You can earn money playing online poker by signing up with one of the many sites that offer welcome bonuses. These bonuses typically consist of a small cash bonus or a match of your deposit up to a certain amount. If you’re a new player, this option can help you get started fast. Once you’re registered and ready to play, you can choose the type of game, stakes, and number of players you’d like to play and be seated immediately in a game.
Another major advantage of online poker is that it plays faster than live poker. While live poker can be boring and tedious at times, online tables can deal up to 60 hands per hour and even more if the game is shorthanded. In addition, online poker players can play multiple tables simultaneously, which allows them to deal more hands per hour than they would if they were playing live.
Online poker is currently legal in several states, including California, Nevada, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. More states are likely to follow suit in the near future. The federal government has not made online poker illegal, but some states have made it difficult for online poker sites to operate legally within their state borders. Most states are implementing some type of online poker regulation in order to ensure the safety of players.