by J. Eberhardt

Created on: October 13, 2007   Last Updated: October 20, 2011

Do you multi-task? Chances are you'll like online poker. There is a stark difference to the play of poker over the Internet and that inside a casino or your friends garage.

Lets start with the face-to-face poker. In this environment, one must not only read the cards he is dealt but also the demeanor of those he is up against. Figuring out someone's tell is almost as important as the cards you are dealt. If you are a champion of reading people, you can likely win a hand with nothing in the hole.

Online poker is you and your computer screen. Try as you may, there is no reading of the various avatars and pixels brightly lit waiting for you to fold or go all in. Online poker is playing the cards.

Granted, for experienced players, knowing how to bet will based on your positioning away from the dealer chip is equally important in either environment. It is perhaps much more to your benefit in online poker because of the obtuse nature of playing against an opponent you cannot see.

It must be said that if you have a hard time controlling your emotions good or bad in relation to your poker hand, online poker is probably for you. After you suffer a bad beat you can curse loudly and slam your fists in the air cursing the card gods, or when you destroy a player from a tournament you can casually laugh to yourself and how ridiculous it was of them to play their pocket 7's against your rockets.

Never-the-less, another large advantage to playing online poker is that you can play multiple hands, tournaments, and sites simultaneously thus increasing your chances to bring in a bigger load. You could also just play a single game and watch a movie while surfing your email inbox all at the same time... all in the comfort of your own home.

There is something to be said for the feel of the felt and the clank of the chips weaving between your fingers at an actual poker table. To each his own, but if you enjoy the multi-task of life more than the art of the game then online is for you.

Good luck!

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