PostHeaderIcon Comparing Online and Live Poker Strategy

Comparing the strategy of playing poker online and playing poker in a room full of people isn’t like comparing apples and oranges- it just calls for different views. The premise is still the same, though. Try to win by having a better hand than your opponents or win by psychology.

Online poker requires the player to become a true gambler even if it’s just a free game playing against the computer. Evaluating the different hands, looking at the bets and trying to guess what each player has/doesn’t have can become a true skill.

Playing a free online poker game where real money isn’t used can encourage the player to make reckless decisions. After all, no money is actually lost or gained. With practice, however, one can gain a measure of skill by developing and employing certain strategies. Once learned, those strategies can be applied to online poker games with live players.

Sitting down in a living room, kitchen or game room to play poker with face to face players calls for different strategies. The basic premise still remains the same: win with a better hand or employ psychological strategies to outwit or convince your opponents to give up.

By watching a live opponents facial and body expressions and movements, called “tells,” one can make a fairly safe guess how good or bad a hand they have. Bets can then be placed accordingly. Even if an opponent has an outstanding hand, the amount of money or chips they have on the table is just as important. This too is an important strategy in how to play poker. Making a bet for more money than the opponent has can cause them to fold, allowing one to win.

With an online poker game the computer generally deals the cards. No one can be accused of “dirty dealing” or cheating. With a live poker game, that can become a problem. It is important to remember to play poker with people that can be trusted so the game stays friendly yet competitive.

One can certainly develop a personal strategy to play poker from playing free online poker games. That strategy can be applied to online poker games with other online players. Perhaps one will win, perhaps not.
The same basic strategies learned from playing online poker can be utilized in live poker games. Add in the “tells” that will present themselves and the game is set.

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