Differences Between Online Poker And Live Poker

If you only play onlive or live poker, you may make the mistake of thinking the other is very similar. In truth, there are big differences between the two that need to be realised. What makes a player win consistently won’t necessarily work in the other form. In this article we’re going to share some of the key differences between online poker and live poker so you are properly prepared to tackle both with the right attitude.

Pace of the Game  

This is one of the things that you can easily notice when you start playing. A lot of of gamblers are now preferring to play online poker due to the speed it plays. Some find live poker far too slow. The reason live poker is slower is because you are playing just one table. The dealer is much slowly than online where shuffles and deals are a matter of seconds. Furthermore, players in cardrooms tend to take longer over decisions which further slowdown the pace of the game. When it comes to sites like crazyvegas.com there are loads of tables that you can use at any one time.

It’s worth noting that whilst the pace is faster online, the obvious drawback is the potential error of playing too many tables. If you struggle finding out how many tables to play online, take our quick quiz here.

Flexibility

Online poker has a flexibility that cannot be mirrored in live games. You can play any day or time you want and from practically anywhere in the world. In contrast, live poker is quite rigid. You can generally only playing in the evenings to the early morning.

You are also restricted in the number of tables and games available. Fewer people turn to casinos to play poker so you may have cardrooms that only have a few games on the go. So, you don’t have endless options in the format and stakes like you do on online poker sites.

Win Rates

Despite the convenience and speed favouring internet poker, live poker has proved to be more lucrative than online. Players in live games generally generate a much better poker win rate than online. The softness of games in live poker is undeniable. A strong regular who beats NL $50 online can transfer those skills to crush games much bigger in live poker rooms.

In addition to their raw poker skills, you can manipulate the game more to your favour using skills like tells, reading people and table chit chat to further improve your win rate.

Bonuses & Rakeback

Online poker does continue to offer bonuses to new players and existing players alike. This is something live poker games don’t and won’t ever offer. The same is true for rakeback. These are incentives internet poker sites offer players to continue playing with them. Whilst bonuses are nowhere near as juicy as other casino games, they do still offer ways to boost your bankroll with little effort. These come in the form of matched deposit, reload bonuses and no deposit bonuses. Loyalty schemes are also popular among poker sites as a way to retain players. Read our coral poker review to learn more.

Rakeback are schemes that offer players the opportunity to claim some of the rake that they’ve contributed. It’s a brilliant way to improve ones bankroll and increase profits. Live cardrooms can’t compete with online poker in this regard. They have so few tables and the admin required is just impossible. The online sites can offer this service as they have automated dealer and are not paying staff wages to deal.

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Narciso Baldo is the Director and Head Coach of Texas Hold'em Questions. He has been playing poker for over 16 years. After spending many years as a professional, he now runs UK poker training site Texas Hold'em Questions. Narciso regularly writes poker articles sharing tips, strategy, news and experience with gambling enthusiasts. Narciso also writes for reputable gambling portal Casino City Times, (bio here). Contact: info@texasholdemquestions.com