Since the dawn of the online poker age there has always been the question of which is better, online poker or live games in a casino or card room? The answer is the same as most poker questions.... It depends. While the two generally have the same rules and structure, you are dealing with two very different games.

Since the dawn of the online poker age there has always been the question of which is better, online poker or live games in a casino or card room? The answer is the same as most poker questions.... It depends. While the two generally have the same rules and structure, you are dealing with two very different games.

Online poker obviously has the advantage of speed. Since the dealing is done digitally, there is no time wasted shuffling, dealing, collecting cards, or anything else that the dealer would normally spend time doing. You also save a lot of time by having the pot automatically counted at all times and the rake is taken out automatically. When you add in the built in clock that most sites have for players to act in time, you will get 2 to 3 times the amount of hands per hour or more by playing online. If you also take into account that you are able to play up to 8 tables or more simultaneously, you could well end up playing up to 600 hands per hour or more. This is roughly 20 times the amount of hands that you might play in a live ring game. More hands equals more money for the winning player right? Again, the answer is maybe.

Playing live poker has its advantages too. Poker is not all about the quantity of hands that you play. Live poker generally has much weaker opponents than similar levels online. You get a lot of casual players who just happen to give poker a try since they're already in the casino. You will also get players who are unaware of what hand beats what. These players are just asking you to take their money. Soft players lead to soft games. Ive played in 20/40 limit holdem games in the casino that were much softer than 1/2 games online. These stakes are 20 times that of the 1/2 online game that I mentioned, and you should be able to make a lot of money per hand in these games. So for the winning poker player we would assume that higher stakes means more money to win right? Maybe and maybe not.

Since each game has its advantages and disadvantages financially, there must be something else to separate these two forms of poker. There is. Live poker offers a much more social environment. If you're looking to have some fun and shoot the breeze with the other players, than live poker in an actual brick and mortar casino or card room would probably suit you better. On the other hand, internet poker offers its own conveniences. If you're only looking to play for a half hour or so, you may not want to drive to the casino, park, get on the waiting list, ect. If you play online all you have to do is fire up your computer and find a game. You can even play in your under ware, your old sweat pants that your wife won't let you leave the house in, or nothing at all. The other advantages that online poker has are all the software available, rakeback, bonuses, and multitabling. If you're all business, than online poker may be the better route for you.

Since both forms of poker have their advantages I guess that we can conclude that its a draw. Online is better for some players where as live games suit others. It all depends on what you want to get out of your time at the tables.