Advantages to Playing Online vs Brick and Mortar
- Published 2005-06-22
- Author Pokeraddict
There are many advantages to playing poker online as opposed to playing in a casino. There are so many conveniences that brick and mortar poker rooms do not offer. There are so many professional online poker players for this reason. Online poker can never replace the feel of chips and cards, the social aspect that many enjoy or the feeling for many that it is a vacation from the grind, especially for hardcore online players. Below are many advantages of playing poker online. Since this is a rakeback website we will start there.
In brick and mortar casinos there is no way to get rakeback. The automated nature of online poker allows poker rooms to keep detailed stats on each of the players. The amount of rake paid is one of them. These details also allow online poker rooms to offer player specific bonuses. Online players enjoy many types of bonuses, all are easy to track and clear. Brick and mortar poker rooms rarely have promotions of the same magnitude online poker rooms have. Part of this reason is the large expense brick and mortar casinos have that online poker rooms do not share. Among these are dealers, cards, chips, cashiers, floor personnel, poker tables, chairs, comps and the utilities needed to seat poker players comfortably. Online poker rooms simply need software, a reliable server, a license, and a support center that employs fewer people then a brick and mortar casino per table. There is one disadvantage online poker rooms have, the processing fees involved in players transferring funds. Neteller and other processors typically charge over 3% of the transaction and on top of that establishing a merchant account at the major processors can be costly.
There is also the speed factor. Many online poker pros have mastered the ability to play 10 or more tables at once, something obviously impossible at a brick and mortar casino. The number of hands dealt per hour at an online game is often double the live poker games. This provides much more entertainment to the player who simply wants to play poker and not socialize. For a winning player this also adds to the profit.
Another advantage to consider is the lower rake. Most online poker rooms charge 5% of the pot in rake for pot limit and no limit games and often less for limit games, especially in middle and higher limit games. Online rake always caps at a max of $3 and when a game is short handed or $1/$2 or below rake is often capped at $2 and sometimes as little as $.50. Brick and mortar poker rooms often charge 10% and go up to $4 or even $5 max. Some casinos also take a bad beat jackpot dollar out of any pot that has been raked or in some cases gets to $20. Bad beat jackpots while alluring, are very rare to hit. With the fewer hands per hour dealt these jackpots can sometimes go months without being hit. Online poker rooms that offer bad beat jackpots either give you the option of playing at a non jackpot table, or pay the jackpot out of the existing rake and do not take any rake on their jackpot. Another issue to consider is the dealer toke, or tip. It is customary to tip a dealer after a pot of average size is won, however online there is never a tip for anyone. The tip and higher rake at brick and mortar rooms can often make the rake double of what an online poker room charges. Online poker rooms however do not give you free meals or drinks but often have perks such as free books or poker room logo apparel.
Another advantage to consider in playing online is the fact that tournaments usually run much smoother and faster. After seeing the poor job I feel the Rio did during my WSOP event I can say that online tournaments are much smoother. The software can place bumped players in correct places in relation to position to the button and can even the chip counts per table much easier. A player is moved instantly instead of it taking several minutes. Another advantage is that the entry fees are usually half of what brick and mortar rooms charge. Also single table tournaments, especially in lower buy in games are next to impossible to find in casinos but online these sit and gos are going all day and night.
To many poker players online just can not replace the experience of going to the casino to play poker. These players have fears about cards being rigged, poker rooms slow paying or not paying at all and cheating are all things that go through these player's minds. They enjoy the games they are used to and do not want to change. Most players are quickly figuring out that online is the place to be. If you have still not played online poker and are a winning brick and mortar player it is time to give it a try and as always good luck at the tables, whether it is in a casino or on the internet.