When playing poker online, players are dealt a huge number of hands and must quickly make decisions. This is much different than playing live, where you are able to sit down, relax and read a book or watch your favorite show. It’s important to be able to focus on the game and avoid distractions, as careless play will cost you money. This means focusing on position, calculating pot odds, assigning ranges and utilizing other strategic tools.

Another key element of success is bankroll management. You must always be prepared to lose some of your money and never bet more than you can afford to. This will help you overcome the ups and downs that are a part of all poker games and will keep you from making poor emotional decisions that can ruin your bankroll.

Lastly, successful players understand that it is impossible to win every single hand. The good news is that this is not a reason to quit playing poker, as it is still a game of skill over the long run. Rather, it’s a reason to continue to work on your game and develop a solid plan for improvement. This can be achieved by signing up for training sites like Chip Leader Coaching or Upswing Poker, networking with successful pros and brutally analyzing your own play after each session.

The best poker online sites offer safe games and secure banking. They are licensed in reputable jurisdictions and use random number generators to ensure that the cards are dealt fairly. They also feature a wide range of deposit and withdrawal methods.