Online poker takes the classic card game of poker and cranks it up a notch. It is played over the internet using a computer, tablet or mobile phone. It’s accessible from anywhere with an internet connection and can be played for the smallest stakes imaginable (literally pennies), or for satellite entries into the world’s best live tournaments. The online version of the game also offers the same level of convenience as the live version – players can play from home or on the go, and never have to worry about leaving a poker table to smoke or go grab dinner.
One of the main reasons that people love to play poker is because it is a socially acceptable form of gambling that rewards actual skill, unlike slots and the lottery. The fact that it can be played at any time of the day or night from the comfort of your own home makes it even more appealing to those with busy schedules. And with the advent of mobile devices, you can now take your poker games with you wherever you go.
The biggest drawback of online poker is that you don’t get the same level of interaction with your opponents as you do in a live game. This can be a big deal for players who rely on reading their opponents’ tells and body language, but there are workarounds. For example, many sites offer “beginner” tables that are specifically designed to level the playing field for new players. These tables are usually filtered out of the regular tournament lobby and will appear in their own tab within the site’s client.
Another disadvantage is that you don’t have the same level of privacy as you do in a live casino. This can be a problem for those who want to keep their poker playing to a private circle, or even just a few close friends. This is why some people choose to stick with live poker and stay away from the online version of the game.
However, there are many pros to playing poker online. For starters, it is convenient and available to anyone with a working laptop or desktop computer. The software is simple to install and the overall demand on your system is relatively low. You can even use free online poker sites that don’t require you to download any software, although these often don’t provide the same level of features and quality as a full downloadable version.
Another great aspect of poker online is that it is much faster than a live game. When you play live, you are only allowed to sit at one table and typically only play a few hands per hour. Online poker can be launched on multiple tables at once and is a lot more fluid. This is especially true for players with fast decision making skills who can play a huge volume of poker in the same amount of time that it would take them to play just one hand in a live game.