The differences between traditional poker and online poker.

Ever since the internet became popular, a little over a decade ago, we carry out more and more activities on the computer: from buying clothes, meeting people, studying and, why not? even playing a game or two of poker. But what's the difference between traditional poker and online poker?

The most obvious difference is that in traditional poker you can see (and even smell) your opponents, whereas in online poker you can only imagine them.

Whilst in a traditional casino you have to be on the lookout for the slightest body signal that may give away a bluff (whether it be a facial expression, fiddling or sweating), on the internet you have to pay close attention to non-physical game patterns (such as betting patterns, probabilities, statistics and chat between players).

In fact (and contrary to popular belief), the average gaming level of those who play poker online is greater than that of those who play in traditional casinos, according to Bestpokerrakeback.com. Or maybe it's easier to read players' sweat than calculate probabilities and statistics in your head?

Another feature that distinguishes online poker from traditional poker is the speed of play.

In traditional casinos, after each hand the dealer collects, shuffles and deals the cards - wasting valuable minutes of game time. For that reason, in a traditional Las Vegas casino, on average 25 to 30 games are played per hour, according to an article published by SooperArticles.com.

On the internet the cards are shuffled and dealt almost instantly and no time is wasted counting your chips. On the internet, therefore, on average 85 to 90 poker games are played per hour.

Traditional poker "is slower and (...) much more passive," says Bestpokerrakeback.com.

But perhaps the most significant difference between online and traditional poker is convenience. Isn't it much more convenient to turn on the computer when you want to play poker, rather than getting washed and dressed, applying perfume and travelling to a casino? It is also much safer knowing that our internet winnings are deposited automatically into our bank account, without having to leave the house, whereas coming out of a casino we have to hide our wads of notes in our pockets.

And what about the distraction factor? Internet poker games offer a great distraction while we're on the phone to our parents or in-laws.

While Agent 007 enjoys a poker game in an exclusive casino, dressed in an elegant tuxedo, with a martini in his hand and a beautiful woman on his arm, in my mind there's nothing better than playing a good poker game in my pyjamas, with untamed hair, not showered and with a bowl of cereal next to me.

- - Ever since the internet became popular, a little over a decade ago, we carry out more and more activities on the computer: from buying clothes, meeting people, studying, (and why not?), even playing a game or two of poker. But what's the difference between traditional poker and online poker? - Although there are some differences between online poker and traditional poker, it's much more convenient to play poker on the internet.