When it comes to playing poker online the best sites should offer a great variety of games, secure deposits and withdrawals and high player traffic. They also need to be fun and easy to play. These factors can help you choose the site that’s right for you and give you a better chance of winning more hands.

Regulated poker sites use strong encryption to protect your information and money. They also don’t intermingled your funds with casino or operator funds like some unregulated sites do. This gives you peace of mind that your funds are safe.

The best poker sites also have mobile apps that make it convenient to play on your smartphone or tablet. Many of these apps are available free but others require a small deposit to get started. These apps can be useful if you’re new to the game and need to learn how to play before betting real cash. They’ll also let you practice your strategies without risking any money.

Most of the reputable poker sites have an extensive range of games including Texas hold’em, Omaha and hi-lo. They also offer a variety of tournaments including freezeout, re-entry and re-buy, bounty knockout and satellite tournaments. Some have a limited number of players and are more recreational in nature while others have larger player pools with more serious competitors.

Another feature that a good online poker site will have is the option to play multiple tables simultaneously. This is called multi-tabling and it can be very lucrative if you’re skilled at the game. The ability to quickly change between tables is a huge advantage over live poker where you must wait for good cards to appear.

A good online poker site will have a clear and easily accessible terms of service. This includes details on how to deposit and withdraw funds, how the site handles disputes and what the rules are for bonuses. If a poker site’s terms of service are confusing or hard to understand that’s a red flag.

Some reputable poker sites have additional security features that go beyond standard encryption. These may include a password requirement to access the site and a requirement to verify your identity before you can deposit or withdraw money. This helps to prevent fraud and money laundering activities and is an essential part of any regulated online poker site.

The top poker websites will have a large selection of games and tournaments and are licensed in the country you’re playing in. They will have a variety of payment methods and support several different languages. Some will even allow you to pay for your chips using cryptocurrency. They will usually have a downloadable client as well as a web-based lobby. The lobby will generally be categorized by Cash Games, Tournaments and Sit & Go’s as well as any special format games the poker site runs.