Monday, May 21, 2007

Online vs. Traditional Poker

Poker isn’t just for Friday-night hangouts and glittery Vegas casinos anymore. This popular game has become an icon, developing into a sport often exhibited on ESPN. It has also taken on the Internet, with some of the best online poker sites raking in approximately $200 million in profit per month.

Poker isn’t just for single guys or retirees with too much money to blow on a good game. Women are increasingly joining the ranks of online poker tournaments, with an estimated 20-40% of players reported as being female. College students are also fans of this game, pseudo-sport. Some 50% of males reportedly gamble each month in poker matches.

It’s apparent how important the game of poker is to American pop culture and abroad. However, some may wonder why they should turn to an Internet tournament as opposed to heading down to Harrah’s. There are many differences between traditional poker matches and online poker.

Some of the most visible differences include:

· Forget wearing your sunglasses or calculating body language. Online poker doesn’t require a facade in order to clinch a win.
· In traditional poker matches, the average rate of play is 30 hands per hour.
· In online poker, the average rate of play is 90-100 hands per hour.
· Online poker games allow you to play multiple tables at once to increase your chances of winning.
· To determine an opponent’s motives, online poker requires a keen eye to watch out for reaction time, patterns in betting and beginner’s tells.

While traditional players may enjoy the intrigue and excitement of sitting across from friends, smoking a cigar and practicing their best poker face, many have transitioned into the Web’s take on the classic game of poker. Many bored college students out there are passing some time by logging into their favorite poker site and trying their luck.

If you are a laptop gamer during class time or simply interested, check out some online poker reviews on 6Star Reviews. There are several choices including Poker Room and Pacific Poker. Even if you don’t like the idea of a virtual poker match, it may just be a whole new experience that may result in addiction.

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