No so long ago poker was typically associated with blokes playing around green baize tables in smoke-filled rooms at the back of seedy clubs, but the Net has changed that forever.

The UK is now the fourth largest gambling nation in the world and an increasingly large percentage of punters are women playing online.

In fact, more than a third of online poker players are female, so for every two Cool Hand Lukes at the virtual table, there’s usually a Cool Hand Lucy.

So why the sudden surge in popularity among women? Well, the most obvious reason is the accessibility of online games. Quite simply, the Internet has made gambling fun and available to everyone.

Some sites, like our Casino, are specifically aimed at new users, so you can play for free while you learn the rules and pick-up the basics.

Then, when you’re ready to gamble for real, you can play with low stakes and potentially win big money without any danger of emptying your bank account.