The Differences Between Playing Poker Online And In-Person

Some lucky poker players feel just as confident competing in person as they do online, but that’s not the case for everyone. Most often, a poker player will perform significantly better in one situation than the other. Put simply, this is because there are quite a few differences when playing in a tournament setting in person, as opposed to playing at an online casino. Even as live dealer games become more prevalent and the online casino experience gets closer than ever to real-life, there are still some major differences. Let’s take a look at the biggest ones along with some tips on counteracting their effects.

Physical Tells

When playing at a casino online one of the biggest differences is the absence of physical tells. Whilst you’re sat around a table, other players can look to see if you exhibit any tells when you bluff, or have a good hand, and so on. In an online poker setting, your identity is completely hidden behind a screen. For some players this is a big bonus: it enables them to concentrate exclusively on the game, not having to worry about hiding any tells. For other players, it can be a detriment: not being able to see their opponents robs them of the opportunity to look for behaviour patterns. This one is a big divider – you’ll rarely find anyone who has no feelings about being able to spot a tell.

If you are concerned about the effects of your own tell, then there are plenty of things that you can do about it. An effective way to start is by pointing your webcam at your face as you play online poker. If you run it in time with a video of the screen, you can spot the points in which you pull similar faces, itch your ear, rub your nose, etc. Once you’ve spotted and understood your physical tells, you’re on the path to combatting them. Try to put yourself in those situations that caused you tells, the more you do it (and concentrate on not showing you tell) the less prevalent they should become.

Multi-Tabling

In 99 out of 100 cases, you won’t be able to play more than one table in person. However, online, you’ll often be able to play sometimes as many as a dozen tables at once. Considering the speed with which online games move the idea of multi-tabling is unappealing to many. However, it does have its plus sides. If you’re working with a big budget and have plenty of experience, you can seriously up the ante when multi-tabling. As well as this, many online games have a lower buy-in than in person games, meaning you needn’t raise the stakes so high when multi-tabling.

If you do love multi-tabling, then consider entering some online multi-table tournaments. MTTs can be a wonderful way to perfect your strategy and keep yourself on your toes! If multi-tabling isn’t your thing, then it’s really no problem. This is one of those differences that suits some people and doesn’t even need to affect the others.

Gadgets and Gizmos

In my experience, the people who started out playing in person are rarely the ones that fall in love with software tools. Heads Up Displays and tracking tools can be brilliant if you know how to use them. You can glean such valuable insights from tracking tools, helping to deeply improve your understanding of how you play the game. You obviously can’t make use of any of these tools while at an in-person game!

However, if you’re not into these tools, then you’ve actually got a lot to lose out on when playing online. Not only are you not receiving all this data on your own gameplay, but you’re up against other people who might be. While this isn’t an advert for using a poker tracker, it’s an important handicap to consider.

Bonuses and Bankroll Management

I can’t recall a time when I walked into a casino and had my money doubled just for showing up, but that’s usually the kind of welcome bonus you’ll receive from an online poker site. If you’re serious about receiving maximum bang for your buck, then online poker probably wins this round. You always must watch out for the terms and conditions, being particularly careful to check any wagering requirements and whether or not poker counts towards it. However, a good bonus with fair terms can make a big difference to your bankroll, which brings me on to the next point…

Bankroll management. This one really depends on you. Some people find having the physical chips in their hand is the best way to stay in control of their bankroll. Some people are exactly the opposite! For them, having their bank balance at the top of the screen and not having to do the math in their head, is the best outcome for their bankroll. While a good bonus can make a significant difference to your bankroll, if you find it easier to stick to it when you’ve got chips in your hand, then you might still be better off in-person.

*Photo: Unsplash

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