It's a good time to be a poker player, as not only do plenty of online sites give you quick and easy access to your favorite game but you can also find a ton of tools that help you at both the virtual and live poker tables. The game of poker is a rapidly evolving one so you definitely don't want to be stuck in the Stone Ages, as various online tools can not only improve your game but also let you get a lot more enjoyment out of it.

Some of the handiest tools around are resources like Blind Valet, which handle most of the work out of running a home tournament and make it a snap, as far as creating and managing different blind structures, calculating payouts, and keeping an accurate tournament clock. Organizers can simply set up a laptop, launch the application, and easily tackle all of the tasks above, as well as displaying the information for all players much like a tournament clock that you see in big live poker tournaments.

Many players also use online poker odds calculators as well, which let you select the cards for various hands as well as the board, with the odds calculated each step of the way to show you exactly how far you were ahead (or behind) on every street. If you play on numerous online poker sites you can also use software such as PokerTracker or Holdem Manager to track your play on nearly every online site, letting you see exactly where you win or lose the most money, as well as giving you access to which position at the table is most profitable for you and which starting hand is your biggest money maker.

Last but not least, video training sites can really help you take your poker game to the next level, giving you access to thousands of videos online that show poker pros as they play various games and stakes at online sites. You can search, sort, and save videos based   on the types of games you're most interested in, so whether you're a tournament player, a NL Hold'em cash game fan, or a pot limit Omaha specialist, you'll be able to find training videos from successful players that you can immediately use in your own game the next time you take a seat at the poker table.

Guest article contributed by PokerJunkie.com