Why Do The True Poker Experts Play Poker Digitally?
Once, you’d have found the best poker aficionados gathered around a table with all the other quick-witted individuals. Everybody would be trying to conceal their hands while attempting to read their opponents. Today, the top poker arenas look a little different.
Sure, plenty of people do still play at their local casinos, but the digital world has taken this game by storm, and we’re not just talking about the additional convenience of playing online. There’s something much more significant going on here. The digital game has totally shifted the landscape.
A few people are probably going to scoff at that idea, thinking it’s the same game whether you’re holding real cards or tapping away at a phone screen. We’re here to explain why we don’t quite agree and why you should consider digital poker if you really want to get good at this game.
Playing games online is immensely popular these days for a number of reasons, and there are over 10 million gamers just in the UK. Online poker, though, seems to hold a particular edge, so let’s figure out why.
Digital Poker Offers More Choices
First of all, how many poker options does a local casino offer? You might have a few choices, but even the biggest physical casino is limited somewhat in terms of its space, and that means it can only have so many poker tables on offer at one time. It’s also got to pay dealers to sit at them and ensure players all know the rules before they start… meaning that offering too many variants just isn’t that attractive. When you play poker online, though, it’s a different story.
Online, casinos don’t need a dealer (unless you’re playing a live dealer game). They don’t have to worry about table space. They can stick the rules of the game in a super convenient place, right alongside the playing experience itself, meaning newbies can check back at any time… and that makes offering variants very attractive. If you play poker online, you’ll find your standard poker fare like Texas Hold’em, but you’ll also find options like Caribbean Stud Poker, Let ‘Em Ride, and Omaha Poker.
Even if you’re not familiar with these, you can spend a bit of time reading up or watching others play, and you’ll soon be well on your way to enjoying a variant. You can check out the casino’s own tips and advice, or watch social media content to get up to speed – there’s stacks of helpful stuff out there!
And the great thing about playing different variants is that they’ll help you hone different skills. Some poker games focus heavily on bluffing; others will involve going up against the dealer; some have hidden cards; some even require you to aim for low hands instead of high ones. There are tons of options and by playing different kinds, you can find a game that works with your strengths, or one that helps you eliminate your weaknesses.
You Don’t Have (Many!) Physical Tells
Digital poker eliminates one of the things most people think of when they bring the game to mind: tells. In digital poker, you don’t have many tells to deal with and while some people aren’t a fan of games that take away this classic element, many love playing poker without having to focus on whether their hands are shaking or their brows are scrunched up.
It’s great for beginners, but we’re not just focused on beginners here. Many of the top poker players also opt for online poker because of the other side of this coin: some tells still exist, but they’re far more subtle. That subtlety adds an extra element of challenge and “ups the ante” (pun intended) for everybody at the table.
A digital poker player isn’t looking at obvious things like changes in expression, shaking hands, or sighing. They’re looking at how fast or slowly somebody else makes a bet, whether patterns in their wagering numbers emerge, or other tip-offs that lie in the very smallest nuances of the game. Therein lies the art of digital poker.
And we all know that if we want to get better at something, we need to raise the difficulty level. That’s what online poker allows you to do. By eliminating the noise of physical reactions, it lets you get really good at honing in on the subtlest of tells and figuring out what they mean… and that’s the kind of thing that makes you truly amazing at poker. After all, if you’re sitting around a physical table with the grand masters of this game, they’re not going to be sighing when they receive a bad hand, are they?
It makes sense, then, that online poker has gained so much popularity with those looking to get better at the game overall. That’s being added to by all kinds of fun features and tools like AI helpers, which are designed to watch how you handle the tough moments and give you guidance that will make you a better player overall. And if you miss the human touch, there’s always live dealer poker to bring it back, combined with the convenience of digital gaming!
