Online poker is a game of poker which is played over the internet and has partly been responsible for the dramatic increase in the number of poker players worldwide today. At the end of 2005 the revenues for online poker was estimated to be 200 million US dollars per month.
So just what are the differences between online games poker and the traditional in person games?
Probably the most obvious difference is that player’s do not sit right across from each other, which removes the ability for player’s to observe their opponents reactions and body language. Where online poker games are concerned the player learns to focus more on the betting patterns, the other player’s reaction times as well as any other behavioral patterns which are not physical in nature. As the game of poker requires a person to adapt a successful online player will learn to master their new surroundings very quickly.
Another difference but less obvious is the rate of play. Where as if you were playing a game of poker at your local casino the dealer will have to collect the cards, then shuffle and deal them after every hand. Because of this and other delays which are associated with traditional games of poker you will find the average rate of play is about 30 hands per hour. However with an online poker game you do not have these delays as the dealing and shuffling taking place are instant. Also there are no delays in relation to the counting of chips (for say a split pot). Plus the play is often faster due to the “auto-action” buttons (where a player can select his action before it is his turn). So it is not uncommon for an online poker game to average between 90-100 hands per hour.
One final difference that has resulted in online poker rooms becoming more popular is that many of them offer online poker schools. Where you can not only learn the basics of playing poker but also speed up the learning curve. Plus many online games poker rooms offer free money play so that players may practice their skills in various different games and limits without them risking losing their own money.
