The Difference Between Online And Casino Poker

June 30th, 2008

Anyone who has played poker in a casino and played it online knows there’s a huge chasm that separates the two. Some prefer to play live cash games where you can stare down your opponents and look for tells. Others like playing online. It’s easier and more comfortable. Plus, you’ll be stunned at how many horrible players there are online that you can take advantage of (I’ll get to this below). If you’ve never played online or never been at a live cash table, you’re going to be surprised by what you read in this post. Here’s a crash course on the difference between the two.

Faster-Paced Games

Everything happens more quickly online. At a live cash game, you may play 30 hands in an hour. That’s if you have an experienced dealer. If the dealer’s a rookie, you may play 10 or 15 hands in an hour. Most online tables go through 50 to 60 hands every hour. Some online players manage to play multiple tables at the same time. You can literally get through 6 times as many hands in online poker as at a live cash table.

Self-Destruction Comes Quickly

Watching a casino poker player self-destruct after a few hands is entertaining. It’s almost always due to their playing like an idiot. It doesn’t happen often, but it’s a treat for everyone when it does. Well, you’d be surprised how frequently this happens during online games. Some people come home after a night of partying and jump online to play “a few hands” of poker. If they’re drunk, you can count on them imploding at the table.

The speed with which the hands are dealt and the fact that millions of online players don’t play well lead to a lot of quick self-destruction. Everyone plays bad poker once in awhile. At a casino, they pick up their chips and walk away. Online, they just keep playing until they’re broke.

Taking Advantage Of The Bottom-Feeders

If you know what you’re doing, you can make a lot of money online. The poker websites are filled with bad poker players. Most of these people see poker commercials and want to get in on the fun. Others jump online after having a horrible losing streak at the local casino. They’re frustrated and primed to lose a lot more before going to bed depressed. There are tons of players making stupid mistakes. If you’re the one player on the table that actually knows your strategy, you can rake it in. Exploit the other players. They’ve practically marinated themselves for your meal.

Different Strokes For Different Folks

If you’re used to playing live cash games, you may never grow to like playing poker online. There are plenty of professional players who go online to test their skills and get thrashed by other players. Strange, but true. If you’ve been playing online for awhile, you’re probably already taking advantage of the knuckleheads on the tables. Good for you. When you’re ready, try your skills at a live cash game. It’s the next step in your evolution.