Although most poker players play the game both live in casinos and poker clubs as well as online in virtual poker rooms, there are a number of differences between the two playing locations.

The biggest difference is the subtle but important change in competitive emphasis that occurs when switching between live and online play. While playing poker via the internet, the game is more reliant on mathematical analysis and players’ ability to decipher their opponents playing style and preferred hands. While playing live, though, there are many more factors which players need to take into account, including the body language of their opponents.

Because of this, poker players playing the game live have to take into account the mathematical aspects of the game while still concentrating on reading their opponents. Some online players, though, try to offset this difference by using the chat boxes and time banks, where they can request extra time to make decisions, in virtual poker rooms to influence their opponents.

Players who predominately play poker online also tend to be more aggressive in both their style of play and table demeanour than those who mainly play poker live. Trademarks of players who learned the game online often include frequent bluffs and aggressive betting patterns.

Players who predominately play online are also generally better at multi-tabling, where they will be playing on multiple virtual poker tables simultaneously. Some highly skilled online players have been known to play in excess of 16 tables at a time.