Think about this question..

I've been thinking about what a friend said to me the other day. It was actually said to him by a friend, but "online poker is great because there is always another game one click away."

Is this really a good thing for poker?

If there is always another game, what makes one game worth your time or for any other player?

A donk can not care and play horrible, sometimes being rewarded and not having to deal with the humiliation. Also, if the person is rich and had a bad day, he can donk off while clicking around. On the other hand, someone who is unfamiliar with the game and doesn't have a bankroll, so goes into debt by doing echecks or 3rd parties. Online poker is a great way to practice, but I don't believe it is the way to learn. It's to easy to not care online. It blinks when it's your turn, tells you your hand, and transfer's your chips and your water to a different table.

This can be viewed as a good thing, for all of the money that is being stacked off. When you're at the tables in Vegas, you usually don't get into personal matters, or what a person needs and why they're there. This definately does not happen online.

What does remain constant is the question, does it improve the game or does it destroy it's history?

I honestly think that for the inspired player, it is a great resource. But for beginners, it could be their worst nightmare and addiction. I have never sat next to a friend by their computer when they are learning the game. I go with them and live the game through experience. To me, that is the only way to find out what your game is and how to overcome your flaws and improve your differences. You take accountability in all of these areas and know what it is like when you are called a 'donk' and when someone who you respect after months turns and looks at you and says, 'nice hand'

I think you make valid points and you are very right to be leary of the comforts of online poker. The facts are nothing in life is free and easy, so that being said that comfort dosent come cheap. You can definitely lose a fortune without discipline. So again well put and you are the right track, but success is also possible with that same discipline in the game.

I must say, I have to dissagree with most of what you say. For someone who is learning the game (and I am assuming that you are talking about someone who wants to improve his/her game and is taking it seriously), online poker is by far superior to live play.


For one they can learn the absolute basics of the game without investing any money whatsoever (true I would not recommend a beginner use play money for a great length of time, but it is great to get a feel for how the game flows, position, blind structure etc.).


Secondly, they don't have to feel embarassed or humiliated as you put it if they make a mistake. They will therefore be less self conscious (as opposed to being seated next to 9 intimidating guys in a casino) and less nervous, Making learning the game easier.


Thirdly, there is an abundance of information and help at a new persons fingertips when playing onliine. For someone who is trying to improve, the learning curve will be so much steeper playing online were they can read and think about the game, watch videos and ask questions from very good experienced players who are more then willing to help. Even if they do all this while still playing a game.


Fourthly, They can play an enormous amount more hands online then they can live. Therefore they will come up against similar situations more often, theoretically making their decisions easier and their judgments better each time. An online multitable player can play more hands in a month than someone can play live in a year.


Now for someone who has no inclination to improve their game and just wishes to gamble, then yes I agree that online poker is a great way for them to loose alot of money, as the standard of play online is much higher than live. But hey that is money in your pocket right?


I for one however believe that I myself learn a great deal more while playing online than live, and if somebody at the casino asks me for advice on how to improve more often than not I will tell them to start playing online or to play online more than they are now.


There are probably other reasons why but that is my 2 cents for now.

I'm afraid I don't really agree with you either.

Online poker is great because the next game is only 1 click away.

If you are sat at a table and don't like the way its playing.. you can change.

If the table starts to break up and the new players are not to your linking.. change.

Game selection is a very important aspect of on line poker because it is possible. In live games the tables are limited so its more a case of play where you can.

As for beginners.. microstakes!! Casinos simply cannot offer the small stakes games that are available online so for the beginner this is excellent.

Hands are dealt faster online than live so the beginner clocks up more experience playing online than live.

Also the beginner can happily sit at home with his hand chart and learn how to play.. in a casino hand charts are not the norm.

Personally I don't care why others are there.. if they are bad players or hopeless gambling addicts.. all the better for me. I am there because I enjoy it and seem to be increasing my BR. That money has to come from someone else... hence I simply don't care.

the bottom line is online poker = faster = more hands

more hands = the long run faster

the long run = your edge pays off

can you imagine what poker would be like without online poker. no chris moneymaker winning the WSOP and no poker boom. this might not be 100 percent true, only 99, but none of us forum members would be playing. personally i don't understand how you can think it is a bad thing. some of the top pros out there learned to play online. i for one think it is great for the game and would be devastated if i no longer was allowed to play online.

Some are lucky enough to have casinos in their area. For others, online poker is the only reasonable place to play.

I agree for the most part... I feel that Online poker is a good place to learn online poker. Some things will carry over to live play, but not very many of them. I mean in live play you can't go to a site and see what another player plays like, or how well he has done. You also would be thrown out of a Casino if you pulled out your CALCULATOR. JMHO

I think online poker is like everything in life - it has its good elements and its bad elements. As it was said above, if you're a beginner then the microstakes are available and you can view your hand histories so that you can analyze your play to see what went wrong. Live, you have only your memory and its often flawed. This is why I am getting into forums like cards chat. There are plenty of players here that can give me advice probably better than my friend sitting next to me at a table.

I think all of what you said was correct in a way..

But if we just look at the basic question "is online poker good for poker? does it improve it?" ,

only illphillllllll got it imo!!

Without onlinepoker and the fact that "theres always another game going, just click it", we wouldnt be "here".. there would be no poker boom, not such big payouts in big live tournaments and so on.. Poker wouldnt be what it is right now and I think we all agree that poker is great right now, otherwise we shouldnt play it and it would be weird to post in a pokerforum somehow..

What you all said is basically what everyone does with the thing "online poker" for him/herself.. Some may learn it faster, some may go broke faster.. Some may enjoy it more than sitting in a casino or the other way.. But hey, what would the world be if everyone thinks and does the same.. pretty boring lol

and that were my .. 4 cents this time!!