Ever since the poker boom in 2003, players have had two options for real money poker: at a traditional casino, or at an online poker room. Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages, and this presents players with an important decision when they decide where they're going to start their poker career. This article will look at both online and live poker games, and present an argument as to why you should at least try both options out.

Differences in Setting

The most obvious difference between live and online poker is clearly the interactions between players. At a live poker table you're actually sitting down with your opponents, and can see them and talk to them. However, at (most) online poker tables the only way you can interact with opponents is through a chat box.

Although the setting seems like a pretty simple difference, it actually leads to many other major differences between the games. In live poker you're going to have a ton more information available to you because you're actually sitting down with the other players. Being able to see other players' body language, mannerisms, faces, and even hear them talk cues you in to what cards they're holding (if you know how to read live poker tells).

Online poker offers you less info about each situation, but more opportunities to play every single day.

Ok, so now that you know the differences, let's talk about the advantages of each variation.

Top 5 Real Money Poker Sites in 2021 - Rated by experts, we compare the best online poker sites. With top bonuses, freerolls and poker variations. You can start your real-money poker career online much cheaper than in a real cardroom. It is possible to find $0.25–0.50 Hold’em games online, whereas stakes that low would never produce enough profit for the house in a real cardroom (the lowest limit games found in real. Free Online Poker Vs Real-Money Poker Play Free online poker can be very tempting and it's easy to understand why so many people play it. When there's no money being wagered, people that enjoy poker. The Difference between Playing Poker for Free and Real Money Games. Play Poker on practice tables with chips and Real Money buy-in poker is NOT the same game. This may come as a surprise to some.

Advantages of Live Poker

The biggest advantage of playing live poker is the wealth of information that each player has available to them. Many people underestimate how important it is to physically see the players across the table, but if you can see them, you can read them, and you can really beat them. Being able to read people is a great skill to have in poker that also applies to other areas in life, like business and social situations.

Besides the social interaction, we also love live poker because it makes you handle your money with more care. When you actually place your bills down on the table, and know that the cage is only a few feet away, it really makes you treat it as real money as opposed to playing online where your bankroll is just a number that takes days to cash out. Check out this article on 'Five Live Poker Myths' to learn more.

Advantages of Online Poker

Although online poker loses the physical tells of live poker, there are still some online poker tells to clue you in on your opponents, and besides the interaction between players there are tons of other advantages of online poker.

First of all, the game selection at online poker rooms is ridiculous. At a live poker room you can expect to find 10-100 tables of No Limit Hold'em, Limit Hold'em, Omaha, and perhaps a table or two of Stud. At an online poker room however, you can expect to find hundreds if not thousands of real money tables, offering all the normal games plus rare games such as Razz, 2-7 Triple Draw, and mixed games like H.O.R.S.E.

Also, these games are offered in a huge array of stakes, starting at micro stake tables like $0.01/$0.02 No Limit Hold'em. This is something you'd never see in a live casino, because they can't afford to pay a dealer to deal that small of a game. Another good example is heads up cash tables - that's something else that is only offered online.

Another advantage is the fact that online poker tournaments run 24/7/365, as opposed to the one or two daily poker tournaments most casinos offer. Also, tournaments are offered in stakes ranging from $0.10 to $10,000, so you get a lot more variety than at a live casino. Another tournament advantage is the fact that there are literally thousands of online tournaments every day, whereas at a live casino you could play maybe one or two tournaments per day. Learn more -> Five online poker myths.

If you're a serious poker player playing for a living, you might want to check out online poker because of the simple fact that you can multi-table, and that games are much faster (60ish hands per hour live, 100+ hands per hour online). Also, online poker rooms provide players with sign up poker bonuses that help you double your bankroll pretty quickly.

If you've decided you'd like to try out online poker, make sure to check out FullTiltPoker.com. They're our #1 rated online poker site, because they have smooth software, a big bonus, and great customer service.

Online Players vs. Live Players

This is more of a personal observation I've made, but it seems to me like there are some noticeable and consistent differences between online poker players and live poker players:

Aggression

I seem to notice that online players are much more aggressive than live poker players. This may just be because the games are faster, but I think it's because all the online poker forums promote a tight-aggressive style of play, and many players really take that over the top. Also, most live players read strategy books like Mason Malmuth's, and that promotes a less aggressive style of play.

Age

This is another discrepancy I've noticed by playing with both live and online players: Online poker players tend to be much younger than live poker players. This is most likely due to young players being more tech savvy, and old players being more traditional.

