Why so many prefer online and mobile poker to the real thing

**Poker remains a very popular game in bricks and mortar casinos all around the world. Despite this, however, it has become even more popular online.**

Over the last 20 years or so, online and ultimately mobile poker have captured huge audiences, to the point that a lot of people think of poker primarily as a digital activity.

This is something we’re used to at this point, but it’s also somewhat rare for an in-person activity to migrate into the digital realm with such success.

We’ve seen plenty of online and mobile Monopoly games, for instance, but most people still think of it as a physical board game; bingo has had something of a resurgence online, but plenty still hear the word and think about marking cards and watching balls drawn from cages.

So why and how have so many people come to prefer digital poker to the real thing? A few simple explanations stand out.

Convenience

The most important factor is the pure convenience of online poker compared to in-person casino play.

Apps and online games are simply more readily accessible, and the impact this has on players was demonstrated particularly clearly last year, during the worst of the pandemic.

During that time, while in-person casinos struggled, online activity surged as easy (and safe) alternatives.

This was particularly evident in the Chinese market, where mobile gaming revenue spiked to a four-year high — though we saw similar success in online casino gaming in other parts of the world as well.

Security

As online gaming in general has become more prevalent in recent years, we have seen more examples of game developers and platforms partnering with payment services and fraud detectors in order to make transactions simple and safe.

This has had a particularly important impact on internet and mobile poker and casino gaming, in that it reassures players (and particularly newcomers) that their deposits are safe with digital casinos.

That’s not to say issues can’t arise, but the more sophisticated structures for online poker transactions have certainly helped the game to grow over the years.

Access to odds

Expert players tend to learn over time how to calculate poker odds in their heads — in terms of what chances they have of hitting particular hands with particular cards, whether or not it’s mathematically smart to bet in a given situation, and so on.

As complex as it sounds, all of this can be learned in time. For less experienced players though — or those who just aren’t inclined to study the game so closely — another major benefit of playing online is access to references.

At a casino poker player, you can’t exactly take out a phone or cheat sheet to check the odds related to a given scenario. Playing online, however, this is a reasonable option that can help players compete.

Ability to play multiple games

For players who are looking to maximise winnings, rather than just play for fun, online and mobile poker platforms also offer the option of playing in multiple games at once.

This is something a lot of serious players will do, basically as a means of spreading out their deposits and enjoying more chances at pot winnings.

It’s a strategy akin to diversified investment, which is one of the most commonly taught principles of portfolio management in the real world.

Basically, the more your investment is spread out, the less chance there is that a single loss will be problematic, and the more opportunity you have to earn net gains.

Social safety

Finally, some player pokers also find comfort in the social dynamics of online poker.

At an in-person table, the social aspect of the game can be intimidating and/or awkward, and at more high-stakes tables it can even take some of the fun out of the game.

Online, people can socialise if they choose to, but are also free to enjoy the game without much actual interaction with other players.

These reasons add up to a clear explanation for why poker seems increasingly like a tech-based game rather than an in-person experience. And there’s no reason for the trend to reverse anytime soon.

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