Online Poker: Then, Now and the Future

Online poker is quite different today than it was 10 or 12 years ago, as regulation slowly moves along in the U.S.

The differences include not only the sites at which players are allowed to play, but also the skill level among the players. If you were a regular online poker player in 2003 or so, it is quite evident that the players on the online tables in 2015 are, for the most part, a much more knowledgeable breed.

That knowledge can be obtained from a number of sources such as: poker news sites; poker TV shows; online poker forums; poker coaching and training sites; and poker-tracking software. Yet arguably the greatest fountain of knowledge remains the experience gained from continuing to play online poker.

Whether or not players use the sources available to get better at poker is entirely an individual choice. Some may be happy playing casually and for fun, never taking the game too seriously as to warrant in-depth study and analysis. Others may enjoy winning to such a degree that they strive to get better, and typically do if an effort is made to do so.

Online poker actually needs both of these types of players to achieve a balance on the tables, a mixture of skill levels that will find some players better than others. Unfortunately, that results in a situation where the lesser-skilled players are somewhat preyed upon by those who have taken the time and effort to excel at the game.

A current problem facing the industry as a whole is that recreational players get tired of losing and being taken advantage of by those with more skill. This may prompt casual players to abandon real-money action entirely, preferring instead to play at the vast number of play-money tables available where the focus of the game is more on fun.

If recreational players turn their backs on real-money online poker action, and evidence suggests that they do because player traffic continues to decline, it upsets the balance at the tables to a certain degree. Both good and less-skilled players are better than in years past, with the casual players somewhat disappearing because losing forces them to either stop playing or to get better.

In order to retain the balance needed on the tables, poker sites have taken a number of steps in recent years in an effort to "level the playing field." Those steps have included anonymous tables, segregated tables, and focusing player rewards on missions and achievements. The latter has been found to be quite popular among players who play for fun or recreationally.

A look into the future reveals that more changes may likely be needed so as not to drive casual players from the game completely. Abolishing poker-tracking software that gives players who use it too much of an advantage should be among the first changes.

No such software exists when playing live poker, and online poker is an extension of the live game. Having detailed information on your opponents at your fingertips (other than what your memory provides) arguably goes against the spirit of the game. Anonymous tables thwart the abilities of third-party software.

A more drastic measure would be to force winning players to move up in stake levels. Once found to be proficient at certain stakes, poker rooms may require those profitable players to play at a higher level or to take their winning ways elsewhere. Some may argue that that requirement too goes against the spirit of the game in a player not being permitted to sit where he or she is most comfortable, but it would help protect those with less skill.

A trend has already begun to tilt player rewards in favor of lesser players. Such efforts may need to be heightened in the future, such as less rakeback for the multi-tabling grinders, giving the bonus money instead to those who tend to make deposits without withdrawing.

We can expect cries of "unfair" and quite a bit of vocal opposition from those skilled players who stand to be affected, but such changes may be necessary for the overall good of the game. The choice may be to either accept the needed changes or have no online poker at all due to a lack of new players. Without a more level playing field, rookies may stay away from the game because of the tremendous disadvantage faced against those with greater skill.

Online poker has changed considerably from 2003 to 2015, with the height of the poker boom in '03 generally seen as the good old days. But if you think the changes over the past 12 years have been drastic, just wait to see what online poker looks like in 12 more years - 2027. The industry may have to continue to favor and make life much better for recreational players in order to survive.