Online Poker Vs Live
Online Poker vs Live Poker
- Live Stream Poker Cash Games
- Poker Videos 2014
- Online Poker Vs Live
- Online Poker Or Live
- Poker Live Game
What are the main differences between the live poker and online poker? Here are a few differences to consider. We compare them here! Live Casino Show sub menu. Casino Games Show sub menu. Caribbean Stud Poker. Three Card Poker. A lot of people will assert that live poker tournaments and online MTTs are completely different entities. Online MTTs require more solid fundamentals, such as the the ability to calculate pots odds, equity. Playing online poker is definitely more convenient than playing live, especially if you don’t live anywhere near a casino or poker room. There’s no need to make a trip, as you can play any time you choose just. How Online Is Different from Live Poker Speed: When you go to a casino and play live poker, you might see a hand get dealt every couple of minutes. Once you take a seat at an online poker table, you could.
The rules of poker do not change based on where you are, but there are many differences between online poker and live poker. If you are only used to one and considering playing the other, this article will inform you of the biggest differences and prepare you better. By staying informed, you will also learn whether it’s more profitable to play one or the other.
More Multiway Pots Live
Online poker is generally tighter than poker at the casino. Online players are often multi-tabling and don’t have a problem with patience. Live poker at casinos has more players at the flop due to the impatience of players. In a live game, players have a desire to be involved and play pots. They don’t want to drive to the casino and sit folding for hours. This results in a looser game, often with 3 to 5 players at the flop.
The Difference in Stakes (Ability)
If you’re used to playing online at $1/$2 no limit Texas Hold’em, don’t sit at the same game in a casino and expect it to be the same calibre. There’s a rule many poker players apply called the ten to one rule. In short, whatever stakes you usually play and win at online, multiply it by 10 to get the same standard in a casino. Why is this? Casino’s don’t have penny stakes, so the lowest stakes games are the more beginner players.
Game Speed
One of the most obvious differences between online poker vs live poker is the pace which the game flows. Online poker is very quick, with the ability to play hundreds of hands an hour. It was made even faster when games like Snap poker were introduced. Live poker is much slower paced. Think about, the dealer has to shuffle and deal (online this is automated). Live poker players tend to take longer over their decisions too. Interestingly, online poker players who play super-fast with 10 tables come to a casino and take ages too!
Live Poker Tells
As great as online poker is, the inability to look at your opponent means you have to rely on everything else to read them. In live poker, your opponent is there in front of you. There is more information available, including poker tells. Without going into the specifics of different poker tells, suffice to say, there are many ways a poker player will unwittingly reveal their hand strength. This important part of live poker is largely absent from online poker. Instead, you must trust your instinct, watch for betting patterns and notice change any changes in speed of decision making to make a read. Check out our article on online poker tells for more detail.
Live Poker is More Social
We are naturally social and this is heightened when we play games together. Visit any poker room and you will hear the riffling of chips, men telling bad beat stories and even political debates. If you love the solace of online poker and prefer to keep yourself to yourself, perhaps live poker isn’t for you.
When you sit at a cash game, you are engaged in a social activity. Your neighbours at the table will be doing the same, chatting and making friends. You could be forgiven you’re not playing for money but some people play poker just to play with the boys and get out of the house.
Bet Sizing is Bigger in Live Poker
Live poker tends to involve bigger bets. Perhaps the concept of lower variance or small ball didn’t reach the casinos yet, but that is one thing you can expect. A typical live poker game will see raises of 5 big blinds or more. Online poker usually has opens of 2.2 to 3 big blinds. If you don’t think this is a big difference, think again. Consider your stack size when you buy in. If you are buying in for anything less than 100 big blinds, you better bring several bullets. Remember, pots are often multi-way too so it doesn’t take long for a pot to reach a significant size. Before you know it, you might be all in.
Poker Straddle
The poker straddle is an unforced bet that the person under the gun will post. It’s something that increases the pot and entices more action. I love the poker straddle and would love to see it introduced online. Why wouldn’t you want someone to put money in unnecessarily? This is something a lot of live players opt to do. Rules differ between casinos on the straddle so make sure you know what they are before playing in a game with the straddle. If you want to see more about the straddle. Check out our poker straddle article.
