Poker is a popular game in the casinos and you may be quite experienced playing there. However, when it comes to playing poker online, you may find yourself at a loss because of the differences between live poker and online poker. Some of these differences may be welcome but others could mess up your game if you aren’t careful.
One thing that is different and can really mess you up online is the pace of the online poker game is so much faster than that of a live poker game. You don’t have to wait for the dealer to shuffle the cards or deal them out as the software does that almost instantly. Much of the time the actual gameplay is faster, as well, as there will be players who put their game on autoplay when the option is available. That means the computer will play for them and this is also almost instant.
With online poker, you lose all the advantages that experience may have taught you about spotting tells in the other players or being able to bluff well. Instead, you will need to pay close attention to how the other players behave in terms of whether they tend to bluff or fold easily over a number of hands. This can be done if you play long enough with the same players, however it is harder to do in virtual reality.
Of course, some differences are a good thing. Online poker is far more convenient. You won’t have to drive to the actual casino. All you need to do is fire up the computer and you can be in a poker game within minutes. The variety of games available online is another good thing – the variety is staggering. Different sites, different rooms, different games…it’s a veritable smorgasbord to choose from.
One of the best differences is that your probability of winning a decent pot is higher online, at least in the long run. The online casinos have far lower overheads so their rake is usually much lower and their payout percentage much higher. There are also many promotions at the online casinos so you can collect a lot of bonus money to play with. While these bonuses usually have a wagering requirement, many sites will allow you to cash out any winnings once those requirements are met.