Further Reading:

For more information about live vs. online gambling, check out my buddy TJ's online casino guide, which discusses live vs. online casinos, poker rooms, and sports books.

More General Poker Strategy:

There are a number of notable differences between live and
online poker. Although the fundamentals of the game are largely
the same either way, the overall experience you get from playing
live is simply not the same as the experience you get from
playing online. Some of the differences can actually have a
significant impact on certain aspects of the game.

In this article we’re going to do a comprehensive comparison
of live and online poker by taking a detailed look at a number
of areas where the two differ. We’ll also consider the effects
that these two options have on players, based on their
differences, and try to determine whether online poker or live
poker has the most advantages to offer.

Speed of Play

This is easily one of the biggest and most tangible
differences between online poker and live poker. Playing online
is a lot faster, for fairly obvious reasons. Much of what takes
up time at live poker tables is done automatically and therefore
much more quickly at online poker sites. There’s no need for the
deck to be manually shuffled after each round, the cards are
“dealt” in a split second, and any chip counts are done
instantly.

These things all have a major impact on how long it takes to
play a hand.When playing live you can expect to see around 30
hands per hour at the most, whereas online you can expect to see
at least double that on average.

You might not think that this faster pace is a big deal, but
it really is. If you’re a winning player then playing more hands
should ultimately equate to making more money, and even if
you’re just playing for fun you’ll probably find the fast pace
games far more enjoyable. The slow pace in the live environment
can get very frustrating, particularly if you’re not getting
good cards. A lot of your valuable time may be wasted just
waiting for something to happen.

Verdict

Online wins. The faster game makes for a better all-round experience.

Current Score

Convenience & Comfort

Playing online poker is definitely more convenient than
playing live, especially if you don’t live anywhere near a
casino or poker room. There’s no need to make a trip, as you can
play any time you choose just by firing up your computer and
logging into whichever site you use. A lot of sites even allow
you to play from mobile device these days, so you can even
squeeze in a quick session when you are out and about if you
want to.

As a general rule, playing online is a much more comfortable
experience. The chairs in most poker rooms aren’t necessarily
uncomfortable but they don’t compare to the comfort you feel
from playing at your own home. You can sit (or lie down)
wherever you want when you’re playing online, and you don’t even
have to get dressed if you don’t want to. It’s not like your
online opponents can see you!

Online Video Poker Real Money

Verdict

Online wins easily. It’s far more convenient to play and generally more comfortable.

Current Score

Game Availability

Many live poker rooms around the world are only open during
certain hours. Even the ones that are open 24 hours can’t
guarantee that you’ll always be able to find games to join. It’s
quite possible that you could visit at a time when there’s only
one tournament running that you’re too late to enter. It’s
equally possible that you could visit at a time when all the
cash game tables are full and there’s a lengthy waiting list
made up of other players waiting for a seat just like you.

You don’t run into these problems online. Poker sites never
close and you’ll always find games running around the clock.
Some times are busier than others, so you’re not always
guaranteed to find action at your preferred game and stakes, but
there’ll always be something for you to play.

Verdict

Online wins again. Game availability is much better at online poker sites.

Current Score

Social Factor

One of the drawbacks to playing online is that you miss out
on the social factor. Most sites include a chat function on
their tables, so you can at least communicate with your fellow
players, but it’s really not the same as actually talking to
them in person.

The ability to have a laugh and a joke with opponents is a
big part of what makes poker such an enjoyable game for many
players. Some players aren’t too bothered by this aspect of
course, preferring just to focus on their game, but overall it’s
fair to say that the social factor is something that gives live
poker the edge over playing online. It just adds a little
something extra to your overall experience.

Verdict

Live wins this one. Poker is a clearly a more social affair in a live environment.

Current Score

Game Selection

The selection of games available at poker sites isn’t even
comparable to what’s available in a live environment. There’s a
massive variety of games to choose from online, whereas your
options are usually quite limited in even the biggest live poker
rooms.

Most poker sites offer several different variations of the
game for starters. Texas Hold’em is the most popular but there
are plenty of variants you can play too. The larger sites
typically offer all of the following:

• Omaha
• Omaha Hi/Lo
• Seven Card Stud
• Razz
• Five Card Draw
• Mixed Game Formats (e.g. H.O.R.S.E.)

