Recognizing Main Differences Between Real-life and Online Poker
5 minutes
Posted by: Ivan
Playing online poker is significantly faster than playing live, and some people find the live game excessively tiresome.
When playing No-limit Hold'em in a cash game, you might only see about 30 hands dealt every hour, but online, you can expect to see up to 60 hands per hour at a single table.
Multi-tabling online implies that you can play a lot more hands per hour than you would be able to if you were playing live.
At Comparable Stakes, Live Games Are Much Softer
Online and higher stakes poker is notoriously difficult, as everyone who has tried it or heard of it will attest.
Dedicated grinders who know their way around the game and don't make many mistakes may be found here.
To win at these levels of online cash games, you'll need to put in a lot of time at the tables. On the other hand, playing live games at the same or similar level is a lot simpler.
The Pace of Play in Live Games Is Much Slower
Playing many tables at once and seeing hundreds of hands every hour is the norm for online poker players.
You can only play on one table in a live game, and the speed of that table is slower than any online game you've ever played.
Only 30 to 40 hands an hour are often seen in live poker games. This is due to a number of factors. To begin, dealing cards, collecting chips, and distributing pots take time when done by a live dealer.
Many live poker players prefer to take their time and aren't always focused on the game, especially at smaller stakes. In many cases, they're just there to have a good time.
As infuriating as it may be if you're used to online gaming, this is the way it is, and there isn't much you can do about it. This is something you should be aware of ahead of time so you can arrive prepared.
In Live Games, Your Table Image Is a Huge Asset
When betting on the best online gambling sites in 2022, everyone is merely one of many players in the mix. This means that users will only be recognized when they make huge blunders.
However, in a live game, things are very different. Since you'll be sitting with the same people for several hours, they'll naturally notice your movements and try to deduce your approach.
As a result, if you're playing against the same people on a regular basis, it's a good idea to spend some time cultivating your reputation.
For instance, if live players label you as a major bluffer, changing their thoughts will require a lot of persuasion.
The few large bluffs you run on the river will stay with them for a long time, no matter how many times you turn the nuts.
Even while you should never expose your poker hand when playing online, it is possible to reap great rewards by bluffing large in live games.
When it comes to establishing your brand, there are no hard and fast laws. It's all about knowing what others think of you and then doing something they don't anticipate to take advantage of that view.
In Live Games, Reading Plays a Crucial Role
It is important to note that physical readings are not used in online poker, which is one of the main distinctions between the two.
I don't necessarily agree with those who say that poker tells are overrated.
Even while live reads aren't the most crucial component of poker strategy, they may have a big impact on the outcome of large pots.
If you pay close enough attention, you can usually figure out the strength of a player's hand from the signals they give away.
With a powerful hand and a bluff, some people are so oblivious of their own actions that they react in unusual ways.
If you're bluffing, you could crash chips on the table or do something else that gives away your hand's strength.
Observing these tells will let you become involved in more pots with these players and boost your advantage even further.
Live Games Allow You to Experiment With Bet Sizes More
In any competent online game where you try to open for 5x, you will only get called by opponents holding the very top of their ranges.
In live games, people are more concerned about how they “like” their particular hand than about the bet sizing. So, they will call your 3x, 5x, and even 10x open if they find a couple of cards they like.
To find out how much your opponents are willing to spend, you should experiment with different preflop raises. You can then use this knowledge to control the pots in many ways.
You Can Vary the Size of Your Post-flop Bets
When you're attempting to control the pot, you can get away with very tiny bets, and when you're trying to obtain value, you can get away with very large bets.
One of the advantages of playing live games is that you don't have to worry as much about balance.
No one will notice what you're doing unless you're playing against an exceptionally strong lineup. As for strong opponents, just get up and look for an easier match; it shouldn't be that difficult.
Rake Tends to Be Higher in Live Games
Rake is an issue that many online players have, but live games have a much tougher stance on it. As a general rule, you'll have to accept that a significant portion of every pot you win goes to the house at lesser stakes.
Certain games are unquestionably superior to others, but you may not have many options, to begin with. Some of the games feature an uncapped rake, which means that they take a predetermined percentage from every pot, no matter how big it is.
Online Play Allows for a Great Deal of Customization.
If you're a fan of online poker, you'll be able to jump to a table whenever the mood strikes.
Regardless of the time of day or night, there are always a few games going on in the larger, more popular rooms.
As a result, if you're playing for real money, you have complete discretion over your daily routine. With live poker, this isn't the case.
Even on the weekends, many live casinos and poker rooms provide a wide variety of games in the late afternoon and evening.
Online poker, on the other hand, provides more freedom and flexibility. A live game may be a lot of fun if you appreciate the atmosphere, but you have to plan your calendar around it.
