Many of you, who wish to play poker online, would like to find out if online poker is safe. Analyzing the online poker environment a bit deeper will help answer that question. Usually, conventional casino-hosted poker games were the only way to play poker. However, the margins in creating and running such poker rooms are very slim, while the overheads are steep. More and more, casinos are preferring to replace poker rooms with higher-margin slot machines. Online poker playing sites spotted this as an opportunity, and have seized upon it. Sites such as Planet Poker offered online poker games in the 1990's, to players who wanted to play poker online. Thousands of online poker fans flock to sites like PokerStars and PartyGamong today so they can play online poker throughout the day.

And, as is invariably the case, a virtual parallel industry has sprung up where you can learn how to play poker online. Not sure where to start, take a look at this site and see if it fits your needs Play Poker Online If you like to play poker online, then you need to gravitate to sites that promote safe online poker, and that have an established reputation in the industry. One of the industry's leading online poker playing sites is Toronto-based PokerStars. Boasting a market value of over $2 billion, PokerStars draws the highest number of visitors who play online poker. While sites such as PokerStars have established themselves as market leaders in the online poker arena, you will stumble onto many lesser known names in your quest to play poker online.

Be careful of fraudulent sites that promise big winnings for relatively small or no fees. Online poker sites such as PokerStars invest heavily in safe and fair-play technologies, but unknown sites are known to have colluding players teaming up to defraud their fellow players. You have a better chance at joining a broader variety of online poker games at sites that have high player traffic. And study the fine print of rules to make sure you are comfortable with the policies around the rake structure. Search sites like PokerStars, that offer good bonuses for things like sign-up, deposits or reloads.

Also, your search to play poker online must consider any promotions that a site has to offer. Don't forget to compare online poker sites for their loyalty programs, like the ones offered by PokerStars, which is easily the best in the industry. A final piece of advice - don't break the law! Some countries have banned online poker. So check your local laws before you play poker online. So then, 'Can you safely play poker online' - and the reply therefore is - Yes. However, keeping in mind all of the points highlighted in this article can guarantee you an online poker experience that's legal, safe and even profitable.