Online Poker Vs Brick And Mortar Games

By Author: Tom Kearns
Total Articles: 10
Comment this article

Since the dawn of the online poker age there has always been the question of which is better, online poker or live games in a casino? The answer is the same as most poker questions.... It depends. While the two generally have the same rules and structure, you are dealing with totally different games.

Online poker obviously has the advantage of speed. Since the dealing is done digitally, there is no time wasted shuffling, dealing, collecting cards, or anything else that the dealer would normally spend time doing. You also save a lot of time by having the pot automatically counted at all times and the rake is taken out automatically. When you add in the built in clock that most sites have for players to act in time, you will get 2 to 3 times the amount of hands per hour or more by playing online. If you also take into account that you are able to play up to 8 tables or more simultaneously, you could well end up playing up to 600 hands per hour or more. This is roughly 20 times the amount of hands that you might play in a live ring game. More hands equals more money for the winning player right? Again the answer ...
... is maybe.

Live games generally have much weaker opponents than online games. The downside is that you'll only get 25 to 35 hands per hour depending on the quality of your dealer. People go to the casino for a good time and don't generally mind losing a few bucks for the entertainment. This means that you get a lot of casual players, and even players who don't know the rules of the game. You get a lot of players who seem to do OK at their friday night game at their buddies house and want to see how they stack up at the casino. I often find that a 20/40 limit hold'em game in the local casino is much softer than a 1/2 or 2/4 game online. So you can probably play higher limits at the casino without giving up any of your win rate. So higher stakes means more money for the winning player right? You get the idea.

Aside from actual win rate, each form of poker has its own advantages. Live poker is a much more social game. If you're a social person and want to get out and interact with people and have some fun, you may enjoy live poker more. The internet however allows you to play poker in your underwear (or whatever). You can play at any time and don't even have to leave the house. This convenience appeals to a lot of people. When you decide whether online poker or going to the casino is right for you you need to keep in mind why you play poker. If you play for entertainment or a social experience, than live action is the way to go. If you are strictly business than with rakeback, online poker bonuses, multitabling, and the huge volume of hands, you will probably be drawn to online poker.

So the answer to our question whether online poker or live poker is better... It depends on what you are trying to get out of your poker experience.

The author is a successful limit cash game player. He plays poker online and recieves Rakeback at Absolute Poker and Rakeback at Full Tilt Poker.