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In this article, we will not be talking about the advantages that playing online poker has over live poker. We will not be talking about the bonuses, about the fact that online poker allows you to play more with your money and that it is more comfortable. Instead, we will be discussing some of the main differences and similarities between live poker and online poker. As such, this article is mainly aimed at live poker players who are wondering how different online poker  is and whether their skills will continue to matter.

Online poker

Firstly, let’s take a look at the similarities. The game is absolutely the same. If you played Omaha, you will find plenty of Omaha poker tables online where  he rules are the same. This is true for all the other types of poker, with Texas hold ‘em being absolutely the most popular form and the one that is attracting the largest number of players. Everything that is technical about the game is the same – the percentages, the blinds, the shuffle, everything that you can think of.

On the other hand, there are certain differences that might be quite important for you and you need to know about them. The first and definitely the most noticeable is the lack of ability to see other players. Body language plays no role in online poker as you cannot see who you are playing against and you cannot learn their tells by watching them and analyzing their reactions. For someone who is relying on body language to make their poker game exquisite, this can be quite a blow, but you need to understand that this also allows you to relax and stop worrying about your body language. It is a bit of two-edged sword.

The game is also much faster in online poker. The amount of hands that is played in one hour is twice larger than in live poker, or even bigger. What this means is that you need to factor this in when you are playing. It means that more hands are played and that there is more chance of getting a great hand than in live poker. This has resulted in some people believing that the hands are more unrealistic in online poker, but this is mostly due to the fact that more hands are played overall. It also means that the game is much more exciting and difficult to follow, requiring you to be very attentive and to keep your eyes on the table at all times, even when you are not in the hand.

You might also discover that there are players who are overtly aggressive and even annoying. This is due to the cowl of anonymity which gives them the courage to be the jerks that they would never be if they played live poker. It is extremely important not to let such players get to you and to keep playing your own game, no matter what they say or how they behave.