How to adjust your playing style online to live poker
The world of new technologies has provided almost unimaginable possibilities in various professional and leisure sectors . A clear example of this is related to the exciting world of F1. There are people who compete in the virtual Formula 1 league, where they have the support of the official teams and compete in races with rules, circuits and other parameters similar to those that Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen have to face. Of course, behind a screen and from the comfort of your home.
This invites us to wonder if these virtual pilots could drive a real car in the same way. And the truth is that the change would be so dramatic that it could even put his physical integrity at risk. This example could be transferred to the poker sector , where many users who perform splendidly playing on their favorite online poker site online , could end up demonstrating a much lower level of play playing face-to-face.
For this reason, this time we have prepared a report with the strictest changes and the details to take into account when making the leap from online poker to face-to-face poker . This change may seem common to the most experienced users, but for the new generations trained with a permanent virtual environment, it can be a difficult change to face. The same game and the same rules, but with circumstances capable of changing everything.
We talked some time ago about how to make the leap from face-to-face poker to online poker . On this occasion, we are going to do it the other way around: we will show you the aspects that you must take into account to adjust an online style of play to face-to-face poker.
Show your face: prepare for the first big challenge
There is a very clear difference between the player who has developed his entire career in online poker rooms and the one who knows the world of face-to-face poker: the way in which the rivals are analyzed .
The former only have the possibility of reading the way their opponents act through their resolutions, but there is nothing more essential for a face-to-face player than intuiting the hand of his rival without having seen his cards. This is achieved through the reading of gestures, behavioral patterns and different issues that are won with hours of face-to-face play.
Therefore, players who decide to make the leap to face-to-face poker must learn to control their body language in the best possible way . Otherwise, they will be exposed to a pack of hungry hunters who will come for him the moment they detect a weakness.
To prevent this from happening, it is essential to have a high level of emotional stability . A behavior according to the context in which the game takes place and trying to show “poker face” throughout the game, regardless of the cards you have or the game situation, is key.
Focus on one game
Modern players have had the opportunity to access all the wonders that the world of new internet poker rooms has to offer . One of them is to be able to play multigame . That is, to play at more than one table at the same time.
This way of approaching the game has many advantages. In the first place, this allows waiting times to be much shorter, since, if you are not acting at one table, you are acting at another. Likewise, it allows game strategies to be implemented much faster , accelerating the player’s learning process.
However, live poker tends to be much more leisurely in general . Players take their time making decisions, analyzing opponents’ actions, and even analyzing them visually.
Therefore, in order to compete more adequately in face-to-face poker, the player must learn to be much more patient and focus all his attention on a single table , forgetting the classic “hyperactivity” of online poker.
Adapt to a slower pace of play
Closely related to the above is the speed at which hands are played in online poker . This is basically because of the time limit each player has to make a move. Therefore, for players who have only ever played online, the live version will feel like something like a “slow motion” form of poker . In any case, any player who wants to start playing live poker will have no choice but to adapt to a slower and more leisurely pace of play.
Patience should not only be exercised during the game, but also before sitting down at the table. Currently, playing online involves waiting just a few seconds for the page to open or the poker app to start working. Almost instantly the player will be playing.
What happens in a physical poker room is completely different . In fact, to start playing you will have to go to the premises, buy the chips, wait for a free seat at a table, settle into your new seat and adapt to the rhythm of the rest of the players. A visit to the past, where time acts much more calmly.
Increase in spending
Playing poker online for real money is cheap. So much so that it is the modality that welcomes more types of players, regardless of the amount of money they are willing to invest. This does not happen when we play the face-to-face variant, where the value of the bet and the blinds is higher . This makes perfect sense if we take into account the costs involved in operating a physical establishment and the fact that the number of tables is small. Management costs are much higher and, failing that, so are the tables.
Other additional expenses will also be added to this . Unlike playing mobile poker , which can be done from anywhere, playing live poker involves moving to a physical space. Each player must, therefore, go to the casino or gaming room where he decides that he is going to play. This will require an investment in gasoline for your car or to pay the bus ticket, buy a snack between games and other derived expenses that could arise and that should always be taken into account.
This is where the sense of responsibility begins to come into play. It is of great importance to be aware of what we will allocate to play poker, which should not be more than a part of the money that we have reserved exclusively for activities related to leisure and free time .
From there we can begin to forge a base that will give us more and more support to grow in this modality and evolve to play in increasingly competitive tables. This, in turn, will allow you to carry out this activity without putting your economy at risk .
Conclusion: learning to deal with momentous changes
Transitions are never easy. A poker player accustomed to playing online might be convinced that they would feel just as comfortable playing at a live table. However, the reality is that he will find himself in a completely unknown situation that he has never experienced before. The environment always makes the player, and this time it will be no different.
Therefore, it is important that you take into account all the aspects that we have described in this article. The times will not be the same, the fact of knowing how to deal with our expressions will become something truly crucial, managing the links will also be, and the increase in spending will be the definitive proof that we have taken a step forward in our game. All this will affect, in one way or another, our performance in this modality.
While live poker isn’t for everyone, it’s worth a try . Sitting at a table with other players and testing ourselves will be an experience that you will surely not forget. Something that will make you grow as a player, beyond the result you achieve in this new and exciting adventure.
