The days of having to search high and low or subscribe to a particular television network in order to watch a live event are quickly coming to an end. This is the age of the Internet after all, and if something isn’t available via streaming online, it might as well not exist. Websites like Twitch and Netflix are quickly changing the world, and drastically for the better. The buzz term is video on demand, and it is enough to make television viewers of just a decade or two ago green with envy.
For poker fanatics, keeping up to date with the latest tournaments and events has always been a challenge. Big events like the World Series of Poker were a bit of an inconvenience to see live, and required a little effort on the part of the viewer. Plus, of course, once the event was over, seeing highlights likewise required a bit of searching. But those days are over. With Twitch, watching poker events live, or having on hand a selection of highlights is now as simple as logging on to a single site.
But not everyone is super clued up on live streaming. It is, after all, still a relatively new technology in some parts of the world.
Internet speeds are, if we’re being honest, currently so fast as to almost defy belief. The rapid transfer of data at breakneck speeds is truly remarkable, and is so far removed from the early days of dial up. Enormous amounts of data can virtually circle the globe instantaneously, opening up the door to endless possibilities. One of them being global live streaming, assuming you have a fast enough connection to support it.
Websites like Twitch are quickly becoming the new, accepted way to watch live-streamed events. With two million visitors monthly and quickly growing, a live event best have a feed to Twitch, or risk falling into obscurity. As far as live poker events go, virtually all can now be watched on this platform, as they happen, via free access. All that is required is an account.
As just said, Twitch grants access to the majority of its live streams with nothing more than a free account. Although some channels require a subscription in order to watch stored clips. So, in this regard Twitch is extremely open and generous to viewers.
The aspect that is demanding, likewise already mentioned, is the speed and stability of the Internet connection. Live video is no small amount of data to be streamed, and so the connection required must not only be fast, but capable of holding the speed at a constant rate. A download speed of around 1 megabyte, or 10 megabits, per second is recommended. This is average in some parts of the world, but in other parts can exceed Internet capabilities.
Running a free speed test is available on a number of websites, which will help you understand the capabilities of your Internet connection. If you meet the requirements, head on over Twitch, search for poker channels, and welcome yourself to the new way of watching live poker entertainment, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!
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