How to play poker online
introduction
Online poker uses the client server model of computer networking. Client server is the system whereby multiple computers (clients) connect to a central server which manages their interactions. One common application of such a system is the online chat. Multiple clients connect to a central server which broadcasts the chats to everyone who is logged in. The online poker server can handle chats and a whole lot more. The server manages all the tables, keeps track of who is sitting where, what games are running on each table, all the bets, folds, raises, the button position, everything is managed by the server. All the rules of poker are enforced. The server tracks all the bets, the money transfers into and out of accounts. So basically even though you are playing on a computer, you are in effect playing against real people in real time. Those are real bets, made by real players. The software is in the background, providing the interface to interact with your opponents remotely.Online poker is a relatively new phenomena which started around the year 2000. Since then, over the years, poker sites have improved their software. Table graphics have improved. Player counts have exploded into the tens of thousands at peak times on the popular sites. The introduction of online poker has also dramatically increased the poker player pool for big tournaments, pushing up the prizes for events like the WSOP into the multi millions of dollars. Online poker had its heyday back in 2004 2005 when all the big sites were bustling with activity 24/7. All that came to a screeching halt when the US gov passed a law restricting bank deposits into online gaming sites. Several major sites under threat of prosecution, withdrew from the US market which at the time was the biggest market share of online poker. Since then governments in many countries have either banned or implemented their own regulations. The net effect has been a big drop of players from the highs of past years. However, online poker remains a popular activity in the freedom loving counties that still allow it. Some countries where poker is legal. UK, Australia, Thailand, South Africa, Czech Republic, Croatia, Russia, Mexico, Germany, Spain. Some states in the USA have legalized online poker, but they don't have the player counts to maintain a viable server.