Poker has been popular for as long as many of us can remember. Similar to many other industries and games, however, this is something that has been significantly affected by technology. The most notable of these has been the increasing popularity of online poker. While many people might believe that online and live poker are identical, save for where you’re playing, there are a few considerable differences between the two. This is evident in quite a few different ways. That doesn’t mean that one method of playing is better than the other. Instead, it means that players may want to consider the differences between the two before they choose which one to play.
Live Poker Is Slower
While live poker has been played at the same speed for decades, it can seem somewhat slow compared to its online counterpart. As a result, tournaments can end up lasting hours, if not days, depending on how many people are involved. This is chiefly because there are often between 20 and 30 hands played every hour, although this can vary significantly.
This is in stark contrast to online poker, where it’s common to see 50 or more hands played over an hour. As such, this can be a faster way to play poker while still being able to enjoy the game. This means that, if players only have a limited amount of time to play, then online poker can often be the better option to choose.
Online Poker Offers More Variety
Even the largest casinos have a limit on the number of games that they can offer. This is chiefly because of the size of the casino and the available staff. This can also be true of limits, which many players may find are too low. That’s not the case with online casinos as they offer quite a considerable variety of games. Because of that, many players will be able to switch between a variety of different games with each, including the likes of No Limit Hold’em, PLO, Seven Card Stud, and much more. For players who want to try their hand at different games, then this can be a significant benefit.
Playing Online Is More Convenient
While live poker can offer a significant amount of thrills and social benefits when we’re playing, they’re not the most convenient way of playing. After all, to be in one of these tournaments, you’ll have to get ready and then travel to wherever the competition is located. In many cases, this can be a significant distance, which takes time away from many other things. Because of this, players will have to place a significant amount of time planning for the trip.
Online poker, however, gets rid of all of this. Instead of traveling and preparing for a tournament that could be hours away from where you live, you can simply turn on your computer and begin playing. As a result, it’s the more convenient option of playing poker while still achieving many of the same benefits that you would with its real-life counterpart.
There are quite a few other notable differences between live and online poker that many people may want to be aware of. This includes the likes of the significance of player tells, strategies, and much more. Because of that, many potential players may want to spend some time considering which way of playing is the best for them. For example, many players may have success based on the physical tells that other players have and base their strategies off this. As such, live poker may be the better one for them. In contrast, those that don’t rely on these cues may have just as much success with online poker.
