In this day and age, playing poker is as easy as taking out your phone, turning it on, and logging on to any one of hundreds of sites that offer the game. You can be playing inside of a minute, which really is testimony to just how amazing the technology of today is. Card playing enthusiasts of not so long ago would turn green with envy.
But just because such incredible convenience exists, does it stand as conclusive evidence that online poker is better than traditional, land based poker? Or are their other differences to take into consideration?
Remember having to actually get into your car, drive to a local casino, be patted down before you’re allowed inside, and then hope that there is a space open at the table you want? This was once the only way you could sit down and play poker for real money. Assuming that your local casino even offered poker. Plus, of course, you were limited to the type of games offered, as well as the betting amounts set at each table.
Such restrictions are unheard of in this day and age. Getting access to a virtually unlimited selection of games is as simple as having a device that is capable of connecting to the Internet. Almost any phone or tablet will do, or a laptop or desktop computer. One online casino provides as much variety and choice as a dozen land based casinos. Not much else need be said than that. Except, of course, that online casinos offer bonuses and VIP programme generosity that land based casinos dare not even dream of.
Some argue, however, that there is simply no substitute for playing with opponents in the real world, face to face. Poker is about bluffing, after all, and how can you tell if an opponent is bluffing, if you can’t look at them and read their body language?
There is some truth in this, and it is indeed true that reading the body language of an opponent is useful. But poker is about much more than simply eyeballing up another player, and attempting to detect if they are lying from facial anomalies. In fact, much more of the game is read from the moves that the player makes. When they choose to bluff, when they choose to bet, how much they bet, and so on…
These are far more important, in most cases, than the way they are scratching their nose. Let us not forget that the vast majority of professional players got their start online, after all, which speaks for itself.
Plus, of course, online tournaments will put you face to face virtually with other players, or, if you prefer to play casino-style you can go up against a real dealer at a live casino. The options on the Internet are pretty much limitless, and let’s not forget about the huge variety of video poker games on offer too…
So, it really is a case of visiting a land-based casino only if you are keen on the atmosphere. Otherwise, you’re probably better off just taking out your phone or taking a seat at your computer!