how to: multiplayer game connecting to central server effectively?

[webmaster at terradon.nl]

hi,
I struggle for some days about a "model" for a multiplayer game application.
I read so much from my enemy Google, i got lost by all that info and dont know which path i should chose.

a multiplayer game application, sending/receiving  instantly every change in the game to a central webserver, http://www.xxxxx.com, probably via socket connection?

which system/module should i use for this contineous connection and where can i find a good tutorial, which a beginner like me can understand a bit? (i have read too many too complicated/technical artickles, but no nice tutorials).

i have tried and accompished an urllib connection, with get and post variabels, but that will be polling, with all the http-overhead for every poll. I think this is also to slow and no "real" updating of the game status.

Thanks in advance for any hint/tutorial i get:)