Table of Contents
Today poker is available to almost everyone. You can play at the casino, at home with friends, or online from your mobile phone or laptop. There may be nuances and house rules depending on where you play, but the basic rules are the same. It’s not far-fetched to say that poker is a global sport!
However, there are notable differences between the various game formats. We usually do it for fun when we play at home with friends, not trying to make a living. Another thing is live and online poker. There are many opportunities here to earn money. For some people, it’s both entertainment, but if you want more than just fun, it’s important to know which option is better to play for money: online or live poker.
This Xgtiger article will review and analyze all the critical differences between online poker and live poker. You’ll also find configuration ideas if you’re moving from live to online or vice versa. Finally, we’ll tell you which option is best for those who are starting to get serious about building a poker career.
What are the differences between online poker and live poker?
On the one hand, online poker and live games are very similar. After all, the betting rules and structure are the same. On the other hand, they are completely different. Many poker players who have previously only played online or live poker are often anxious about their first game in a new location. To help you with the transition, we have listed a comparison table to help you quickly see the main differences, compare each factor and prepare for a new poker experience. Below we will also go into detail about each item from this table:
Quick Entry
Online: you can join the game at any time of the day. You just need to launch a poker client or mobile app, and in minutes, you’re playing online poker.
Live: you have to go to the casino first. Lucky if you live near a casino. Otherwise, you will have to spend time on the road; in some cases, the entire trip will take longer if gambling is illegal in your country.
Game Schedule
Online: Cash and poker tournaments are available 24/7 – you can always start a cash game session with your stakes or play in a match with a suitable buy-in. You can choose a convenient time for the game and spend the weekend, for example, with your family and friends.
Live: poker games usually take place in the afternoon or evening, so you can hardly play in the morning and noon. Most live games happen on Friday nights and weekends, so you should strictly stick to your weekend schedule if you play regularly.
Additional Costs
Online: all your expenses pay for the Internet, which you always carry with your bills.
Live: you have to pay for travel, food, and sometimes lodging. In any case, it is expensive.
Convenience
Online: you choose where to play and when to rest. If you want, you can play online in bed, on the couch, in the park, or in a cafe. You control the environment around you and choose where you feel most comfortable.
Live: your level of comfort depends on the institution – the seats may be uncomfortable, the people at the table may be smokers, and behave loudly and provocatively. But you can’t change that; you have to accept this factor or leave.
Security
Online: main rooms emphasize protecting players from cheating and ensuring security. Yes, there is still a possibility of hacking a game or bank account, but with a responsible attitude to your protection, these problems are unlikely to affect you.
Live: cheating and collusion are more common in casinos. And if you win a large amount of money, it can be dangerous to carry the winnings.
Environment
Online: we cannot say that the world of online poker is completely devoid of bright emotions. At the final table of a major tournament, emotions can run high, and bad beats can be sharp and hard to bear. However, all actions take place automatically, their minds are busy with calculations, and there is no time to enjoy the moment.
Live: the game has a lot of social interaction. You see your villains and try to outrun them. The expression on the face of a player who folds his strong hand on your bluff is hard to overestimate. There is a unique atmosphere in casinos; many people love live poker.
Game Selection
Online: game formats available for all tastes. You can play the familiar No-Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, Stud, Draw and Mix Games, and other unique forms like Badugi. Various tournaments are available: Knockouts, Sit & Go, Spin & Go, Rebuy tournaments, satellite, deep-stacked, and time-limited tournaments. You can play whatever you want at any time, and you have no restrictions (except your bankroll).
Live: Usually there needs to be more choice of games. Usually, casinos offer Texas Hold’em, sometimes Omaha. You can find other options in the big tournament series, but the big tournaments are seasonal. So if you go to a land-based cardroom for a game without a match today, you won’t do anything about it.
Competition
Online: the level of players has increased dramatically in recent years. Online regulars use various software to improve their gains, watch tutorial videos and read strategy articles. Many online gamblers already have a lot of experience, and it will be difficult to compete with them.
Live: most people go to casinos to have fun. If it’s a casino in a tourist area, there are often people at the green table who don’t even know the rules. The vast majority of people in casinos play poker infrequently and do not take this game seriously, so they do not learn and know very little about strategy. It is easier to defeat such a field.
Live Communication
Online: no need to discuss any live communication. Most poker sites offer online chat support, but few people use it. And the comparison of chat and live contact needs to be corrected.
Live: it’s impossible to think of live poker without talking at the table. Of course there are silent guys who just focus on the table. But in any case, almost always, everything is thrown into each of the phrases.
Bonuses, promotions, rakeback
Online: There is fierce competition in poker rooms for new clients, so they regularly offer their players various bonuses, promotions, and Rakeback. You can find no deposit bonuses, first deposit bonuses, high rake back, free tournament tickets, and other ads on almost any poker site.
Live: as a rule, casinos do not offer any bonuses, let alone Rakeback. In some cases, guests can count on free drinks as promotional offers, but more than these promotions will be needed to help increase their bankroll.
