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There are substantial differences between online poker gaming
and conventional, in-person gaming.
One obvious difference is that players do not sit right across from each other,
removing any ability to observe others' reactions and body language. Instead,
online poker players learn to focus more keenly on betting patterns, reaction
time and other behavior tells that are not physical in nature. Since poker is a
game that requires adaptability, successful online players learn to master the
new frontiers of their surroundings.
Another less obvious difference is the rate of play. In brick and mortar casinos
the dealer has to collect the cards, then shuffle and deal them after every
hand. Due to this and other delays common in offline casinos, the average rate
of play is around thirty hands per hour. Online casinos, however, do not have
these delays; the dealing and shuffling are instant, there are no delays
relating to counting chips (for a split pot), and on average the play is faster
due to "auto-action" buttons (where the player selects his action before his
turn). It is not uncommon for an online poker table to average sixty to eighty
hands per hour.
This large difference in rate of play has created another effect among online
poker players. In the brick and mortar casino, the only real way to increase
your earnings is to increase your limit. In the online world players have
another option, play more tables. Unlike a physical casino where it would be
nearly impossible to play multiple tables at once, most online poker rooms allow
a player to be on up to 4 tables at once. For example, a player may make around
$10 per 100 hands at a lower limit game. In a casino, this would earn them under
$4 an hour, which minus dealer tips would probably barely break even. In an
online poker room, the same player with the same win rate could play four tables
at once, which at 60 hands per hour each would result in an earning of $24/hour,
which is a modest salary for somebody playing online poker. Some online players
even play eight or more tables at once, in an effort to increase their winnings.
Another important change results from the fact that online poker rooms, in some
cases, offer online poker schools that teach the basics and significantly speed
up the learning curve for novices. Many online poker rooms also provide free
money play so that players may practice these skills in various poker games and
limits without the risk of losing real money. People who previously had no way
to learn and improve because they had no one to play with now have the ability
to learn the game much more quickly and gain invaluable experience from free
money play.
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Online
Poker
