THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LIVE AND ONLINE POKER

 DIFFERENCES IN LIVE AND ONLINE POKEER

The same poker rules apply whether you play at the casino or online. If you are familiar with Texas Hold'em and Pot-Limit Omaha or any other poker variants, you will know how the game works in live and online formats.

Online poker is often played in a different manner than live poker. However, the rules of poker are the same in both formats. Even though the rules of poker are almost identical, multi-table tournaments and cash games can seem completely different on legal online poker platforms, especially if your experience is more live.

However, the reverse can also be true. Online poker players might find live poker quite different. Let's examine the key differences between live and internet poker.

THE SPEED OF ACTION

Online poker offers more hands per an hour than live poker. On average, nine-hand live games at the casino are played with 25-30 hands per hour.

Online poker rooms can offer 60 to 80 hands per hour. Each player can play up to 80 hands an hour at six-max online poker tables.

An online poker player who has played live poker may find the increased speed of online poker jarring. Fast-fold cash game, such as the Fast Forward at BetMGM Poker can increase the hands per hour by around 200.

The reverse effect is experienced by players who have a predominantly online background. Live poker can seem slower if you're used the quicker speed and multi-tabling ability that online poker offers.

MULTI-TABLING

These hands-per hour metrics are for single table play. Online poker allows you to play multiple tables at the same time. This is perhaps the biggest difference between live and internet poker.

A skilled online player can handle up to four tables at once, and can average around 300 hands per an hour depending on the number of players. BetMGM's Fast Forward game speeds up online poker and allows you to play as many as 3,000 cash games per day.

The 3,000-hand limit is equivalent to about 100 hours of poker. A multi-tabling Fast Forward session can seem to produce impossible bad beats. It could also generate pocket aces versus pockets kings and other mathematically unimaginable situations.

Online poker can appear "rigged" if you play several hundred hands at once. But, even though it might seem impossible to have a hand in a session, they are not impossible.

As you play more hands per hour, you will see more unusual situations at the poker tables. In Texas Hold'em, for example, if you're dealt with pocket kings, you'll face pocket aces around 1-in-20 times.

For every pocket king you see, there is a 5% chance that you will run into aces. There are 221 ways to pick up pocket queens preflop. Additionally, five percent of all kings you see will be occupied by someone else.

It is one of the most unusual matchups in Texas Hold'em due to the math between pocket aces and pocket kings. You'll see it more often the more hands you play in an hour.

CHIP COUNTS

Playing online poker makes it simple to calculate chip stacks and bet sizes as well as the pot. A simple display of digits at all times clearly identifies each aspect of the game.

Many poker sites allow you to select from different sizes of the pot. This can be especially helpful in Pot-Limit Omaha because a small bet may require a complex calculation.

Live poker requires that you evaluate the stacks of your opponents, and keep track of the pot size. A live poker table does not do this work. An online poker website does.

Live poker can be difficult if you aren't experienced enough to know how much is actually in the pot. Counter-intuitive stacking strategies make counting chip stacks difficult.

As you play more poker live, you will become more adept at keeping track the pot's growth. It becomes easier to count your chip stacks over time.

The key factors in poker games are the opponent stacks and the pot sizes. Live felt poker is a game where you will have to rely on your own ability to keep track of these details.

DIFFERENCE IN STAKES

Online cash games stakes start at $0.01/$0.02 for poker sites like BetMGM Poker and WSOP.com. These sites are US-facing. Daily multi-table tournaments are offered at online poker sites at $1, $5, and sometimes lower buy-ins.

Live poker's lowest levels have higher entry fees. You can play live cash games at land casinos with a minimum stake of $1/$2.

In order to create an optimal strategy in cash games, you'll need to have at least 100 large blinds. You will need to deposit $200 if you are playing in a $1/$2 tournament.

Most casinos will allow you sit down with less but starting any hand with less that 100 big blinds isn’t a good idea. In general, $35 is the lowest buy in a live tournament.

To be successful in poker, you must manage your bankroll. You will need at least 30 buy-ins in cash games to be able play at the stake you desire. Multi-table tournaments require a bankroll that has at least 100 buy ins.

It is much easier to set up a small bankroll with the micro stakes games at online poker sites. You can play with a $60 bankroll at $0.01/$0.02 cash stakes using the standard 100 big-blind buy-in.

The same $60 won’t get you far in live cash games, even at $1/$2 stakes.

SKILL LEVEL

While online poker requires a larger financial investment, it is possible to win with a much higher level skill. Online poker players can play more hands per hour, which makes them much more adept at the game than players who are specializing only in live poker.

Live poker has a much lower entry barrier. At a live poker table, you will meet gamblers of all walks of life.

These players aren’t there to play poker, but to apply their theory and make a decent hourly winning rate. These players will often claim that they are here to gamble, and you'll hear them say it all the time.

Wild gamblers are sometimes called "fun" players or "whales" by the poker community. They play a crucial role in the poker industry. Live poker rooms will have a higher percentage of these players.

Online poker rooms are more popular with serious players. While there are still some fun players at lower stakes, online cash game tables tend to be populated with more serious players.

A $1/$2 live match often features a stronger player roster than an online cash game at $0.10/$0.25. Online tournaments can be filled with recreational players early on, but these players often disappear once the tournament reaches its final 3-4 tables.

CONCLUSION

Live poker is more suitable for those with larger bankrolls who like the social aspect of playing against others face-to-face.

While live poker can take more patience and time commitment, it can also be extremely lucrative if you take the game seriously as well as observe the tendencies of your opponents.

Online poker is faster, more convenient, and more productive for those who are actively playing poker. However, the 2021 online poker scene is very competitive and long-term profitability is not possible even at lower stakes.

You can improve your game faster than you would with live poker by playing legal online poker. Online poker is easier than playing in a casino. differences between online and conventional poker