Difference Between Live and Online Card Games

For many budding poker players their first taste of the game comes through playing online card games such as Texas Hold'em or Omaha on state of the art sites such as Ladbrokes Poker. The main reasons for playing online card games are the fact you can do so from the comfort of your own home, you can play online card games for a massive range of stakes from €0.02/€0.04 all the way up to €50/€100 and you will always find a game running 24 hours a day, seven days per week.

Once a player has learned a particular game and has become comfortable with playing it they often delve into the live poker scene but are there any differences, subtle or otherwise, between live and online card games? The answer is a resounding yes and you should be aware of them before you venture out from behind your computer screen and play your usual online card games in your local casino or card room.

Online card game versus live card game

The first major difference between online card games and playing the same game in a live environment is the pace at which both are played. A short-handed cash game on Ladbrokes Poker will often see players be dealt upwards of 120 hands per hour but a live player would be lucky to see 25 hands per hour. This can lead to someone who primarily plays an online card game becoming bored when playing live as they simply do not have much to do in the way of making decisions.

Also be aware that the standard of player in a typical online card game is generally much higher than the equivalent stakes of a live game. This is partly because an online card game player will often have played many more hands than a typical live poker player because of the increased number of hands per hour and will therefore be a more experienced player. The opposite sometimes runs true during large sporting events on sites such as Ladbrokes Poker as they are attached to a sportsbook and many sports gamblers transfer across to play the online card game of their choice.