Online poker has evolved over the past couple of decades to become an attractive option for entertainment and learning for players of all skill levels.
In 2023, online poker sites have ramped-up their offerings and continue to host thousands of games simultaneously throughout the world, including in America where U.S. online slots are also becoming more popular.
Below is a list of our top 5 reasons to play online poker in 2023.
Image source: Depositphotos.com
Online Poker Convenience
As long as you have a stable internet connection, online poker provides a highly convenient form of card playing that can be enjoyed from pretty much any venue or setting.
Want to play a quick game like a “Turbo” poker event from your mobile smart device? Many online poker sites have capable software that will enable you to Bet, Call, Fold, and Raise with a quick tap or swipe on your screen.
In 2023, it is now just as easy to play online poker games from your own phone as it was for old-school Microsoft Solitaire enthusiasts to play that game from their PC at the turn of the century.
Want to multi-table a few cash games from the comfort of your living room or home office? You can easily play numerous tables of online poker using your own personal computer or laptop.
Online poker is perfect for players who are on-the-go, and only have a few minutes or a couple of hours to dedicate to a pastime.
Large Online Poker Player Pools
Getting thousands of individuals to a retail card room is a feat that only a few major entities can consistently pull off, but online poker sites in 2023 literally have thousands of players online at any given time!
Are you looking to compete against a large player pool in a multi-table tournament that offers a relatively huge (compared to the buy-in) first place prize? You can try your luck at various poker tournaments online that will boast hundreds (if not thousands) of human players during both peak and non-peak times.
There are small buy-in tournaments with large player pools that pay out thousands of dollars to the eventual winner for a nominal entry fee of just a few dollars.
But that’s not all… large player pools at online poker sites make popular games such as “Fast-Fold” and “Lottery-Style” poker possible. Online poker players can zip in-and-out of a Fast-Fold cash game that may have hundreds of players within a single “stake” pool.
Online Poker Game Variety
This is where online poker truly shines compared to retail card rooms. Simply put, online poker sites in 2023 spread a massive amount of games, stakes, and formats that you won’t find at land-based establishments.
Want to play a $1/$2 Limit Seven Card Stud game? That’s really not a problem at some of the larger internet poker sites.
How about a few hands of Badugi at one table combined with an entry into a micro-stakes Razz poker tournament? It is absolutely possible for players to find an “alternative” game to play online without any hassle.
The bigger internet poker sites spread games such as Omaha Hold’em, Seven Card Stud, Five Card Draw, Razz, Badugi (and of course, Texas Hold’em) around the clock – at multiple cash game stakes and tournament buy-in levels.
Online Poker Games on a Budget
The low cost of playing online poker games compared to brick and mortar casinos can’t be overlooked! You’re NOT going to find penny cash games and tournaments at your favorite card room, but you WILL find them at all hours online.
Would you like to set aside $25 for a weekend of poker play without having to worry so much about the inevitable “risk of ruin” that comes with a retail poker excursion?
Popular online poker sites offer events with real money buy-ins as low as $0.01 that can take over an hour to complete. You’ll also find “Limit” poker games with blinds as low as $0.02/$0.04 and “No Limit” $0.01/$0.02 cash tables online that “cap” the max buy-in to $2.00.
There are even Freeroll poker events online that allow casual players to enter a tournament for free with a chance of winning at least a nominal amount of real money, which can then be wagered in the poker site’s micro-stakes games.
You’ll have to “sun-run” to make $100 last an entire weekend at live card room cash games (even if you DO happen upon a rare, nosebleed-rake table that will allow you to buy-in for such a small amount).
On the other hand, micro-stakes penny games at online poker sites can grant casual poker players a MUCH better chance at “staying in the game” with a very small poker bankroll.
Online Poker Educational Value
Many professional poker players who compete (and have a positive expectation) against highly skilled opponents in live high stakes games actually “cut their teeth” on lower stakes online poker ring tables and tournaments years ago.
The speed in which online poker games are dealt (compared to a live setting) will ensure that you see more hands per hour. And this will translate into a greater opportunity to “learn from experience.”
Believe it or not, it is quite possible for poker players to literally play MILLIONS of hands online in their careers. Online poker sites can perform (otherwise time-consuming) tasks such as posting blinds or antes, shuffling, and dealing cards instantly.
If you want to learn how to play poker and give yourself the best shot at seeing a LOT of poker hands, there is no substitute for online poker in 2023.
Online poker games offer an educational value to first-time players who can comfortably study their opponents’ play (as well as their own) in a convenient setting that doesn’t require any physical travel, lodging expenses, or annoying waiting lists.
There are also a number of poker software tools that players can use to review their own hand histories after a game has ended, which can amplify one’s potential to significantly shorten the proverbial “poker learning curve.”
Have fun at the online poker tables in 2023 and reap the advantages of playing the game we all love on the internet!
