Online poker is becoming hugely popular with the internet producing players who have gone on to conquer real life poker tournaments and allowing people to learn to play poker in the comfort of these 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 thousands of poker games occurring at all times of the day and night and of course every conceivable selection of poker game is available to play if you look in the right place. That is something which few players actually benefit from, but switching up the overall game you play every time will improve your playing style as well as your poker knowledge in general. You can 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 you can find no croupiers, security or buildings to keep it’s a lot cheaper to play poker online, with some tiny minimum bets plus some sites even offering free poker games that may serve as an invaluable learning resource. Finally there’s the conveninence that playing online affords over true to life poker. hatipoker can play in your dressing gown, you can play dressed as a Storm Trooper, you can play first thing each morning or last thing at night and you don’t need to pay for casino drinks or food whilst you’re playing, which mount up if you venture 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 online poker is the speed of which hands are played. Because there is no delay in dealing or sorting out bets you’ll get through a game much quicker, so it’s easier to lose money quickly, especially if you’re a beginner. The speed can also contribute to a number of other issues. Firstly it will be a lot harder to check out what’s going on in a casino game, like following a folds and keep a an eye on the prior actions on the table as possible do in real life, as some individuals fold instantaneously or have their computers do it for them automatically using situations. This form of fast play can also lead to a simplified, mechanical and ultimately boring poker lifestyle, which in the long run is more likely to lead to a habit-forming gambling problem. The second most obvious issue is the insufficient physical connection with other players, meaning it’s a lot harder to out-bluff an opponent or observe any tells that may let you know when a player is bluffing. This can make high risk bets a lot riskier than they would be in real life. It is rather hard to recreate the feel of a poker table online, though some companies do try and do this more than others.