by Roxanne Hollinger

Created on: June 01, 2009   Last Updated: June 10, 2009

There are many "purists" who believe that traditional poker is the best way to play poker. They think that since sitting face to face is the way in which poker was originally developed, that it is still the only way that it should be played.

There are also many fans of poker who believe that just as good of an experience can come from playing poker online. In fact, some people will argue that online poker can be even better. Let's have a look at both sides of the argument:

First, the traditional side. Traditionalists believe that poker should be played in person. This allows a vital dynamic of the game, face-to-face interaction, to take place that cannot be recreated online. When playing poker with someone in real life, you get to know how they think and behave, and over time you start to develop confidence in your interpretation of their actions. Are they bluffing? Are they telling the truth? While playing with people in real life, the subconscious mind begins to analyze signals as to the true intentions of your opponents.

Traditionalists also believe that the face-to-face poker environment is part of the game. The distractions and tension is all part of the game, and to remove those parts would be to take away something vital.

Fans of online poker, on the other hand, believe that even if you cannot actually see the other person, you can still get a feel for how certain people behave and whether or not they may be telling the truth or bluffing. For people who spend a lot of time in forums or chat rooms, it can be similar to how you start to associate a certain personality with certain user names, even though you've never actually seen that person in real life.

Additionally, to people who play in online poker rooms, the fact that you can completely control your playing environment is perhaps the biggest advantage of all. There are no waitresses. There are no slot machines playing their songs. It's just you, sitting at your desk, eating, drinking, or smoking whatever you want, and possibly listening to whatever music helps you focus. These options are not even available in traditional poker games, yet they can completely change the environment in favor of the player of online poker.

The final advantage that online poker players have is the fact that some online poker rooms will give you sign up bonuses, such as with an Ultimate Bet referral code. This is something that will never happen at a casino or at a game in a friend's kitchen.

The debate between online poker and traditional poker can sometimes be fierce, but by doing a bit of research, each player will be able to determine for him or herself which type of playing environment is better.

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