How to Play Online Poker – The Professor’s 5 Step Guide

Step 1 – Choosing an Online Poker Site

The increase in popularity of Online Poker has meant that there are now hundreds of internet poker sites to choose from, and all of them are fighting for your business.

So your first job is to decide which one to pick. You should be careful in your choice, and stick with operators who are established, not only for security reasons, but also for many other factors such as player traffic, customer service, bonuses and more.

To help you out in your choice, you should read our poker site reviews, where the Professor has written a series of straight talking reviews including some of the most established sites.

You will find all the data you need, plus if you don’t want to go into the full depth review a simplified summary of the hits and misses of each poker room and the Professor’s overall opinion.

Step 2 – Downloading the Software

Once you have browsed through the poker room reviews and decided which site you want to try then the next step is to download the free poker room software and get started.

Each review includes direct links to the official download page for that poker room’s software, helping you avoid unofficial or potentially unsafe sources. We only link to operators that are licensed and regulated, and have passed our internal checks for legitimacy and safety.

As long as you stick to the links on Poker Professor, there is nothing to really worry about with these software downloads. We only include poker rooms in our reviews section that are well established, well regulated and with a proven track record. You can also be sure that the software will be safe, virus and malware free and free to download.

Once you have the download, then click on it to start the installation and follow the straight forward instructions on screen to install on your computer.

Step 3 – Setting up your Online Persona

The next step once you have downloaded and installed your chosen site’s software is to create a player account.

This is as simple as filling out a short form which will register a few contact details with the operator and setup a username and password to protect your account and for you to log in with.

When deciding on your username you shouldn’t use your real name for privacy reasons. You can choose any alias or nickname that you want to be known by, and this will be the name all the other players see when you sit down at the table.

Once you have your account registered then it’s time to get used to the software. You can do this by playing on the ‘play money’ tables. These tables do not use real money, but instead give you a chance to get used to the layout of the software and how to use it before you start to gamble with your money.

You’ll receive a stack of ‘play chips’ to use at the play money tables, giving you a safe environment to get used to the software and controls. If you run out, most sites allow you to request additional play chips — a useful feature while you’re learning the ropes, without risking any real money.

Play money tables are usually very frantic and not really like real poker at all, so don’t get too comfortable there. Allow yourself 30 minutes or so to get used to where all the buttons and controls are that you need and then move onto the next step.

Step 4 – Playing with ‘Real Money’

Once you’ve spent some time at the play money tables and feel confident using the software, you can consider exploring the real money games at your own pace.

You will need to make a deposit into your player account that you have just setup. To do this click on the ‘Cashier’ option. Each operator will provide information on what methods of deposit they accept, but the most common is by a credit card, or an online eWallet such as Neteller.

It’s up to you how much you deposit, but many sites offer a matched bonus on your first deposit. For example, with a 100% matched bonus, depositing $30 would give you up to $30 in bonus funds. These bonuses are released in stages as you play real-money hands — be sure to check the site’s full terms and wagering requirements before you claim.

You will have to earn this bonus, by playing a certain number of hands at the poker site first, but free money is great news!

Once you have made your first deposit, you can head off and select a real money table. You’ll probably want to begin at the small stakes Texas Holdem tables and only move to higher stakes once you’re confident in your skills and have a clear budget in mind.

Step 5 – Learning to make a profit with Online Poker

Now you have made your first steps into Online Poker, you want to make sure that you can stick around, and that you don’t just lose your entire bankroll very quickly.

This is what the Poker Professor community is all about — providing resources to help you improve your understanding of the game and develop your skills over time.

You should start off in our Poker University where you will find free courses teaching you everything from the basics of how to play poker and a guide to what hand beats what, to more advanced courses on how to develop a winning poker strategy and how to win consistently at Sit and Go Tournaments.

On top of this is our Bitesize Poker Strategy section which looks at more specific topics to improve your game in easy to read chunks.