Online poker is a popular game that offers players the chance to play for small stakes (literally pennies), satellite entries into major live events, and a variety of cash games running around the clock.
Unlike brick-and-mortar casinos, online poker allows players to play multiple tables at once. This means more opportunities to win against softer opponents and a larger pool of players for those who want to challenge themselves.
HUDs
HUDs are an important part of online poker, and they can provide you with a lot of useful information. They help you keep track of your game and your opponents’ strategies.
A HUD also lets you exploit your opponents, giving you the chance to play against them with an edge. For example, let’s say you are a preflop raiser and your opponent leads into you on the flop (a “donk bet”).
The statistics that your HUD displays tell you whether your opponent is bluffing or playing tight, giving you valuable information to improve your own play.
However, it is important to understand what a HUD is and how to use it correctly before you start using one. Some HUDs, such as DriveHUD, make it easy for new players to get started with the software and hone their skills.
Training videos
Poker training videos are a great way to improve your game. They usually involve a professional or incredibly good poker player recording themselves playing a session of online poker and then commenting on their play.
The best poker training sites feature a wide variety of video content from a number of different instructors. They often upload new content several times per week to ensure that the latest strategies and tactics are available to players.
Tournament Poker Edge is a popular site that offers a multi-course program focusing on tournament strategy. Its “TPE University” curriculum includes a large collection of videos, articles, podcasts, and quizzes to help you improve your skills.
Advanced Poker Training is another top pick for learn-as-you-play training. Its unique gameplay software allows you to play any starting hand against lifelike AI opponents and receive feedback from your virtual adviser on every hand, giving you the opportunity to test your range and fine-tune your strategy.
Poker Copilot
Poker Copilot is a heads-up display (HUD) and tracking software for online poker players. It works with popular poker sites such as Full Tilt Poker, PokerStars, Winamax, Merge Network, 888 Poker and Ongame Network. It also supports cash games and tournaments.
Poker Copilot combines a poker HUD with leak detectors that analyze your hand history to find where you are leaking chips. These leak detectors can help you improve your core poker strategies, including positional awareness, preflop aggression and blind stealing.
Poker Copilot is a good choice for beginners and intermediate players because it’s easy to use, with a user-friendly interface. It’s also very affordable and offers a 30 day free trial.
Legality
The US market for online poker has had a rough decade, starting with the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in 2006. It went after the money flow that fuelled poker and made it harder for players to fund their accounts and withdraw funds.
Several states began to legalize poker after UIGEA, but progress has been slow. The first state to do so was Nevada in 2013, followed by Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
In 2019, Michigan became the latest to launch an online poker site. This is due in part to the Multi-State Internet Gaming Compact (MSIGA), which allows for liquidity sharing across states.
However, the legality of poker in the US is highly contested, with many state lawmakers battling against each other for control over their respective gaming markets. This makes it all the more important for poker players to know their local laws and regulations.