In recent years internet based poker and particularly the Texas hold em variant of the casino game has come to dominate our television sets. I am often asked to comment on the differences in play among on line poker and land based rooms which I look to set out in this article.

One. Speed of net poker wager on is roughly twice that of traditional poker play. The number of hands per hour in a land poker room would be circa 30 per hour at greatest, maybe as low as 20. Typical internet based poker casino game would see 50-60 fingers per hour, and anything as much as 120 per hour for short handed "Turbo" play.

2. Rake collected by a web-based poker room will be 5 percent or less of each pot whereas brick and mortar rooms will probably be ten percent or even higher. In this regard on-line play is the better worth option. Several countries, such as the United Kingdom have laws against the taking of rake. Instead they either charge by the hour or by the tournament. This is the reason that Caribbean Poker is favoured over Texas hold’em in real world gambling establishments in the UK.

Three. The quality of gambler located in an internet poker site will usually be lower than that in brick and mortar rooms. There are numerous reasons for this but to really go to a traditional smoky place sitting down at a table of ten takes an element of confidence that you don’t need in an internet based poker environment. Land based gamblers are usually better in that they usually understand the game prior to wagering it. By way of contrast your average on line poker newbie has just watched the World Poker Tour on the Travel Channel or ESPN. The only exceptions to this that I have identified occur in Las Vegas where you have the full variety of extremes from holiday makers attempting their hand with the very best in the world.

Four. Online poker gamblers can pick and choose the time of day they wager on as they can bet on twenty-four hrs a day, seven days a week and do so from the comfort of their own home. Land based players must plan ahead and acquire to the venue at the due starting time.

Five. Internet based poker gamblers have extra option, in the range and variety of games to select from, ranging from free of charge play to cash games to tournaments of all sizes. If you would like to win a seat at the upcoming 2006 WSOP, then you need to be looking towards net poker tournaments where a far greater variety of options await such as satellite entries from as little as five dollars.

6. Poker Tells among online and brick and mortar poker bet on are very different. Land based players spend much more time observing body language and voice tells by means of opponent questioning than they do observing time delays involving bets and bet size relative to the prospective odds of greater hands. Web based Poker Tells have extra to complete with timing, bet size, and table position rather than the judgement of facial expression.

Seven. Poker etiquette is much more disciplined in real world poker rooms. The web based poker encounter can generally be spoiled by drunken fools who believe they have Phil Ivey’s skill level even though they clearly do not. Catch a lucky card in an internet poker site and you might uncover your self on the end of a number of verbal abuse (through the typed chat system). Phrases such as "you’re an idiot" and worse would not be tolerated in a traditional home except go largely unchecked on-line. You always have the choice to turn off player chat except my preferred betting style is to goad the offending player into wagering on tilt (usually a simple thing to complete). One recourse you do have against abuse is to report the player to the pit boss and they will be either banned from chat or thrown out of the area altogether.

Eight. Online poker gives you the distinctive capability to play more than one home at a time. Clearly this is not an selection open to traditional players. I know of folks who wager on as much as six tables simultaneously.

As it is possible to see both environments have the potential for a seriously excellent game of poker. Different experiences to suit unique gambler needs. Personally I do not have a preference in between the two. I worth the convenience of web wager on, except still like the interaction of a live room.