With online poker you can play at any time of day or night against players from all over the world. There are thousands of ring games at any skill level as well as tournaments with buy-ins from free to thousands of dollars.
One big difference between playing live and online is the environment. When you play in a live game you are in the room, watching the table and paying attention to your opponents. You can also take breaks and carry on conversations with other players at the table. Online, the lack of extra stimuli can be a problem for some players, so it is important to set limits on your bankroll and take regular breaks.
Another issue is that you can’t see your opponents and it can be harder to pick up on their tells, but online poker sites are getting better at detecting fraud. These sites hire security personnel to view card, player and pattern history as well as checking player computer IP addresses which can help identify collusion or other types of fraud.
Another thing to be aware of is the number of bad beats you will experience. An average online poker table deals 3 times faster than a live casino game and multi-tabling makes it even worse. If you are not prepared for this, it can be very frustrating and lead to a lot of tilt. The key is to avoid tilt by focusing on your game and keeping the emotional side of poker under control.