Most of the above are usually available in both cash game and
tournament formats. You have a choice of betting structures too
with limit, no limit, and pot limit all widely available. You
can also choose whether to play full ring (up to nine or ten
players), short-handed (maximum of six players), or heads-up
(just two players).

We also cannot overlook the wide range of tournaments offered
online. In terms of size you’ll find everything from small sit
and go tournaments to large field multi-table tournaments and
there are many different types of tournaments as well.
Freeze-outs, re-buys, guaranteed, knockouts, turbos, and
satellites are just some the most common types.

Verdict

Online wins and it’s not even close. The selection of games available online is huge.

Current Score

Range of Stakes

One of the major advantages of playing online is that there’s
a wide range of stakes that’s suitable for all budgets. You can
play cash games with blinds as low as $0.01/$0.02 and there are
tournaments which can cost as low as one dollar to enter. There
are also plenty of high stakes available for those who like to
wager substantial amounts and everything in between is covered
also.

This is quite a contrast to what you’ll find in your typical
live poker room. Many places are very limited in terms of the
range of stakes available and even the bigger rooms with a more
complex range don’t compare to what’s available online.

Verdict

Another easy win for online. Most poker sites offer stakes to suit all budgets.

Current Score

Option to Multi-Table

For any of you that aren’t familiar with this term,
multi-tabling can be defined as playing at multiple tables at
the same time. This is easy to do at most online poker sites,
but it’s essentially impossible to do in live casinos.

Many recreational players and almost all beginners aren’t
affected by this. They typically have absolutely no interest in
multi-tabling, preferring to concentrate on playing as well as
they can in one single game.

It does affect a lot of more experienced players though and
certainly those that play poker full time, as the option to
multi-table allows them to make money at a significantly faster
rate. Therefore, it has to be considered a big advantage to
playing online.

Verdict

Online wins. Mutli-tabling enables many players to make a lot more money.

Online Poker Vs Real Poker Odds

Current Score

Reads & Tells

Reading your opponents is a big deal if you want to be a
successful poker player. You don’t need to be able to literally
read their mind, but it will certainly be beneficial to you if
you’re good at figuring out what they’re doing and why.

There are two main ways that you can get a good read on an
opponent. One is by studying the way they play and analyzing it,
as this gives special insight into their overall playing style
and how they act in certain situations. The other is by studying
them physically and looking for any tells in their body language
that might give something away about the cards they hold or how
they are about to bet.

The first method mentioned above can be used in both a live
environment and online. The second method can only really be
used when playing live though. This highlights one of the very
significant advantages that live play offers over online play;
the ability to physically observe your opponents and gain
information on them. This simply cannot be replicated online and
for some players it’s absolutely vital to how they play the
game.

Verdict

Live wins. The ability to gain physical reads on your opponents can be invaluable.

Current Score

Game Analysis

Another notable difference between playing live and online is
that there’s no automatic record of your hands in a live
environment, whereas at poker sites all your hands are recorded
and available for you to review upon request. This might not be
a difference that many people think about when comparing these
two options of playing poker, but it’s actually a very
significant aspect that shouldn’t be overlooked.

The record of the hands you have played (which is commonly
referred to as your “hand history”) can be a very valuable tool
when it comes to developing your game. It enables you to study
and analyze all your past play, which is something you really
should be doing if you want to improve your skills. Unless you
have a truly incredible memory, you won’t be able to do this
analysis on your live play.

Free Online Poker Com

Verdict

Online wins. It’s much easier to analyze your own game when playing on the web.

Current Score

Bonuses & Rewards

This difference is a very simple one and relevant to a lot of
players. Virtually all poker sites give their players some form
of extra value in the way of bonuses and rewards, while live
poker rooms generally do very little by comparison. Some sites
can be quite generous to their regular players, but some do
nothing at all. As a general rule there’s far more extra value
available to earn online.

Verdict

Online wins comfortably. Poker sites give away far more extra value than live rooms.

Current Score

Final Score: Online Poker 8 – Live Poker 2

From the differences we’ve discussed here it seems pretty
clear that online poker has more advantages than live poker. The
issues of convenience and availability are the biggest
advantages in our opinion, closely followed by the much greater
variety of games and stakes available online.

We wouldn’t go as far as to state that online poker is
indisputably better than live poker though. We’ve demonstrated a
number of advantages it has when comparing the two, but which
one is “best” is ultimately a matter of personal preference.
It’s also worth noting that you don’t have to choose one or the
other, as it’s perfectly possible to enjoy playing both!