Online Poker is Too Much Fun! - Part I

If you have already ventured into cyberspace to play poker, you know what I mean when I say online poker is too much fun. If you haven't played online, why not? Sure, I understand there are some drawbacks, but there are several benefits that more than make up for them, in my opinion.

OK, you can't see Mary Joe's eyes twitch when she's got the nuts, or you won't see Chris Moneymaker's nostrils flare up when he's bluffing. (A couple of people actually mentioned that to me, and then I learned that he was aware of the nostril flare the whole time! So much for foolproof, reliable physical tells.) If you read my last column, "The Truth About Tells," you know that these bits of information, while useful, are hardly the cornerstone of successful winning poker play. Studying betting patterns and having a good fundamental understanding of the game, as well as some discipline, are more than enough to make you a winner.

Then, of course, there is the aspect of social interaction. Internet chat boxes clearly don't take the place of live conversation and interaction, but they do offer people the chance to feel as though they are a part of something – a special group, or a clique of sorts. I've actually met quite a few interesting people while playing online poker, some of whom I have befriended and see all the time.

As is the case with anything, there are other potentially negative factors associated with playing online, depending on your personal strengths or weaknesses. If you struggle with discipline, the Internet may be either your savior or your downfall! On one hand, you are getting in twice the action, while on the other, it's just so darn easy to click that mouse and see every flop!

It's easy to play badly online sometimes because it may not feel like you're playing with real money. It's similar to the effect that switching dollar bills to gaming chips has on our perception of their worth. "What the heck, it's just chips." For some people, these types of disciplinary problems may mean that online poker just isn't for them. I know several excellent poker players who just can't seem to make the adjustment to playing online; it just doesn't "do it" for them.

Now, if you suffer from ADD (attention-deficit disorder) to any degree, online poker is perfect for you. After all, you can play in up to four games comfortably at once. I have one friend who has played in as many as eight games at once! And they weren't 10-handed games, either: two heads-up hold'em games, two threehanded hold'em games, a fivehanded Omaha high-low game, a ninehanded hold'em game, a no-limit hold'em tournament, and a stud high-low tournament! Of course, my friend's ability to do this is hardly the norm, to be sure. He finally admitted, though, that eight games was probably a few too many, and has cut his play down to just six games at once! For most mere mortals, anywhere from one to three games at once is about all that can be handled. If you play any more than that, you are probably going to slow down the games you are in and, more importantly, miss out on too much valuable information about your opponents' play.

Speaking of missing information, how does my friend overcome this problem when playing in six different games at once? That's a good question! Obviously, if he were to play in just one game, he would do much better in that particular game, but not necessarily overall. For example, let's say his earn in a $15-$30 online hold'em game is $50 an hour if he focuses on just that game. Not bad. Now, let's add five more games. His earn in each game probably drops considerably, because he isn't able to focus enough on each game to play optimally. For argument's sake, let's say his earn drops all the way down to $15 an hour per game. Well, $15 times six ($90) is still a lot better than he'd be doing if he'd decided to play just the one game.

You can probably get seven years of poker experience in just one year of play; what a great learning tool. What better way is there to teach someone to play than to sit with them and go over hands as they come up?

Having said all of this, I don't think brick-and-mortar casinos have anything to worry about. Online poker is still just a substitute for the real thing. In fact, I think online poker can only help to bring more people into the game of poker, as it's much less intimidating than entering a real cardroom for the first time with no playing experience.

So, what's with all this "fun" talk? Well, in my next column I'll share with you some of the ways my friends and I have fun with online poker.

Daniel can be reached through his website: www.fullcontactpoker.com.