Online Poker is a game played on a computer using the internet. It’s a form of gambling that has gained popularity due to its convenience and accessibility. It is available around the clock and can be played on a variety of platforms, including mobile devices. This makes it easy for people who are unable to travel long distances to play the game in a physical casino. The popularity of Online Poker has also fueled the growth of an industry that provides software for age and identity verification, financial services, anti-money laundering solutions, cyber security, fraud prevention, geolocation, and responsible gambling advocacy.

A Tennessee accountant named Chris Moneymaker won the World Series of Poker Main Event in 2003, and his success was a major boost to the game’s popularity. Poker became a must-see event on ESPN, and millions of Americans watched the tournaments from home or office using live streaming.

However, despite the growing popularity of the game, a number of problems began to arise. The first was the increasing prevalence of high-stakes play, which led to a significant decline in average earnings. Next came the UIGEA, which made it illegal for banks to process transactions with offshore online poker sites. Although the UIGEA had a noticeable impact, it did not halt the growth of the online poker industry.

Many players were left scrambling to find some way to keep their dream alive. Some found comfort in tournament poker, where its heavily luck-based formula kept the game from being subjected to a rigorous mathematical examination (and even then, the results often varied significantly depending on the player’s skill). Others found refuge in a handful of websites that refused to adhere to strict US jurisdiction laws.

Then, on April 15 of this year, Full Tilt Poker suddenly collapsed in a hail of scandalous revelations that revealed the company’s Ponzi-like handling of its players’ accounts. In just two weeks, an entire generation of young pros had to watch their life savings disappear—and the culprits got nothing more than a slap on the wrist and permanent infamy in the poker community.

Research suggests that poker players tend to spend more time gambling and gamble more frequently than other people do. They also have higher scores on problem gambling indices than non-poker gamblers do. This might explain why they tend to play in fewer games and with smaller stakes. This is why it’s important to find the right online poker website for you. You should make sure that it offers a wide range of games and has a good reputation. You should also check if the site has a secure connection so that you can protect your privacy and your personal information. Some websites may ask you to provide documents such as a driver’s license or utility bill in order to verify your identity. It is normal for these requirements to be in place, and they are necessary in order to prevent fraudulent activities.