Weekend Games
Live poker booms at the weekend. People are off work and ready to gamble. Whilst this is true online, it is not to the same extent. Go online any day of the week and it will be busy. This is probably due to timing differences around the globe. This is not the same at the casino. People have jobs and better things to do than play poker on Monday night. What does this mean? It means weekends are the best times to play poker at the casino. You can take the egotistical businessmen to school if you are willing to stay late. Businessmen are prone to bluffing, playing too many hands and don’t have the time for poker training which is why they often lose.
There are a number of notable differences between live and
online poker. Although the fundamentals of the game are largely
the same either way, the overall experience you get from playing
live is simply not the same as the experience you get from
playing online. Some of the differences can actually have a
significant impact on certain aspects of the game.
In this article we’re going to do a comprehensive comparison
of live and online poker by taking a detailed look at a number
of areas where the two differ. We’ll also consider the effects
that these two options have on players, based on their
differences, and try to determine whether online poker or live
poker has the most advantages to offer.
Speed of Play
This is easily one of the biggest and most tangible
differences between online poker and live poker. Playing online
is a lot faster, for fairly obvious reasons. Much of what takes
up time at live poker tables is done automatically and therefore
much more quickly at online poker sites. There’s no need for the
deck to be manually shuffled after each round, the cards are
“dealt” in a split second, and any chip counts are done
instantly.
These things all have a major impact on how long it takes to
play a hand.When playing live you can expect to see around 30
hands per hour at the most, whereas online you can expect to see
at least double that on average.
You might not think that this faster pace is a big deal, but
it really is. If you’re a winning player then playing more hands
should ultimately equate to making more money, and even if
you’re just playing for fun you’ll probably find the fast pace
games far more enjoyable. The slow pace in the live environment
can get very frustrating, particularly if you’re not getting
good cards. A lot of your valuable time may be wasted just
waiting for something to happen.
Verdict
Online wins. The faster game makes for a better all-round experience.
Current Score
Convenience & Comfort
Playing online poker is definitely more convenient than
playing live, especially if you don’t live anywhere near a
casino or poker room. There’s no need to make a trip, as you can
play any time you choose just by firing up your computer and
logging into whichever site you use. A lot of sites even allow
you to play from mobile device these days, so you can even
squeeze in a quick session when you are out and about if you
want to.
As a general rule, playing online is a much more comfortable
experience. The chairs in most poker rooms aren’t necessarily
uncomfortable but they don’t compare to the comfort you feel
from playing at your own home. You can sit (or lie down)
wherever you want when you’re playing online, and you don’t even
have to get dressed if you don’t want to. It’s not like your
online opponents can see you!
Verdict
Online wins easily. It’s far more convenient to play and generally more comfortable.
Current Score
Game Availability
Many live poker rooms around the world are only open during
certain hours. Even the ones that are open 24 hours can’t
guarantee that you’ll always be able to find games to join. It’s
quite possible that you could visit at a time when there’s only
one tournament running that you’re too late to enter. It’s
equally possible that you could visit at a time when all the
cash game tables are full and there’s a lengthy waiting list
made up of other players waiting for a seat just like you.
You don’t run into these problems online. Poker sites never
close and you’ll always find games running around the clock.
Some times are busier than others, so you’re not always
guaranteed to find action at your preferred game and stakes, but
there’ll always be something for you to play.
Verdict
Online wins again. Game availability is much better at online poker sites.
Current Score
Social Factor
One of the drawbacks to playing online is that you miss out
on the social factor. Most sites include a chat function on
their tables, so you can at least communicate with your fellow
players, but it’s really not the same as actually talking to
them in person.
The ability to have a laugh and a joke with opponents is a
big part of what makes poker such an enjoyable game for many
players. Some players aren’t too bothered by this aspect of
course, preferring just to focus on their game, but overall it’s
fair to say that the social factor is something that gives live
poker the edge over playing online. It just adds a little
something extra to your overall experience.
Verdict
Live wins this one. Poker is a clearly a more social affair in a live environment.
Current Score
Game Selection
The selection of games available at poker sites isn’t even
comparable to what’s available in a live environment. There’s a
massive variety of games to choose from online, whereas your
options are usually quite limited in even the biggest live poker
rooms.
Most poker sites offer several different variations of the
game for starters. Texas Hold’em is the most popular but there
are plenty of variants you can play too. The larger sites
typically offer all of the following:
- Omaha
- Omaha Hi/Lo
- Seven Card Stud
- Razz
- Five Card Draw
- Mixed Game Formats (e.g. H.O.R.S.E.)
Most of the above are usually available in both cash game and
tournament formats. You have a choice of betting structures too
with limit, no limit, and pot limit all widely available. You
can also choose whether to play full ring (up to nine or ten
players), short-handed (maximum of six players), or heads-up
(just two players).
