Online and Live Poker Players Comparison

While both live and poker online players play the same game, a lot can be said about the distinct differences between the traditional live poker players, compared to the online poker player. Age, experience in terms of years, and playing style are some of the main differences between the live poker player and their online counterparts.

Age

Largely in part to online poker being newer than live poker, the average online poker player is far younger than the traditional live poker player is. Additionally, it is well known that the younger generations are more comfortable with the use of computer and the internet. This fairly transfers into an added level of trust for online transactions, such as those used at online poker rooms.

Playing Style

Poker players learning the game through the online channel tend to be a great deal more aggressive than the live poker players are. This is surely due in part to the tight-aggressive teachings early on from many of the major online poker strategy portals. Additionally, the increased level of aggression is partially due to the pace of the game online, as opposed to that of the live poker game. Live games tend to deal 30 hands per hour on average, while online poker games deal anywhere from 60 hands on up per hour – which results in faster play. Furthermore, it could be argued that the anonymity online poker provides allows for even the most timid of personalities to adopt an aggressive posture without looking someone in the eye. This is a luxury a shy, awkward individual does not have in the live realm, where his social ineptness may get in the way of running roughshod over his poker table.

Time in Poker

Another huge difference between the average live poker players compared to the average PokerStars online poker player is experience in terms of years. While the average live poker player has many more years of experience, generally speaking, the online poker player is able to condense many years of experience into a single year. This is due largely in part to the fact that the hands are dealt faster in the online venue, and additionally one has the ability to play several games of poker at once.

While there are many differences separating the online poker players from the live poker players, the fact remains that whether you play live or online; the game is the same.