Live vs. Online Poker

I have been playing for about two years now, started online like a lot of us and progressed to live games, just thought I’d share a few things with you all that I have noticed along the way,


“Going Home Syndrome”

Do you find the internet poker faster, looser and more aggressive? I do (on the whole), I put this down to the ease at which you can get a game. You want a home game? Fine, phone around 6 or 7 people, then try to set a time that suits everyone, then find a venue and finally travel to the game and sit down. I reckon it takes about a week for us to get our home games organized, emails and phone calls included. Now look at online, it takes my computer about 30 secs to start up, then another 15 or so seconds to load Bet365, if I’m really unlucky it can take as long as a minute to find a seat and start playing.
Things going badly in that $5 tourney you’re playing? Who cares? Take a chance if you get put out you can be in a SNG in 45 seconds. I believe this to be responsible for so many bad plays online.
Go back to that home game for a moment. You turn up, take your seat and start the game, the cards are still cold after an hour and there is an all-in in front of you, the guy is a good player and you know he is trying to make it heads up with the raise in front of him, You look down at pocket 6’s, do you want to risk all your stack here? No danger, you’d have to get your coat and go home, its going to take you half an hour at least to get home and there is no saying when the next home game will be, you fold. If that was an online tourney you would have called in a flash, there is always another SNG, right?



“The Embarrassment Factor”

Even though I do play online because of the accessibility of the game, this has got to be my biggest “gripe” with online play. I have lost count of how many times some idiot has either called a huge bet or gone all-in with sub-standard cards. I’m not talking about the times when someone has got a good read on your play or is taking advantage of a tight table, I’m talking about early in a game, you raise 6 or 7 times the BB with AA pre-flop, then some half-wit goes all-in with J7 or the like. Regardless of the outcome can any of you imagine doing that at a casino or a home game?
You wouldn’t, this is what I call the embarrassment factor. The fact that they are at home (or work) and are hidden behind a screen name and 4000 miles away means that they can make this play without fear or making an arse of themselves.


“Play More Live Games, Trust Me!”

I believe playing poker is one of the most skillful pursuits anyone can take part in, take say chess, each piece has a set amount of moves, there are a set amount of plays which can be made, in is a phenomenally difficult game to master and yet it pales in comparison to poker.
The basic “moves” in a game of poker are complicated by so many other variables that there is not way to measure the range of plays available. Not only do you need to understand the way the game play proceeds but you need to be aware (and make adjustments to your play) of stake sizes, position, personality, community cards, hole cards, player reactions (or non-reactions), blind structures, field sizes, prize structures and so many other variables it’s disturbing.
I have found that playing online only satisfies certain elements of the game for me, it’s all about statistics and not about any other the physical components of the game, Play more live games, trust me!

One of the main reasons i asked the question i did in my own thread was because i would imagine that part of the art of playing a good game is taken away when you play on-line (ie: reading a players reactions etc)

I enjoy the tactical side of the game and spend many hours trying to improve further.
I like to try to do my homework before i enter into anything (Like i am with my on-line experiance)

(Just wish i did that more at school )

Thanks.

Fug`s

Online is tough with no reads involved but you can learn to play with no embarassment or the likes but if you play tight online and the same at home you will learn alot better until youo get the feel

Online has plenty of reads(it just doesn't have facial and body movement reads) but online also has plenty more loose aggresive players.

I posted an article about the diffrence of online compared to live.

NATURE of online poker
leads people to PLAY DIFFERENTLY.

The CARDS and ODDS are the same.

It's the PLAYERS that aren't the same.

What I mean is that for online poker, a LARGE
portion of players adopt the style of
LOOSE-AGGRESSIVE.

Translation? Manic.

They act irrationally... play hands they shouldn't
play... and bet way too aggressively for most
given situations.

Why?

Because online poker isn't as "real".

The money isn't as real. I mean, heck... the
casinos give you so much "free" money when you
sign up, how COULD it feel real?

The cards aren't real. The chips aren't real. The
table isn't real. NONE OF THAT STUFF EVEN EXISTS.

All you see when you play online poker are some
silly little animations. And you hear some
"clickity-click" sounds of fake chips.

That's it.

Twizzy--for once I agree whole-heartedly with you! (Someone pass the smelling salts!! LOL) I think the above article hits the nail right on the head. It doesn't feel as real as when you are sitting at that live table with the chips in your hand. Solid post.