We also cannot overlook the wide range of tournaments offered
online. In terms of size you’ll find everything from small sit
and go tournaments to large field multi-table tournaments and
there are many different types of tournaments as well.
Freeze-outs, re-buys, guaranteed, knockouts, turbos, and
satellites are just some the most common types.
Verdict
Online wins and it’s not even close. The selection of games available online is huge.
Current Score
Range of Stakes
One of the major advantages of playing online is that there’s
a wide range of stakes that’s suitable for all budgets. You can
play cash games with blinds as low as $0.01/$0.02 and there are
tournaments which can cost as low as one dollar to enter. There
are also plenty of high stakes available for those who like to
wager substantial amounts and everything in between is covered
also.
This is quite a contrast to what you’ll find in your typical
live poker room. Many places are very limited in terms of the
range of stakes available and even the bigger rooms with a more
complex range don’t compare to what’s available online.
Verdict
Another easy win for online. Most poker sites offer stakes to suit all budgets.
Current Score
Option to Multi-Table
For any of you that aren’t familiar with this term,
multi-tabling can be defined as playing at multiple tables at
the same time. This is easy to do at most online poker sites,
but it’s essentially impossible to do in live casinos.
Many recreational players and almost all beginners aren’t
affected by this. They typically have absolutely no interest in
multi-tabling, preferring to concentrate on playing as well as
they can in one single game.
It does affect a lot of more experienced players though and
certainly those that play poker full time, as the option to
multi-table allows them to make money at a significantly faster
rate. Therefore, it has to be considered a big advantage to
playing online.
Verdict
Online wins. Mutli-tabling enables many players to make a lot more money.
Current Score
Reads & Tells
Live Stream Poker Cash Games
Reading your opponents is a big deal if you want to be a
successful poker player. You don’t need to be able to literally
read their mind, but it will certainly be beneficial to you if
you’re good at figuring out what they’re doing and why.
There are two main ways that you can get a good read on an
opponent. One is by studying the way they play and analyzing it,
as this gives special insight into their overall playing style
and how they act in certain situations. The other is by studying
them physically and looking for any tells in their body language
that might give something away about the cards they hold or how
they are about to bet.
The first method mentioned above can be used in both a live
environment and online. The second method can only really be
used when playing live though. This highlights one of the very
significant advantages that live play offers over online play;
the ability to physically observe your opponents and gain
information on them. This simply cannot be replicated online and
for some players it’s absolutely vital to how they play the
game.
Verdict
Live wins. The ability to gain physical reads on your opponents can be invaluable.
Current Score
Game Analysis
Another notable difference between playing live and online is
that there’s no automatic record of your hands in a live
environment, whereas at poker sites all your hands are recorded
and available for you to review upon request. This might not be
a difference that many people think about when comparing these
two options of playing poker, but it’s actually a very
significant aspect that shouldn’t be overlooked.
The record of the hands you have played (which is commonly
referred to as your “hand history”) can be a very valuable tool
when it comes to developing your game. It enables you to study
and analyze all your past play, which is something you really
should be doing if you want to improve your skills. Unless you
have a truly incredible memory, you won’t be able to do this
analysis on your live play.
Verdict
Online wins. It’s much easier to analyze your own game when playing on the web.
Current Score
Bonuses & Rewards
This difference is a very simple one and relevant to a lot of
players. Virtually all poker sites give their players some form
of extra value in the way of bonuses and rewards, while live
poker rooms generally do very little by comparison. Some sites
can be quite generous to their regular players, but some do
nothing at all. As a general rule there’s far more extra value
available to earn online.
Poker Videos 2014
Verdict
Online Poker Vs Live
Online wins comfortably. Poker sites give away far more extra value than live rooms.
Current Score
Final Score: Online Poker 8 – Live Poker 2
Online Poker Or Live
From the differences we’ve discussed here it seems pretty
clear that online poker has more advantages than live poker. The
issues of convenience and availability are the biggest
advantages in our opinion, closely followed by the much greater
variety of games and stakes available online.
Poker Live Game
We wouldn’t go as far as to state that online poker is
indisputably better than live poker though. We’ve demonstrated a
number of advantages it has when comparing the two, but which
one is “best” is ultimately a matter of personal preference.
It’s also worth noting that you don’t have to choose one or the
other, as it’s perfectly possible to enjoy playing both!