You want to get started playing poker online, but you dont know how. How do you get access to those poker sites that youve heard so much about? Heres a quick and easy guide to downloading the poker site of your choice. Keep in mind that your individual operating system may vary, but the steps for downloading poker software are essentially the same for each computer.

First, find the site you want to play on. Most online poker sites have advertising on television, on websites, or in magazines that will direct you to their download site, usually a website with a .net suffix as opposed to .com. Once you get there, youll be greeted with a title screen that includes a button for downloading there software. Generally this button will say something like Click to Play Now or Click Here to Download. Go ahead and click that button.

Next a window will appear with an option asking whether you want to run or save the file. Click run. After a brief loading period, you should get an option offering to start the download. Click start. In some cases the download my start automatically, thats fine too. Once this process is complete, an icon should appear on your desktop which corresponds to the site you will be playing on. Double click this icon and you will be directed to the poker site, this time probably a .com, where you will be asked to register, choose a screen name and password and input other relevant information such as your address and phone number.

The next step will be deciding how youre going to load your account. There are a number of options. Sometimes you can link the site directly to a credit card and have your deposits charged against said card. Due to legal issues, many credit cards will not allow you to make deposits in this way. The most popular way to load a poker account is through an intermediary account service such as NetTeller or FirePay. These are separate websites that allow you to deposit money, usually through a checking account and then withdraw money from that account to place into your poker account. Some sites also offer the option of linking your checking account directly to the site and loading your account right out of your checking account. With NetTeller or FirePay, it usually takes a few days for your deposit to clear and appear in your account. With a direct link to your checking account, in most cases your deposits are available right away, after a brief waiting period for the first deposit. All of your account loading options will be made available to you on a screen linked to the website when you make your first deposit.

Once all this is done, all you will have to do whenever you want to play online is double click the icon on your desktop and input your user name and password when the log in screen appears. Enter the information and youre ready to play some poker!