the number of poker players worldwide, with revenue from games running to billions of dollars.

Online casinos are a good place for the beginner to learn the rules of the game and to grow in confidence. Traditional casinos can be scary places for a novice, but many online gambling sites offer free practice games for beginners to use while learning. Free games appeared online in the late 1990s, while the first money game took place in 1998.

Tournaments are a regular feature of online casinos, which give the winners entry to real life competitions. The 2003 winner of the ‘World Series of Poker’ main event entered by way of a satellite tournament at an online casino. The following year saw three times as many people enter the tournament.

Online casinos, such as Littlewoodscasino.com, Intercasino.com and Williamhill.com, offer several advantages to the poker player. The first of these is the speed of the game. Card shuffling and dealing are instantaneous, actions that slow down the traditional ‘live’ game. Lower limits are also frequently used at online casinos in comparison to traditional casinos. Some sites will also pay out bonuses to players who have deposited a minimum amount and played a minimum number of hands.