Online poker is becoming hugely popular with the web producing players who’ve gone on to conquer real world poker tournaments and allowing people to learn to play poker in the comfort of their own homes. Obviously there are benefits to playing poker from your home, but there are also some downsides that may not obviously become apparent and the differences between real life poker and online poker can often be significant.
Pros of Online Poker
The first big advantage of online poker is it offers unrivalled variety compared to offline options. There are literally a large number of poker games occurring always of the day and night and of course every conceivable variety of poker game can be acquired to play if you look in the right place. That is something which few players actually make the most of, but switching up the game you play each time will improve your playing style and your poker knowledge in general. You could even perform ‘multi-tabling’, having multiple game windows running simultaneously to instantly raise the hourly winnings you take home from online tables.The second advantage is the lower cost buy-ins and the low rake rates which internet casinos take from each game. Because there are no croupiers, security or buildings to keep it is a lot cheaper to play poker online, with some tiny minimum bets and some sites even offering free poker games which can serve being an invaluable learning resource. Finally there’s the conveninence that playing online affords over real life poker. It is possible to play in your dressing gown, you can play dressed as a Storm Trooper, you can play first thing in the morning or last thing during the night and you won’t need to pay for casino drinks or food whilst you’re playing, which mount up if you go out and play poker in real life. You can play poker online whilst you’re performing other tasks.
Cons of Online Poker
The first negative side of internet poker is the speed at which hands are played. Because there is idn poker in dealing or sorting out bets you’ll receive through a game much quicker, so it’s a lot easier to lose money quickly, particularly if you’re a beginner. The speed can also contribute to a couple of other issues. Firstly it will be a lot harder to follow what’s going on in a game, like following the folds and keep a an eye on the prior actions up for grabs as you are able to do in real life, as some individuals fold instantaneously or have their computers do it for them automatically in certain situations. This form of fast play can also result in a simplified, mechanical and ultimately boring poker lifestyle, which in the end is more likely to result in a habit forming gambling problem. The second most obvious issue is the lack of physical contact with other players, meaning it is a lot harder to out-bluff an opponent or observe any tells which will let you know whenever a player is bluffing. This may make high risk bets a whole lot riskier than they would be in real life. It’s very hard to recreate the feel of a poker table online, while some companies do try and do this more than others.