Online poker is becoming hugely popular with the internet producing players who’ve gone on to conquer real world poker tournaments and allowing visitors to learn to play poker in the comfort of these own homes. Obviously there are benefits to playing poker from home, but there are also some downsides that may not obviously become apparent and the differences between true to life poker and online poker can often be significant.

poker88 of Online Poker

The first big advantage of online poker could it be offers unrivalled variety in comparison to offline options. There are literally a large number of poker games occurring always of the day and night not to mention every conceivable variety of poker game is available to play if you look in the right place. That is something which few players actually take full advantage of, but switching up the game you play every time will improve your playing style and 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 there are no croupiers, security or buildings to maintain it’s a lot cheaper to play poker online, with some tiny minimum bets plus 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. You can 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 don’t need to purchase casino drinks or food whilst you’re playing, which mount up in the event that you go out and play poker in true to life. You can play poker online whilst you’re performing other tasks.

Cons of Online Poker

The first 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, particularly if you’re a beginner. The speed can also contribute to a couple of other issues. Firstly it’ll be a lot harder to follow what’s going on in a game, like following the folds and keep a track of the prior actions on the table as you are able to do in real life, as some people fold instantaneously or have their computers take action for them automatically in certain situations. This style of fast play can also result in 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 is a lot harder to out-bluff an opponent or observe any tells that will 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’s very hard to recreate the feel of a poker table online, though some companies do try and do that more than others.