Starting!

Let's say you have chosen your site and registered a bank card. Your next decision is how much to deposit.
If you choose a small ($10ish) deposit then it might be an idea to try some low level limit games first. PokerStars starts at 2/4c blinds for limit Hold 'Em.

If you are rich :) or more adventurous then a bigger bankroll is a good idea. A bigger bankroll helps you deal with downswings and bad beats as they don't impact a big roll as much. For example:
You deposit $10 and sit down with $5 at a 1/2c game - Your Aces get cracked and you bust out - Half your roll has gone in one hand! With a roll of say $250 you have lost a much smaller percentage and are therefore less likely to go on tilt and start chasing your losses.

You will notice that I have at no point mentioned play money. This is because I would advise against it - It builds bad habits and the play is not the same as real money - mistakes don't hurt so you won't learn from them.

Choosing A Site

So how do you decide which site to put your hard earned money in?

Sites offer many things to consider. Ultimately the choice is down to you but it well worth thinking about the following key points:

1. Deposit options - What is the miniumum deposit? Most sites let you start playing from as little as $10 although as you see later on I would advise against such a small amount.

2. Game choice - Most people start out with No Limit Holdem which is the most common game. All sites cater for this and some offer a massive array of game types - pick a site that has what you like.

3. Traffic - how many players at the times you play - it is no good if you can't get a game when you want. Obviously the bigger sites like PokerStars avoid this problem.

4. Lastly - support. What is the site like for help with problems and deposit/withdrawal? There is a big difference and some sites (which I might name later) are like Fort Knox to get money out!!