To play online poker, you need to sign up for an account. You’ll need to provide personal information like your social security number, date of birth, and full name. Some poker sites require additional documents, such as a utility bill, to verify your identity. While this may seem unnecessary, it’s a good idea in general to protect your identity.

States with online poker regulations have different rules. Some states have banned poker sites, while others are contemplating legalizing the online game. Generally, regulated online poker is available in several states, and operators are required to get licenses from these states before they can begin accepting real money players. Those states include Nevada, Delaware, and New Jersey, which have all made legal online poker sites available to citizens and residents.

In the US, online poker is legal in a few states, but operators outside these jurisdictions are operating illegally. Because of this, players must provide their consent before online poker sites install geolocation software on their devices. Licensed US online poker sites, such as those that offer poker in New York and New Jersey, require their players to sign a contract agreeing to this.

Unlike offline casinos, online poker sites have many advantages. For instance, the higher variance allows players to make larger gains or loses in the short term. Besides, many sites allow players to play at multiple tables at the same time. Some sites have more than 40 tables, so there’s always a game to play. Lastly, online poker sites can provide guaranteed tournaments.

This has led to an increase in traffic to online poker sites. Despite this, the numbers are still quite low, with fewer than forty poker networks having detectable traffic levels. The vast majority of traffic on these networks is concentrated on a few major networks. Nevertheless, online poker operators are taking advantage of this trend to increase their popularity.

Another advantage of online poker is the bonuses available. New players can often get free cash as a no deposit bonus. This is an excellent way to try out a new online poker site and learn what the platform is all about. Moreover, players can also benefit from loyalty schemes, which offer points based on how much they play and pay in rake. These points can then be converted into cash or bonuses.

Another advantage of online poker is that it can be played anonymously. The downside of this is that playing online poker under a user name gives opponents an opportunity to trace your identity. Playing anonymously allows newer players to avoid playing in shark-infested waters. Furthermore, players won’t be able to use Heads-Up Displays.

Another advantage of online poker is that the stakes are much lower than in live games. This means that you won’t face as tough opponents in a $1/$2 NL cash game. Furthermore, you’ll be able to play in a lower-stakes game, and there are a variety of games with lower stakes.