* Be patient – Poker is a game where patience is the key attribute of any successful player. Put in practical terms, this simply means knowing which hands you are going to be playing and having the patience to wait for them to be dealt. The best poker players generally only play 20-30% of the hands that they are dealt, so that translates to around 70% time that somebody else will be walking away with whatever is in the pot.

* Be aggressive – If you are going to play a hand, be aggressive with it. You will have no doubt had to wait a long time for these cards to fall into your lap, therefore it makes sense to make other people have to pay for the privilege of playing against them. You should be aiming to make player cringe when the action comes around to you by raising and re-raising. The only time you should consider when doing this is when you have the best possible hand for the cards that have been dealt (the “nut” hand), where you should ideally be feigning a weak hand, in order to milk more chips out of the unwary players who are still in the runnings.

* Keep your table image in mind – Other players can only gather an opinion of you by the hands you choose to play and how aggressively you play them. If you are seen to be a tight, aggressive player then this will pay off for you in the long run, when you want to bluff or raise the pot.

* Study your opponents – You should always pay attention to your opponents tendencies, this will help you to make informed decisions on how best to play your own hands, and the likelihood that your opponent has a hand worth folding against.

* Know when to stop – If you are having a bad streak, it is best to leave the table and come back at a later time. Poker is a game that requires your full concentration, so if you’re not on the ball you could very well be giving away your cash.

Sky Poker is ideal for UK customers, as not only is there no download client, they also play exclusively in pounds and pence. This means that there is no worrying to be done over exchange rates or with deposits and withdrawals. Sky Poker are currently offering £5 free to all newly registered players, as well as 500 ‘Poker Points’, which can be used to buy entry into their five daily freerolls. Sky Poker have a generous £1000 welcome bonus which works in conjunction with their Poker Points system. For your first 30 days at Sky Poker, every 75 Poker Points earned will get you another £5 put into you account. This works in the same way for members depositing £10 or £1000. Poker Points can also earn cash in £5 increments after the 30 day new registration period, however, the tariff for these users changes and means that you will have to earn at least 400 a month to qualify for a free £5.

888poker are currently offering one of online pokers only genuine “no deposit required” deals. All you have to do is register a new account at 888poker and £5 will be credited to your account shortly (or $8 as the exchange rate would have it). This deal won’t be around forever as it brings with it many “customer” who will sign up to use the free money, then never be seen at their poker tables again.

There is no reason to despair and give up on the dream of a few hands at the table, as there are some poker providers out there who are aiming to bypass the problem of what type of computer or operating system you use altogether, by making their poker rooms instantly accessible from your web browser.

Instant poker works by utilising the ‘flash’ program plug-in which should already be installed on all the leading internet browsers. There are many benefits to this, such as speed and simplicity. In fact, all you need to do in most cases is spend five minutes creating a new account and within minutes you can be seated at a table with likeminded players from all over the globe. Id you are so inclined, this enable customers to have a cheeky game at work or home, making poker a much more accessible and casual affair.

The two main instant poker providers are the UK-based company Sky Poker and 888poker. With Sky being part of an enormous brand that includes television and all elements of gambling, their instant poker rooms are sleek and efficient, coming highly recommended. 888Poker, however, also offer a downloadable poker room, while their instant poker comes across as more of an afterthought. The games are slow and the interface in somewhat frustrating, with a few niggling bugs to be found. All in all though, it gets the job done.