Rake
Online: usually, the rake is around 5%, but no more than $3.
Live: a rake of 8-10% or a cap up to $15 is not uncommon.
Bets
Online: ang mga pusta ay nagsisimula sa $0.01/$0.02. Kaya, kung ang manlalaro ay may hindi bababa sa $2, maaari na siyang umupo sa mesa. Anumang pusta, mula sa pinakamababa hanggang sa pinakamataas, ay malalaro anumang oras. Ang mga pagbili sa mga paligsahan ay mula $1 hanggang ilang libong dolyar sa karaniwan.
Live: bilang panuntunan, nagsisimula ang mga pusta sa $1/$2, at sa mga bihirang kaso, makakahanap ka ng mas mababang pusta. Sa mga paligsahan, ang mga buy-in ay karaniwang nagsisimula sa $50. Sa mataas na pusta, hindi magiging madali ang pagbuo ng bankroll na makatiis sa mga hindi maiiwasang pag-indayog.
Statistics
Online: You can use the HUD – statistics in many poker rooms in real-time. Statistics help you make the best decisions and see the tendencies of your villains.
Live: of course, there are no exact statistics in numbers. You can simply observe your opponents during the game and list.
Hands per hour
Online: on average, 60 hands are dealt per hour at a table. If you open several tables at the same time, the number of hands will increase accordingly. The high speed is because there is no dealer, and all cards are automatically processed by the computer.
Live: at best, it will be 30 hands per hour. Professional and very fast dealers can deal around 40 hands per hour, but this is the exception rather than the rule.
Tables
Online: in recent years, short or 6 hand tables have become more common, and the main game in most poker rooms is 6-max. In this regard, there is more action.
Live: casinos often offer full ring tables for nine or even ten places. Therefore, in general, this format is more passive.
Stack and Cash Games
Online: usually, the maximum purchase is limited to 100 BB.
Live: usually, the maximum buy-in is limited to 200 BB, and sometimes there are no such restrictions.
Opening range and Limping
Online: mills open narrower ranges, often well balanced against table positions. Limps are relatively rare and are mainly found on weak opponents.
Live: as the game runs slowly and players get bored, they open wider and often make preflop calls.
On the flop: multi-way vs. heads-up pot
Online: since players usually open the pot with preflop raises, the cost of playing becomes too high for most players if they don’t have a strong hand.
Live: when more players land in the hand, the pot grows, and some people are more likely to call the big blind or the lowest bet, even with a garbage hand. Therefore, multi-way banks are everywhere.
Bet Sizes
Online: usually, regulars use standard increment sizes – 2-2.5-3 BB.
Live: bet sizes can be completely unpredictable; someone bet 5BB, and another – 10BB all.
Protection of Blinds
Online: players know the influence of position on further play and rarely defend the blinds. As a rule, if a player in BB or MB calls a bet, he will have at least one good hand.
Live: since many players enter the hand, the blinds are more likely to call bets and are often pure garbage.
Squeezing and Separating Limpers
Online: players are more likely to use these techniques because they have more knowledge of the strategy.
Live: such moves are very unusual, and if someone squeezes, others will immediately think that he has AA.
Counting Pot Loss
Online: regulars learn to automatically make post-flop decisions based on pot odds.
Live: Several people at the table heard pot odds. You often see folds when it’s easy for your opponent to call or overplay weak cards.
Being Aggressive
Online: preflop raises, reraises, 3-bet, 4-bet, push-fold in tournaments, aggression post-flop – it’s hard to imagine online poker without all these moves.
Live: the game is often too passive. Preflop aggression is relatively rare, and post-flop players prefer cold calls.
Poker Face
Online: no one can see your reaction to the hands you’re dealt. You can dance when you get aces or smile secretly when you’re bluffed – no one will see it.
Live: when you play offline, it’s important to control all emotions. No muscle movement in your face, not even a gesture, should betray your feelings.
Physical Claims
Online: you can’t see the villains and analyze their behavior. Typically, online gamblers make decisions based on reading the ranks of opponents.
Live: many pros are primarily trying to improve their physical reading skills. This knowledge will help defeat weak opponents who do not know how to control their emotions.
Examination of Hands
Online: You can download hand histories and review your moves after the session to find patterns and exits. With deep statistics, it is possible to explore your decisions and find the best paylines.
Live: after a few hours of play, you’ll only remember a few hands in detail. The possibilities for further analysis and improvement are limited only if you write the entire hand in a notebook.
Perception of diversity
Online: regulars understand that the outcome of optimal decisions can only be seen in the long distance, so they are calm about situations like losing QQ against AK when all-in preflop. They know that QQ will have 56% equity against AK, so pushing against AK will be profitable in the long run. So, the online player has a healthy understanding of diversity.
Live: few understand that the best decisions only pay off once. And in a QQ vs. AK, players may misunderstand their loss and, as a result, draw the wrong conclusion; for example, don’t push back to QQ. Thus, the live poker player often overestimates the difference.
