The poker world has evolved exponentially in recent years. With technological advancements having a direct impact on the different ways in which we watch and play poker at home as well as on the go, there are more ways than ever before to get involved. Continue reading to find out a number of key differences between online and live variants of poker.

Pace

One of the main differences between online and live poker games is the pace at which they progress. Online, you can play several different tables at any given time and become accustomed to hundreds of poker hands per hour. Live games, on the other hand, are limited to just one table and you can usually expect to see only 40 poker hands during the entire game. This is due to the length of time it takes a live dealer to shuffle and deal cards, collect chips, and distribute pots. Many players tend to favour the live experience for the social aspect as opposed to the actual gameplay.

Multiway pots

Multiway pots are pots that involve three or more players. Live games tend to include more multiway scenarios than online games. Online players are more likely to fold bad hands and simply move on to the next table. Live players, however, must remain where they are and continue playing to prevent themselves from folding out of boredom. In order to contend with multiway pots, they must also make changes to their strategy as they go along.

Soft or Hard?

Online games are notoriously tough. With less rules and regulations involved, anything goes. Winning an online game with high stakes requires a certain degree of skill and experience. Even the most seasoned live players have been defeated online. Live games with the same stakes, on the whole, tend to be much softer. A soft game is categorised by passive play between friends or acquaintances in an attempt to avoid winning money from them. In order to make the move from live tournaments to online platforms such as GGPoker, you may require a refresher course to ensure you are well-versed in the key differences between the two platforms.

Win rate

Live games may be softer, but they don’t necessarily equal a greater pay-out. Your win rate will likely be higher, and you’ll typically play fewer poker hands as a whole. Online games, however, may trigger less wins but players also have the potential to generate a greater amount of cash per hour. There are so many differences between live and online poker. Many players will argue that you cannot assume the same stakes and that each individual game has a different set of conditions and merits.

Rake

In poker, rake is the scaled commission fee taken by a game operator. Online players tend to complain about rake, but live players are probably subject to much stricter conditions. In lower stake games, a large percentage of each pot will go to the house. Some games also have an uncapped rake so a predetermined percentage will be taken from each pot regardless of how large it is. Rake is just one of the many ways in which live rooms can boost their profits in an attempt to match those of online websites.

Whether you are a fan of online poker or prefer to try your hand at live games, there are a number of key differences between the two. For example, the pace at which the game takes place, the number of multiway pots, the softness of the game, the overall win rate, and rake are only a few of the ways in which online poker differs from live variants.

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