Since the dawn of the online poker age there has always been the question of which is better, online poker or live games in a casino or card room? The answer is the same as most poker questions.... It depends. While the two generally have the same rules and structure, you are dealing with two very different games.
If its speed and sheer volume of hands that you're after than online poker is the hands down winner. Dealing, shuffling, counting chips, and collecting cards is all done automatically by the poker room software. A lot of time is also saved by knowing how much money is in the pot at all times and how much money is in each players stack. When you also factor in the clock that is put on each player when it is their turn, you start to get double and even triple the amount of hands per hour when compared to a live game. Another thing to consider is the fact that you can play several tables at a time online. If you are good enough to play six to eight tables at once you may well get 600 or more hands in every hour. Under some conditions you may well end up playing more than 20 times the number of live hands that would be dealt in a similar amount of time. As a skilled player, the more hands you play the more money you make right? The answer again is "it depends".
Live games generally have much weaker opponents than online games. The downside is that you'll only get 25 to 35 hands per hour depending on the quality of your dealer. People go to the casino for a good time and don't generally mind losing a few bucks for the entertainment. This means that you get a lot of casual players, and even players who don't know the rules of the game. You get a lot of players who seem to do OK at their friday night game at their buddies house and want to see how they stack up at the casino. I often find that a 20/40 limit hold'em game in the local casino is much softer than a 1/2 or 2/4 game online. So you can probably play higher limits at the casino without giving up any of your win rate. So higher stakes means more money for the winning player right? You get the idea.
Aside from actual win rate, each form of poker has its own advantages. Live poker is a much more social game. If you're a social person and want to get out and interact with people and have some fun, you may enjoy live poker more. The internet however allows you to play poker in your underwear (or whatever). You can play at any time and don't even have to leave the house. This convenience appeals to a lot of people. When you decide whether online poker or going to the casino is right for you, you need to keep in mind why you play poker. If you play for entertainment or a social experience, than live action is the way to go. If you are strictly business, than with rakeback, online poker bonuses, multitabling, and the huge volume of hands, you will probably do better with online poker.
So what did we learn from this little discussion? Neither online poker or live poker games are definitively better. It all depends on what you aim to achieve at the poker tables.
If its speed and sheer volume of hands that you're after than online poker is the hands down winner. Dealing, shuffling, counting chips, and collecting cards is all done automatically by the poker room software. A lot of time is also saved by knowing how much money is in the pot at all times and how much money is in each players stack. When you also factor in the clock that is put on each player when it is their turn, you start to get double and even triple the amount of hands per hour when compared to a live game. Another thing to consider is the fact that you can play several tables at a time online. If you are good enough to play six to eight tables at once you may well get 600 or more hands in every hour. Under some conditions you may well end up playing more than 20 times the number of live hands that would be dealt in a similar amount of time. As a skilled player, the more hands you play the more money you make right? The answer again is "it depends".
Live games generally have much weaker opponents than online games. The downside is that you'll only get 25 to 35 hands per hour depending on the quality of your dealer. People go to the casino for a good time and don't generally mind losing a few bucks for the entertainment. This means that you get a lot of casual players, and even players who don't know the rules of the game. You get a lot of players who seem to do OK at their friday night game at their buddies house and want to see how they stack up at the casino. I often find that a 20/40 limit hold'em game in the local casino is much softer than a 1/2 or 2/4 game online. So you can probably play higher limits at the casino without giving up any of your win rate. So higher stakes means more money for the winning player right? You get the idea.
Aside from actual win rate, each form of poker has its own advantages. Live poker is a much more social game. If you're a social person and want to get out and interact with people and have some fun, you may enjoy live poker more. The internet however allows you to play poker in your underwear (or whatever). You can play at any time and don't even have to leave the house. This convenience appeals to a lot of people. When you decide whether online poker or going to the casino is right for you, you need to keep in mind why you play poker. If you play for entertainment or a social experience, than live action is the way to go. If you are strictly business, than with rakeback, online poker bonuses, multitabling, and the huge volume of hands, you will probably do better with online poker.
So what did we learn from this little discussion? Neither online poker or live poker games are definitively better. It all depends on what you aim to achieve at the poker tables.
About the Author:
The author of this article began playing poker seriously in 2000 and has played full time since early 2005. He currently makes the majority of his income from online poker and Full Tilt Rakeback.
No comments:
Post a Comment