Differences Between Live and Online Poker

Poker online and poker live are two animals that are quite different. There are many aspects of each that you will not experience in the other. While if you’re reading this, you probably already know that, if you’re new to either live or online play, or poker in general, it couldn’t hurt to check out our Beginner’s Poker Strategies.

There are pros and cons to playing each poker, whether it be live or online. Outlines addressing the issues of both are below.

Hands Per Hour:

One of the huge advantages to playing online is not waiting so long between and during hands. At your typical live limit game, with a very good dealer and experienced players, you’re lucky to get 30 hands in any given hour. With your typical table, there will be beginners who take long to act, drunks who do the same, and many a weak dealer to slow down the game. Believe it or not, frustration with a slow game often leads players to tilt whether they realize it or not. Online, this is never an issue as your typical limit games go at a rate of at least 60 hands per hour. That’s basically like playing two tables at once at a live game, which brings us to the next point….

Multi-tabling

For example, let’s say you’re a winning live poker player at 1-2 No Limit Hold ‘em with an hourly win rate of $17. While there are other factors that may sway this figure in one direction or the other, the increased hands per hour online alone should increase this rate. Bring in the fact that you can play several tables at once (and everyone can play at least three comfortably), and you should have your hourly win rate skyrocket. Say you play 4 hours of live 1-2 No Limit Hold ‘em. Translate that to online, and if you maintain the same win rate, and in this example, play three tables you’re looking at a new hourly rate of almost $100. While it obviously doesn’t always necessarily work exactly like this all the time, you can see my point.

Finding A Game (or a worthwhile game)

Depending on where you live, there are varying degrees of difficulty when it comes to finding a poker game live. If you live near 24 hour poker rooms, there is usually always a game of some kind, but unless you live in Vegas or Atlantic City, your choices can be limited. Online, there is always a game at almost all stakes. Due to the fact that people can play worldwide, there will always be people at the tables.

Interaction With Your Opponents

Players are split on whether live or online is better for the interaction with your opponents (or lack thereof). On the plus side, you’ll be far less annoyed with players online by the obnoxious players, as they can easily be ignored with one click. Contrary, there are advantages to playing live as well in this regard, as you can make physical reads on your opponent. Also, live poker can be somewhat of a social event at times, which is not the case during online poker.

Rake

Rake is the money the House takes out of each pot as a commission for hosting the game. It’s usually a set percentage of the pot, with a set figure that it cannot exceed. For example, most online sites have a 5% rake to a max of $3, where live rakes can vary anywhere from 5% to 10% to a maximum of $4-$6 (some casinos take “time“ which is a set fee collected at a set time from every player in lieu of/in addition to rake). Also, when taking a pot in live poker, it is often customary to tip the dealer, where in online poker this is obviously not a concern.
There are other factors as well, such as not having to travel or even get dressed to play online, but different players feel differently about each version of poker. Please take any questions regarding your money in online sites to our sections on How to Deposit Online and Is my money safe online?