live game vs online: is it a completely diffierent game?

[cpk]

Today, right now, I think the key differences are, at least for limit holdem (because that's what I know):

1. People are way looser live. Way, way, way looser, on every street. A relatively tight live 10/20 game would be considered loose even at the Party 2/4 these days.

2. People are far more passive live, though this difference narrows considerably as you increase in limits.

Possible reasons:

1. I do not know for sure, but I think people do not generally turn to online poker just to gamble. They play poker online because they already have some interest in the game. The average online player takes the game much more seriously than the average live player. Live players gamble at poker (at holdem especially) because they know they get more value for their money than they do at blackjack--even if they play holdem very badly.

2. People act more aggressively on the Internet, in general. In chat forums, people say things that would get them knocked out cold if they said them to a stranger in public. This translates to the poker table. A lot of live players play passively because raising--especially check-raising--seems rude. Online, the anonymity takes these feelings away.

3. The faster pace of online poker means that it's easier to be selective. I can't tell you how many live players, bad as they are, know that 82s is not a good hand yet play it anyway because they are "bored" and the hand is "soooted." I don't think this happens as much online. Oh, it definitely happens, but not as much.

4. Many very good players multitable. A good player can only be in one table in a live cardroom. Therefore, your chances of running into a good player multiply online.

5. It's hard, and getting harder, to put money on online sites. This means that newer players are discouraged, and as people bust out, they are not replaced as quickly. My opinion is that the online games are slowly drying up as the poker craze fades a little bit. Not everyone agrees with this, but all you have to do is compare the average Party 2/4 table to the same table 2 years ago. It's night and day. Live games have no such barrier.

The bottom line:

1. There is one key reason why many people are able to beat live games and not online games. The reason is simple: It is far easier to beat looser, passive games than tighter, more aggressive games. Far, far easier. Even if the rake is dramatically higher. It's not anywhere near close.

2. You can read hands more easily live not because you get some random tell, though that often helps. Live players are far more likely to be passive. Passive players are far more predictable. When the third flush card comes and a passive live player check-raises you, you can be fairly sure they have a flush--you can be almost dead certain that your top/overpair is no good.

When your random online player donks you, you are less certain--because online players are more likely to be randomly aggressive. Online 5/10 players will donk J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]T[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] on a board of A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]2[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. Why? Because it's way easier to be aggressive when you can't see your opponents' faces. A typical live passive player would--subconsciously--think such a move to be extremely rude. The same player could very well go online and think it would be extremely funny if donking middle pair caused someone to lay down AK. And it's more likely to be accidentally correct anyway because people tend to be aggressive with stuff like KQ even when they whiff on A-high boards.

This is why reading hands online is harder. This in turn is why playing online is generally harder and takes more skill to do well.

(Sorry that this got to be kinda long, but I enjoyed writing it. Thanks for reading this far. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img])