Online poker is becoming hugely popular with the web producing players who have gone on to conquer real life poker tournaments and allowing visitors to figure out how 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 which could not obviously become apparent and the differences between true to life poker and online poker can often be significant.
Pros of Online Poker
The first big benefit of online poker could it be offers unrivalled variety in comparison to offline options. There are literally a large number of poker games occurring all the time of your 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 few players actually benefit from, but switching up the game you play each time will improve your playing style as well as your poker knowledge in general. You could even perform ‘multi-tabling’, having multiple game windows running simultaneously to instantly boost 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 up it’s a lot cheaper to play poker online, with some tiny minimum bets and some sites even offering free poker games which can serve as an invaluable learning resource. Finally there’s the conveninence that playing online affords over true to life poker. It is possible to play in your dressing gown, it is possible to play dressed as a Storm Trooper, you can play first thing each 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 in the event that 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 initial negative side of internet poker is the speed at 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 also can contribute to a number of other issues. Firstly it will be a lot harder to follow what’s going on in a game, like following a folds and keep a tabs on the prior actions on the table as possible do in real life, as some people fold instantaneously or have their computers do it for them automatically using situations. This style of fast play can also lead to a simplified, mechanical and ultimately boring poker lifestyle, which in the long run is more likely to result in a habit forming gambling problem. The second most apparent 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 when a player is bluffing. This can make high risk bets a whole lot riskier than they would be in real life. poker88 is rather hard to recreate the feel of a poker table online, though some companies do try and do that more than others.