Live Texas Holdem Poker For Money

So what’s the difference between playing in person and betting in some of the best live online poker rooms around? Believe it or not, the two games are almost nearly identical, except for several subtle differences that actually give the player a slight advantage inside an online poker room. This article will cover each of those aspects to better help players learn about the benefits of live poker sites.

Convenience

I have never once walked into any poker room throughout the US or anywhere else in the world where I was taken directly to a table to start playing. In almost every instance, a receptionist has taken my name and asked me to wait until a table became available; which often took an hour or more. Casinos use this tactic intentionally hoping that players will spend money on slot machines and other games while waiting to play poker.

At online casinos like Sportsbook Poker, you log into the client and start playing. It really doesn’t matter if you’re looking for a quick tournament or a table game at any stake, because as soon as one table fills then the online casino opens another one.

Opponent Reads

Most people believe that all players give certain tells when their hand is strong or weak, so they see an advantage in face to face poker. Heck, old school champions like Doyle Brunson (who is famous for his occasional all-in bets with 2/7 offsuit) play solely off the reads at the table; it almost doesn’t matter what their cards are most of the time. The part that most of us do not realize is that our reactions to other players’ bets are also a tell-tale sign of our hand strength, so the benefit is largely superficial.

Just look at the number of online players who have successfully transitioned to the world of high stakes poker and won a championship in their 1st few appearances. There have been twenty-eight players in the past five years that have never played in a traditional brick and mortar casino before and won the 1st place prize shortly after turning pro. Each of them credited their online experiences towards recognizing betting tendencies as an indicator of their opponent’s hand strength, which means that playing inside the best online poker rooms is a great way to learn how to read opponents.

Player Comfort

One of the biggest annoyances inside traditional casinos is dealing with annoying players at the table. They come in all shapes and sizes; the guy who won’t put out that stinking cigar, the senior citizen who takes forever to call, or that person who simply will not stop talking about how wonderful they are. We’ve all seen these types of people piling in at our table and there’s not a darn thing that we can do about it except to ask for a table change; which usually takes a half an hour or more.

Inside a virtual poker room like Sportsbook Poker, you’re still sitting inside your living room or relaxing somewhere else. If someone at your poker table is annoying, then all you have to do is leave; only to be seated again seconds later somewhere else. If you need a drink or something to eat, there are no six dollar sodas and nine dollar burgers; you just head over to your fridge. Most players vastly enjoy the freedom of playing online poker from home because of these inherent perks.

Customer Service

One of the biggest differences between online and real-world play is the actual staff that you’ll interact with daily. Traditional casinos hire just about anyone to stand behind a desk to process your chips or answer a question, and most of the time these people have absolutely no idea what’s really going on inside a casino. Asking a pit boss is even worse; they act like even the smallest request is a huge inconvenience.

Online poker rooms are completely different because there’s not hundreds of distractions around the customer service representatives. They actually have time to answer any of your questions by phone or email as they arise, and since they are much less busy you can also expect more thorough answers from someone who is very knowledgeable about the casino.

VIP Perks

Most brick an mortar casinos give players comp credits for many of the house games, but poker is not one of them (except for video poker, which isn’t anywhere near the same). This means that even if you bet thousands of dollars per week inside your favorite establishment, you’re treated exactly like everyone else.

Inside live poker sites like Sportsbook Poker, every single hand you play is calculated towards earning free money, prizes, and exotic vacations. As you advance in levels, a whole new world of features and bonuses also become available like free VIP tournaments, exclusive Sportsbook merchandise, and even entries into some of the premiere poker tournaments around the globe.

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