So who wins online poker versus live poker? Each player is likely to find their winner, depending on their needs. But at the same time, you don’t have to choose only one format – you can successfully mix live and online poker.
How to Adjust Live Play?
If you have never played live poker but have a lot of experience in online games and want to test your strength on the green cloth, it won’t be too difficult for you. Online players have a lot of experience; thanks to the high speed gameplay, they played more hands than live poker players. But there are some ideas to help you feel better on your first visit to the casino.
- Check the house rules, if any. Usually, the casino posts the house rules in a prominent place, but if you can’t find it yourself, ask the staff. House rules can be unpredictable at times, and it’s best to prepare yourself so you don’t end up in a difficult situation.
- Watch the game for a while before joining the table. See how dealers deal cards and other players who announce actions and handle chips. This will help you feel more comfortable at the table.
- Try to control your emotions. In the first live poker game, your hands may still shake from your nerves, but few people are able to sit at a table with unfamiliar men for the first time and remain calm. But after some time, you will feel more comfortable.
- Be prepared for a slower game than an online table. But be patient and don’t overdo it. Don’t open junk cards just because you’re bored. Better spend this time watching your opponents.
- Add more loose play to your live cash game poker strategy. Passive play styles can be very different from building a winning strategy, but it makes sense to adapt to the limper, who likes to see more flops. You will have a huge advantage if you are good at post-flop play.
How to Adjust Online Play?
If you have never played online before, but you often visit the poker table in live poker, be sure to try playing poker on the Internet to find out what it is like. Today, online cardrooms offer many different formats and regularly host major tournaments with large guaranteed funds. But let’s say right away – it won’t be easy. Not all profitable live players can make money playing online poker. So, to make money playing online, you have to work hard.
- Start with lower bets. If you are used to playing offline with stakes of $1/$2, in online poker it is worth switching to lower stakes as there will be solid regulars in NL200. But we also advise you not to play for virtual chips – playing for play money has nothing to do with playing online for real money.
- Get ready to move fast. The online game has a limited time bank for decision making. It is better to think in advance which ranges from which positions you are ready to insert the hand.
- Less limp. Try to open the pot. Online poker is more aggressive, so limpers are often isolated, and if you don’t have a solid hand to continue, you’ll lose money.
- Install poker tracking software. It would be foolish not to take advantage of online poker that is not available offline! Download and install Holdem Manager or Poker Tracker, and you’ll always have complete real-time statistics in front of your eyes!
- Learn poker strategy and math. Many online regulars try to make optimal decisions based on mathematical calculations. If you don’t study the process, you will be left behind quickly.
What’s Best for a Newbie: Live Poker or Online Poker?
Comparing online poker versus live poker will give you an understanding of many nuances, but it will not answer the question – which option is better for beginners. Players with a lot of online and live experience find that poker is more effortless than online games because there are usually many weaker players in the casinos who are willing to give up their chips with junk cards. Also, a good live player usually has a higher win rate than an online player.
However, we recommend that beginners try playing online first. There are several reasons for this.
Faster gameplay.You can get more experience in online poker than in the same time playing in a land-based cardroom. While casinos play an average of 30 hands per hour, online poker typically plays more than 60 hands per hour. But in practice, the difference will be more significant. The more you play, the more experience you get.
It helps if you have a small bankroll to start with.You can start with micro stakes, and you can feel confident with a $100 bankroll in NL2. Such an airbag will allow you to learn to play poker and make the right decisions calmly. Although there are no such low stakes for playing offline, a comfortable bankroll in NL200 would be $8,000 – $10,000. A noticeable difference, isn’t it?
Bonuses and Rakeback.When registering at a new poker site, you can expect a nice boost to your bankroll in the form of a first deposit bonus. Some rooms offer free starting capital, tournament tickets, and other promotions. It’s easy to start playing online poker!
These are the main reasons, but there are many more. You can start playing online within 5 minutes after reading this article. You don’t have to go anywhere and somehow prepare. Some poker sites offer a quick tutorial on how to play on their site so that even a superficial knowledge of the rules will not be an obstacle to participating first hand. However, we advise you to learn the poker rules, combinations, and basic strategies in advance.
If you want to play poker in a real casino, after online games, it will be easier for you: you will have the experience, knowledge and confidence to beat your opponents!
Conclusion
Are you an avid gaming fan and want to know how to bet on online casino games? At Xgtiger, you’ll get the latest information on this year’s best casino games and a variety of gaming options, all in one place.
To start your online gambling journey, all you need to do is create an account on the site, deposit funds and you’ll be ready to bet on the best and most anticipated casino games.
Frequently asked questions
Live poker has a much heavier rake than online poker. This is a generalization, rake varies from venue to venue and site to site. However, on the whole, live rake tends to have both a higher percentage and a higher cap. This is something you need to factor into your win rate when you choose where to play.
