Insights on the live gaming market state that the industry was valued at $231 billion in 2021. However, the growing popularity of virtual gaming platforms, most notably online poker, has impacted revenue for brick-and-mortar gaming establishments. Online poker appeals to a global audience due to its accessibility and engaging live graphics, which is why many poker players enjoy a round of live poker as well as private online sessions.
With the rise of online poker comes the question of how does it distinguish itself from its live counterpart. This article sheds light on the three key differences between online and live poker.
Buy-in limits
Traditionally, buy-in limits for both live and online poker can be done through cash or card payments. However, in our post on how change is the only constant with money, we explained that bitcoin has been widely adopted since it can process transactions at rapid speeds. Today, even live gaming establishments have begun to accept bitcoin to pay for buy-in limits efficiently. Beyond its payment methods, buy-in limits have corresponding implications for live games and online poker. There’s a higher volume of lower-stakes games present online than offline, and the age of new online players plays a factor in why. A study on virtual poker activity explains that the average age range of new players is between 27 to 29, and their financial stability can affect how many chips they play with. Although live poker typically has a limit of $100-$300 for a $1/$3 No-limit cash game, a full live bankroll can reach up to $4,000. However, online poker lets players participate in a game for only $100. However, the low fee means you won’t earn a substantial amount of cash. As a rule of thumb, it’s best not to enter any game, online or live, short-stacked. Having a sufficient amount of cash with you means you won’t be disadvantaged after an early disadvantaged hand.
Calculations
Online poker presents set options that prompt you to give a certain amount before playing. However, when playing poker in a casino, the player will have to place down their own amount and calculate the size of their pot on their own. Since the calculations are entirely up to you, take a step back and evaluate your decision thoroughly. Generally, we advise players to put down a smaller amount for dry and static boards. Dry and static boards entail either no possible draws or unchanging hand equities (by equity, we mean the likelihood that you’ll win the hand at a certain point) until the next card is dealt. These circumstances mean that regardless of the amount you place, you can still take away an opponent’s chance of winning and force them to fold. In the same vein, players have to manually keep track of which cards have already been played to adjust their strategy accordingly. For example, before throwing your cards face-down, observe and ensure whether your opponents have already revealed a flush or not. Ultimately, though calculations need not be precise, they should at least be carefully vetted.
Player tells
Unlike online poker, live games enable you to construe your opponent’s facial expressions and gestures. This observation allows players to pick up tells that suggest if someone’s bluffing or showing nerves over their hand. Fake shows of confidence typically involve sighing or outward sadness and can end in players proceeding to raise their amount. Likewise, inexperienced players can glance at the chips, and depending on the strength of their hand, this look can either be from excitement or anxiety. Online poker essentially robs players of the ability to assess the mentioned tells. When players are given a chance to read the people around them, it can lead to a more informed strategy which can push players to take risks or pull back
