Online poker in US – any variant of club poker, in which the game is played over the Internet. In online poker legal US is usually played with the help of downloadable and installed on the computer software. Recently there are more and more non-downloadable (flash or java) versions where you can play through a browser from any operating system. There are also already versions for PDA and cell phones.
Online poker industry has been rapidly developing in the recent years, every six months the player base doubled. Recently, due to the restrictions imposed in the USA the growth slowed down a little bit but the number of online poker rooms and players continues to grow. At the present time online games poker is a large gambling industry, for example, the value of the once largest online poker room PartyPoker soon after the release of shares exceeded $10 billion and monthly revenue – $300 million.
The difference between online and offline poker
There’s quite a big difference between online and offline poker:
- First, online players can’t see each other, game poker online goes on at a drawn table, where players are represented only by avatars. As a result, on the one hand, the player can not hide his emotions, on the other hand, there is no opportunity to take advantage of the cues that can be obtained from the gestures or behavior of opponents. Thus, the mathematical component of poker increases somewhat on the Internet, although it is still possible to use such a parameter as decision time as a cue.
- Second, there is a difference in the speed of play. Shuffling cards and dealing them by a real dealer takes time, there is usually more time to make a decision offline, as a result, there are 2-3 times less games played in the same time offline than online. In addition, offline a player can play only at one table, while online – at any number of tables. Many players play 2–10 tables at a time, which increases the dynamics of the game as well as the profits, although it requires very quick decision-making.
- Thirdly, safe online poker sites offer much more options in terms of different games, limits, and opponents. While offline poker clubs are mostly open only a few hours a day with a few tables, Texas Hold’em tournaments with one particular buy-in or cash 1-2 different limits (usually a medium limit), the online selection is much richer. You can choose from a dozen different games, the tables are from 1 on 1 to full, a rich variety of tournaments, the limits from a couple of cents to hundreds of dollars. Opponents can be found at any time of day (except for the most unpopular games).
- Fourthly, legal poker online USA on the Internet allows you to use a variety of additional programs. Some of them help with odds calculation and game math, others gather information on the player and opponents, allowing you to analyze the game and find both your own weaknesses and opponents, while others help simulate different situations and make the right decisions.
It is also clear that there is a difference in environment and atmosphere. In offline clubs you often have to put up with rude players, inhale tobacco smoke, etc. On the best online poker website you can play at home, providing yourself with the most comfortable conditions.
Safety in online poker
The safety and security of online poker is one of the most important and worrying topics for many players. If we talk about financial security, any poker room that gathers more than a thousand players at a time should receive enough money to normally exist and pay players money.
The thing is that the poker room itself is not directly involved in the game and as a casino does not take risks. Room receives rake, regardless of the results of individual players. Hence another important point – there is no big sense for the room to “cheat”, “fudge” the cards. Thus, the problem of random number generator (RNG), which is relevant in casinos, is not particularly acute here, although it is discussed.
During several years of the existence of best poker online with millions of players and hundreds of poker rooms there has been only one case of fraud, and that was not from the room itself, but from one of its managers. The manager had access to the cards of all the players and helped his partner win the tournament. When the situation was disclosed, the room took measures to strengthen security measures. In general, it can be said that playing online in major poker rooms is quite safe as long as you don’t try to do anything against the rules of the room.