Casino Games Meeting Online Poker

Lately, more and more online poker rooms have started introducing casino games to their offering, which caused some mix reactions from the poker community. Many people feel that introduction of the casino games is overall bad for poker, as recreational players (or "fish", as they are often called by hardcore grinders), will be more likely to spend their money in the casino than on the poker tables.

Appeal of online gambling

There is no denying that online gambling, especially nowadays, when computer technology has reached some truly amazing advancements, can be a very alluring proposition. The overall experience has come almost as close as possible to the real thing, so more and more people are willing to give it a chance.

Ads enticing people to gamble are found almost everywhere. Even those who never set their foot in a casino before are often tempted to try out this online phenomenon and see what it is all about. With the almost a real-life feeling attached to it, adrenaline rushes and the minimum effort, one can really ask a question, why would anyone looking to have some fun sit at online poker tables instead of picking one of hundreds available casino games?

The challenge

Poker, especially online poker, has never been so much about gambling as it's been about the challenge. Even if you look at different advertising campaigns, you will notice a very different pattern. While the ads encouraging people to gamble for real money usually emphasize big potential jackpots and adrenaline rushes of a big one, poker adverts often focus on a completely different aspect.

While possibility of winning big is still present in poker, the real thrill of the game is derived from playing and outplaying your opponents. The majority of poker ads will hence focus exactly on this aspect of mental warfare found only in poker.

This differentiating factor is exactly what draws people to poker the most and it is exactly why presence of casino games will never completely drag away people from the poker tables. Perhaps it is true that some of the funds that would be spent at poker tables could go to roulette or blackjack, but there is also a different side to that coin.

Financial implications

If someone chooses that he had enough of poker for that night, especially given the fact that he other options available to him just a click away, it is immediately a bad thing for serious players. An amateurs is deciding to take his money elsewhere.

They might be tired of losing, feeling that they are running really bad or anything along those lines. Them going to the virtual casino tables or slots could mean that money is gone from the economy; but them winning some money at a casino is also a realistic possibility.

After all, if you know the maths of casino games, you are aware that, while the house always wins, the margins are not huge. Casinos are in for a long haul and beat their patrons few %s at a time. Someone who has lost money at the poker tables but then got lucky in the casino, or even better, hit a jackpot of some sorts, is very likely to return.

First of all, the financial implications are now gone, as they've made up for the losses and then some. Secondly, they might be feeling their luck is turning around and that it is a perfect time to play. Finally, winning money will increase adrenaline levels and enhance the motivation to play and compete against the others - something that casino games simply don't offer.

To wrap it up; while introduction of casino games on online poker platforms may seem like a big blow for online poker, when all things are considered, not that much should change. While the average amount of time a recreational player spends at the tables may decrease slightly, the amount of money they are willing to gamble with could increase.

Most people are (prudently) not willing to bring to the tables what they don't believe they can afford to lose. However, it they suddenly win a few thousand as a jackpot on slots or some other game, they will not be nearly as reluctant to put at least a part of those winnings back in action.

After all, we've seen this scenario more than ones with people who were lucky enough to win in huge online poker tournaments, only to give it all back at the high stakes tables; there is no reason to believe that casino winnings will be treated any differently.

Thus, the overall poker economy should be just fine, at least in this regard.