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Is There Really a Difference Between Online and Live

It was at this point that I decided to take it to the next level by playing in more live games around town. Boy was I surprised. I got slapped around thoroughly. Was I really bad or was it just that different? Or was it that the game was subtly, yet distinctively different? After asking my friends, doing a little self-analysis, and losing more money than I care to reveal, I found that the problem, as I suspected, were those subtle differences between online and live poker.

I will tell you what I found to be the biggest differences.

1. No Tells: This can be good or bad depending on how well you read opponents or project your hand to other players. Playing online can level the playing field between beginners and professionals as the only real tells online are found in betting patterns. You
e less likely to have the whole table fold into your pocket aces since they can see the trembling, sweating, trouble breathing, or in some cases, unresponsive catatonic behavior that sometimes occurs when trying to control a monster hand in a big game. However, the downside is that you will never learn to hide your tells and read other players unless you play live poker.

2. Faster Pace: Online poker takes place at a much faster pace than live poker as theres no waiting for cards, shuffling, or chip counting. As a result, this may cause an online player to get impatient in a live game and play hands that should be folded. If you
e moving from online to live, remember to be patient. Don freak out because you haven played a hand in what seems like an eternity. Its not bad luck that you haven seen as many playable hands, its because you haven seen as many hands period.

3. Anonymity: You never know who you
e really playing with online. It may be Phil Ivey or it may be some bum waiting to donate his money to the cause. Sharks and fish come in all shapes and sizes, but when playing live, sometimes you just know. Don assume that just because a players username is Nancy, that the player is female. Some guys like to play under female aliases because they feel other players will give them less respect and they can take advantage of their opponents underestimation.

4. Exact Chip Counts: Playing online provides you with instant access to chips counts. Theres no estimating, asking, or not knowing how your stack measures up to your fellow players. This may not seem significant at first, but believe me, the first time you go all-in without realizing that your opponent does indeed have enough to cover you, youll understand the value.

The bottom line is that experience online isn a substitute for experience playing live poker. Online poker is a great way to develop your pure poker skills, however, if you
e looking to be the next poker superstar on the WPT, youll need as much live poker experience as possible.

Till next time, may the chips fall your way.



by Johnson