Poker Software
Online poker fans have a lot of choices when it comes to poker software, as far as not just choosing a poker client to play on but also selecting poker software utility programs that help them with tasks like tracking their wins and losses and analyzing stats. Investing in the best poker software can be a wise investment (and pay for the cost many times over) but you'll need to steer clear of the duds.
As far as poker client software, cost isn't an issue as all online poker sites let you download and play on their software for free (or even use no download poker clients if you prefer to avoid installed software entirely). While most poker sites offer similar features and functionality in their software clients, your mileage will vary depending on the site as far as factors such as system performance, speed, and ease of you. Poorly designed poker software clients can be memory hogs and limit you to playing just a few tables at the same time, while others are well-designed and give you the freedom to play more than 20 tables simultaneously without a hitch.
The actual download process of most poker software is simple, with a test of the Ultimate bet download process showing that a typical user can have it up and running in just a few minutes. The major online sites make it very simple to get started with online poker, as the last thing they want is for a user to get frustrated and quit or turn to a rival site instead. Most virus protection applications won't flag or interfere with poker software so you shouldn't have any issues there.
As far as other poker software, programs such as PokerTracker and Hold'em Manager offer various utility and tracking programs that let you see how much you've won or lost at the tables as well as analyze both your playing tendencies and those of your opponents. You can also track your play by online site and even get detailed stats for how well you do from each position at the table and see just how lucky or unlucky you've been, as far as big pots that you've won or lost when you were a big favorite or underdog.