School of Poker
Online Poker Rooms — The Complete Guide to Online Poker.

Let us keep you informed! Enter your Name and Email address to receive details of all the latest offers, tips, news and much, much more. click here to read about our Privacy Policy.

School of Poker » Offline or Online Poker

Naturally, a lot of poker players including myself have gone from playing poker in “real” poker rooms to playing online. This trend is growing at an amazing rate, but that’s not to say those players heading for cyberplay are abandoning their traditional venues. After all, although poker played in a real live casino and that enjoyed over the Internet are, for all intents and purposes, the same, both are nevertheless unique in many aspects. (We’ll get to those details later.)

The Same Difference
The same holds true for the reverse, that is, players who picked up the game online and have perhaps never even stepped into an actual poker room would be more inclined to do so now seeing as how he or she has learned how to play the game and obviously enjoys it or they wouldn’t still be playing. Let’s face it: as much as those poker purists and other opponents of online gambling frown upon its very existence, the game is nevertheless currently experiencing a revival unlike at any time in the game’s entire history. And all thanks to the Internet. I for one personally believe – no, make that “am thoroughly convinced” – that what’s good for online poker is good for traditional poker. Those anti-online poker buffs would be wise to not only polish their poker faces but their opinions too, after all, with time the odds are only going to getting better that they too will eventually succumb to the very real thrills of playing poker on a computer.

With respect to strategic issues, there are two things which differ greatly: the psychological aspect of playing online and the monetary. Concerning the mental side, most folks will tell you it’s harder to get away with bluffing over the Internet than it is in a live game for the simple reason that opponents can call with a mere click of their mouse.

Real People Having Real Fun… Really!
An online player’s behavior may be significantly different that when he or she is playing at a real table with real people. Case in point: At a live table, the last thing you want is for other players to see you losing your cool when your game takes a turn for the worse. This is certainly true when playing poker amongst friends and you’re more inclined to maintain a certain element of composure when the going gets tough. The physical nature of live play inherently affects, for better or worse, the way we behave as well as our ability to focus.

In the virtual sphere where players cannot see each other (though that too will change), pressures stemming from other players are practically nil, but they still exist to some degree. The result is that online, certain aspects of the game like body language and other physical strategies will diminish, while others, those more specific to the card game at hand, literally, will sharpen.

Out of Site, Out of Cash
Some inherent traits of online poker simply make going broke that much easier. With a greater tendency among players to overheat when playing poker online, hidden from their competitors’ views, even great poker players go bust. Also the online games are much faster, bigger, and some players engage in playing a number of these high stakes games simultaneously, which obviously can’t be done in a real casino. But perhaps the greatest difference between on and offline poker playing, and most lethal of all for online enthusiasts, is the fact that players in physical poker rooms generally arrive with limited bankrolls. Online players, on the other hand, can easily and immediately access additional funds with a credit card with a few clicks of their mouse.