Online Poker vs. Offline Poker
Online vs. Offline…Is there really a difference?
Courtesy of our friends at Bluff Magazine
I began my so-called poker career by honing my game online at various
online poker rooms. After paying an undisclosed amount for my education,
I eventually reached the point where I consistently increased my
bankroll and felt pretty good about my game. When I decided to take
it to the next level by playing in more “live” games
around town, I was shocked. Total destruction! They beat me like
a circus monkey…I mean it was ugly. But why, I did so well
online? Were the players in the “live” games that much
better? Or was it that the game was subtly, yet distinctively different?
After consulting several cardsharp friends, doing a little self-analysis,
and losing more money than I care to reveal, I found that the problem,
as I suspected, were those subtle differences between online and
“live” poker.
No Tells: This can be good or bad depending on
how well you read opponents or project your hand to other players.
Playing online can level the playing field, so to speak, between
beginners and professionals. The only real tells online are found
in betting patterns. You’re less likely to have the whole
table fold into your pocket bullets since they can’t see the
trembling, sweating, trouble breathing, or in some cases, unresponsive
catatonic behavior that sometimes occurs when trying to control
a monster hand in a big game. However, the downside is that you
will never learn to hide your tells and read other players unless
you play “live” poker.
Faster Pace: Online poker takes place at a much
faster pace than “live” poker. There’s no waiting
for cards, shuffling, or chip counting. As a result, this may cause
an online player to get impatient in a “live” game and
play hands that should be folded. If you’re moving from online
to “live”, remember to be patient. Don’t freak
out because you haven’t played a hand in what seems like an
eternity. It’s not bad luck that you haven’t seen as
many playable hands, it’s because you haven’t seen as
many hands period.
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Players Are Anonymous: You never know who you’re
really playing with online. It may be Phil Ivey or it may be some
bum waiting to donate his money to the cause. Cardsharps and fish
come in all shapes and sizes, but when playing “live”,
sometimes you just know (ie. Does this guy look completely lost
or is he giving a command performance of chip tricks). Furthermore,
don’t assume that just because a player’s username is
Nancy, that the player is female. Some guys like to play under female
aliases because they feel other players will give them less respect
and they can take advantage of their sexist opponent’s underestimation.
Exact Chip Counts: Playing online provides you
with instant access to chips counts. There’s no estimating,
asking, or not knowing how your “stack” measures up
to your fellow players’. This may not seem significant at
first, but believe me, the first time you go all-in without realizing
that your opponent does indeed have enough to cover you, you’ll
understand the value.
The Verdict: The bottom line is that experience
online isn’t a substitute for experience playing “live”
poker. Online poker is a great way to develop your “pure”
poker skills, however, if you’re looking to be the next poker
superstar on the WPT, you’ll need as much “live”
poker experience as possible.
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