Why is it Easier to Play Poker Online?

05:30
02 Sep

Is it easier to play poker online?

Back in the day when our parents were living their best lives, they could hardly imagine that one day they would be able to play poker online. But now we can, and it’s so much fun. The question many people have been asking is, “is it easier to play online poker?” Well, it depends on what works for you. But think about what that means and how it will work. Will you be able to call someone’s bluff online? Or is this solely reserved for live poker? Let’s check out if it is easier to play online poker.

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The calls

Live poker is great because you can read the other players around you. That adds to the excitement and can also help your game. Since poker is ultimately a game of bluffing, it makes sense that you would want to see how other players are reacting. With online poker, things become a bit difficult. There are some signs that can help you to read the other players, but it’s not as effective as you might think. So, in this instance, it would be much easier to play live poker than online poker.

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More poker hands to play

Now we are getting into what makes online poker easier to play. With the world’s favorite pastime, the more you practice and, well, play it, the better you become at it. This way, the game also becomes second nature in some sense. With online poker, you can play against the computer to build your skills. This is what makes online poker easier. You can always work on your skills. With live poker, it becomes a bit difficult since you will need other players who are willing to practice with you.

Furthermore, online poker players are estimated to play about 100 hands per hour. While live poker players only play about 30 hands per hour. This means online players have an advantage since they will have way more time to practice their hands. But that’s not all. Online players have a further advantage which is multi-tabling. On average, you will find about two or three weak players once you reach mid-high stakes. If you are good at poker, you will easily fill a table with one fish. And another reason online poker is more straightforward is that you can quite literally track your massive hands with tracking software.

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The value of money

Generally, live poker requires large buy-ins, making it quite an exclusive pastime and difficult to take part in. On average, online players are also younger, with less available cash than older players. And considering that buy-in can be between $300 and $500, the value of online poker makes it easier to take part in. Both live and online poker is a multi-billion dollar industry, with live poker leading the pack, for now.

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Short-term variance

Let’s look at an example of this to decide if online poker is easier. Skillful players can set themselves up in a way that makes it difficult for them to lose a game. They do this by playing $1 or $2 for online tables for an entire month. Looking at the amount of money they will be spending, this way, the high number of hands played during the month pushes the variance up, which favors the player. Let’s look at another scenario.

If a player who is better than average was to play with $5 and $10 tables, they could end up with less money than they started with. So, think of it this way, live poker is difficult in this regard since it’s harder to play a lot of hands. Furthermore, short-term variance forces players to play with caution. This ultimately results in live players being more results-driven as compared to online players.

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Online resources

This is probably what makes online poker so easy. The internet plays a significant role in online players' learning and research to become skillful players. Older players are more than likely already established and knowledgeable. And often, these players are less likely to invest in technical help. This in no way means that online players are less successful because they use tools to help them to be better players. It only makes the gameplay easier. To end with, online poker is indeed much easier due to the available resources, the opportunity to play more hands, as well as the chance to practice at any given point.