Internet poker is a phenomenon that most people thought would be a flash in the pan, but which has proved that it’s here to stay. Internet poker has been shown to be incredibly robust, both in terms of numbers of users and the number of companies that offer poker on the net. Simply put, the concept is that you play poker on the internet using software that belongs to one of the many poker rooms that currently operate in the sector. You can also play directly in your browser.
There are an almost unlimited number of game forms in internet poker, with all the alternatives on offer. You can find everything from the larger tournaments with the chance of being promoted to the big leagues, to free games in the form of freerolls. Internet poker has actually erased the boundary between professional players and amateurs. Nowadays, beginners are at least given the chance to try to take part in World Championships, and actually go far in them.
The difference between internet poker and live games
In terms of the game forms and rules, playing poker on the internet is just like playing a few hands with friends or at a casino. However, there are some things that are different. One noticeable difference is the number of hands you can play on the internet. As everything takes place digitally, dealing the cards, shuffling them and dividing the money, is significantly faster in internet poker. The number of games per time period is thus significantly more than in live games at a casino.
This is a factor that makes the tactics seem different when you are playing in front of a computer. Another difference is that you cannot see your opponents’ physical appearance in different situations. This can be seen as a big disadvantage, as many players specialise exactly in being able to read their opponents. Being able to see so-called tells in internet poker is supposedly impossible.