Online poker may be another incarnation of the popular card game but it has enough distinct characteristics that can distinguish it even from the original game that it was derived from. This distinctive characteristics stem from the main difference of online poker from its live counterpart: the difference of the way online poker is played.
The fact that poker is played online has many ramifications. For one, players do not have to go to a brick and mortar casino. They can play the game whenever and wherever they may be. Another unique characteristic of online poker is that it allows players to play multiple tables at one time, something that is very much impossible in live poker.
But one characteristic of online poker clearly sets it apart from the live one and that is the impersonal nature of playing poker online. Poker is a very much social game since players have to sit in a table and face each other but in online poker, this face to face interaction is gone resulting in changes that will make the online version a very different breed of poker.
For one, bluffs are not as effective in online poker as they are in the live one. Since players do not actually see each other when playing, putting up the image of strength such as betting forcefully or going all in when bluffing will not have the same dramatic effect as when in live play and they will not be as effective when playing online.
Aside from bluffs, poker tells are also another aspect very much affected by poker going online. Like bluffs, poker tells are also reliant upon the face to face interaction of players at the poker table. Poker tells are even more affected by bluffs as they are absolutely visual in nature and with the face to face interaction gone in the incarnation of poker online, poker tells are next to non-existent.
Conversely, since poker tells are non-existent in online poker, the tactic of reading poker tells to read other opponents becomes entirely useless since there are no more poker tells to read and interpret. Players who are reliant upon such strategy should either practice other ways to win or stay away from playing poker online completely.
Online poker has many characteristics that sets it apart far enough from the original game that it was derived from. These characteristics make the online version of poker very much different and players should consider them in order to determine whether online poker is really for them or not.