Despite being the same game, online poker is quite different than live poker. There are common features, but the experience is completely different.
Both types of poker allow you to specialize and reach a very high level and quality in the game, but they have different dynamics.
That makes someone who is starting in poker wonder whether it is better to choose to play in online rooms, or to play directly in physical competitions and live poker tournaments.
Although there are opinions for all tastes, it is necessary to analyze the pros and cons offered by each option, precisely because the decision between whether to opt for a more traditional poker or whether to jump into the novelties of online poker can be made depending on the benefits and handicaps of each format.
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Advantages of live poker for beginners
In addition to the experience itself of being part of a physical poker table, there are a number of advantages that the mere fact of being live and live gives and that cannot be learned remotely. The first, according to experts, is the ability to read and identify traits through body language.
“A hugely relevant aspect in poker is to get a feel for your opponents, and in live poker it is much easier to develop the necessary skills than in online poker, where the screen almost completely neutralizes any pretense of intuiting future moves of the opponents,” they explain.
“In this respect, it will be much easier for a newcomer to adapt to live poker, even if there are elements that put him at a disadvantage in the early stages of his career,” they add.
However, that is at the same time a disadvantage, since a novice player at a live poker table will not yet know how to hide the tics and gestures that will give away his game. “It’s a weakness that every beginner has had to live with at physical poker tables, and it’s something that only experience can polish,” they comment.
Another advantage of live poker is that it allows a discipline to be followed to the letter. The routines of getting ready, going out and heading to a specific spot to play poker allow the player to separate his personal life from his professional life, which helps him to keep his time as a player separate from the rest of his life.
“Discipline is a vital aspect in a player’s career, and without a doubt, over time, live poker can help define even more that imaginary line that separates poker from the rest of the aspects surrounding the player’s life,” explain some professionals in the sector.
Positive aspects of online poker for a newcomer
Although the most authentic experience is, according to purists, to start playing poker at a physical table, the rise of online poker has been molding the preferences of new generations of players. This is the opinion of Habwin, one of the most consolidated platforms for playing poker online, which has a wide variety of rooms and loyalty programs that seek to reward the dedication and time invested by its community.
In fact, online poker presents some beneficial points that any poker novice should consider.
“If we commented earlier that it was a problem for a novice player to present himself to his opponents without knowing how to control and read body language, online poker inhibits that disadvantage by playing all opponents with a screen,” the team explains.
“However, that does not mean that the opponent cannot analyze the moves that are being made, since there are aspects, patterns and routines in the game that can be part of a whole that can give away certain strategies, something that can be predicted after many hours of dedication to the game,” they add.
Another plus point is convenience. In fact, the great advantage of online poker is that it is a tremendously accessible game, which has allowed many players with little or no experience at physical tables to enter the exciting world of poker and learn all its advantages in a more current and digitized format.
“A good part of the fame that poker currently has is not only due to the physical competitions that are broadcast and televised around the world, but anyone, today, can have access to a device that allows playing poker at a professional or amateur level,” comment online poker experts. “This accessibility is a good thing, as it has brought the benefits of the game to many more people, democratizing access to it”.
Online poker has the advantage of offering players a wide variety of poker rooms. The premise is the same as the physical tables, only the adjustments to find a table that fully adapts to the preferences of each player, which is much more convenient and quicker to modify in case the player wants to vary the type of game.
So, what should a novice player do to gain experience?
The most important thing, according to the experts, is to get into a routine and play the game to gain experience. However, everything will depend on the economic background of each player and the stack available.
However, perhaps it is best to start with online poker rooms, precisely because of their accessibility and because it is a format that gives greater confidence and security to the novice player.
Sometimes, the live poker tables tend to lose concentration of the less experienced player, subjecting him to a pressure that, although in certain aspects can be beneficial, can be counterproductive, inhibiting his ability to learn and preventing him from objectively analyzing what is happening during the game.
