Do You Need The Same Skills For Online And Offline Poker?

05.30.2008 | 3:19 pm | Poker, gambling

Even though the online version of Poker seems to have grabbed much of the attention over the last few years, let us not forget that offline traditional Poker venues are still very popular, with countries such as the UK showing increased attendance figures of late.  The onset of the 2008 WSOP has also highlighted the popularity of offline Poker but do you need the same skills to play online as you do face to face?

Let us consider the different elements of each game and how important they can be :-

Head For Numbers

A head for numbers and the ability to work out the probability of cards dropping is something which is vital in both online and offline Poker.

Nerve

This is where the two elements start to differ slightly because offline Poker offers your opponents the chance to try and pile on the pressure and physc you out.  It would be wrong to say that nerve was not needed in online Poker, but this is may be a different ‘style’.

Patience

As they say, patience is a virtue, never more so than in the area of Poker, whether this is online or offline however it may be a little more critical for those playing online.  As your opponents on a large table take their time many players can become irritated and there is a chance they may play their hand too quickly.  Even if your next move is obvious it is always a good idea to vary the time which you take to play your next hand – keep your opponents on their toes and do not make life easy for them!

In truth there are many ways in which an online Poker player could adapt their game to the offline version and visa versa, but they are really two different skills and the tactics used and characteristics required are not always the same.