Not many things on the Internet have become such a huge hit as online poker. Whether you are a pro or a beginner in regular poker doesn’t really matter since almost everyone can join and play online poker, whatever his or hers motives are. Do you want to play for money? No problem, as long as you bring your own. Or do you just want to practice your poker skills a little? That’s not a problem either. As I said everyone can play and enjoy themselves.
We can now safely say that there are three kinds of online poker players. The first kind are the players who still prefer regular poker and who need an opponent at the other side of the table or next to them. They want to see their eyes when they draw that last card, smell the disappointment when their rival doesn’t get a card that he was waiting for or see the spark in his eye when they get a particularly good hand. These poker players sometimes make fun of those that prefer online poker, calling them amateurs and what not. The second class prefers to play online poker. Maybe it’s just more convenient or they are just not into the game all that much to spend hours and hours at some table with a 4 or 5 other men. Of course, a lot of them now spend hours and hours playing online poker, but that’s a completely different issue. And, finally, there is the third group, which is something in between and doesn’t prefer either over another.
I believe that those live poker players that loath online poker so much are in the wrong and that they could actually learn so much playing the online version of their favorite card game. Looking at other people’s faces is a good strategy, provided that you can quickly and accurately read their expressions and that the other side is not very skilled at giving them away. But once in a while, you will stumble upon a player that just as well might have a stone instead of a face and what then? Online poker players rely on different signs, such as how aggressive someone is, does he like to go all-in. By using a more scientific approach, they can be just as if not more successful than their live poker counterparts. And, when the time comes for a next live poker game, your opponents will be blown away no matter how much they try to bluff or keep their faces smooth.
Yet another reason why you should use online poker as a practice is the fact that the game tends to be much faster. A hand in a live poker game can drag on. There is always some guy that loves to talk and you and the others have to remind the slacker to make a move. Now that your mind is trained to think much faster during a poker game, you will be way ahead of them.