Online Poker Versus Live Poker – Which is Better?

Since its boom in the mid-2000s, poker has exploded globally. Every day, millions of players around the world hit the tables in card rooms or online, putting their skills to the test to see who comes out on top. However, the question remains as to which is better – live poker or online poker. Well, throughout this article, we’ll be touching upon the reasons why we believe online poker wins hands down. 

Faster Pace

Let’s face it, playing live poker can be painfully slow. You’re limited to action at a single table and, in most games, you’ll only be picking up roughly 30 hands per hour. So, trying to chip up or recoup your losses can take a substantial amount of time. However, a typical full-ring game typically yields around 80 hands per hour. So, with more than double the number of hands to play, you’ll have much more opportunities to generate chips. That doesn’t even account for multi-tabling or turbo/hyper games. Factor those in and you can easily reach hundreds of hands per hour, if not more.

Lower Stakes

If you’re playing live poker, even the lowest stakes games require a much larger overall bankroll compared to what you’ll need to start out when playing online. At sites like PokerStars, online cash games start from $0.01/$0.02 (or currency equivalent) blind levels, while low-stakes tournaments feature $0.50 buy-ins and run all day. In comparison, live cash games are usually $1/$2, and you’ll rarely find tournament entries that cost less than $5. So, due to the availability of low stakes games, online poker is a much better choice if you’re just starting out.

More Variety

It’s safe to say Texas Hold’em is the number one choice for most poker players. Still, there are plenty of other exciting versions out there to try out. At live games, you’re restricted to the version played in the room. Playing at an online poker site, however, lets you test out different versions whenever you feel like it. You’ll easily find variants such as Omaha, Razz and H.O.R.S.E, plus other unique tables such as Spin & Go’s and fast-fold poker. It makes it much easier to mix things up.

Accessibility

With online poker, you don’t have to worry about locations or schedules. So long as you have a computer, smartphone or tablet, you can play whenever you want. You can jump into a cash game and play for ten minutes or five hours. It’s entirely your choice. It’s the freedom to play anywhere and at any time, that makes online poker superior to its live counterpart.

No Physical Tells

In a live game, your body can betray you. You could accidentally reveal the strength of your hand simply by touching your face or reaching for chips too quickly. Yes, you don’t mean to but these are things your opponents may pick up on and take advantage of. Thankfully, that never even enters the equation when you play online. Of course, there are still tells to watch out for such as betting patterns, automatic actions and chat indicators. However, with fewer tells to worry about, you’ve got more room to focus on your hands, ranges and strategies.