Playing poker online was one of the first main ways to enjoy the game that caught on with players. It had long been a social event, but by adding the online element, it caught on with the internet generation in a big way. With online connections becoming more common in the mainstream world, is poker becoming more popular online than in the real world?
Why make the switch?
One of the biggest reasons that players are choosing to move over to playing online is the sheer amount of choice that’s available. The best NJ online casino sites offer players the ability to enjoy several different poker options, far more than a brick-and-mortar casino can offer.
It’s not just the level of choice that is appealing to players either. Some of the best online casinos also allow far more players to be involved in games. This increases the size of the pot and makes it much more appealing to players. It’s this reason that has prompted some top players to move from the big real world poker tournaments to focus on playing online.
Some players who struggle with bluffing and hiding their tells also prefer to play online. This is because the online version of the game doesn’t include face to face interactions. From here, players don’t have to worry about their body language and can just focus on playing the game.
Isabelle Mercier
Isabelle Mercier is one of the most storied female poker players of all time. She’s managed seven money finishes at the WSOP and is regarded as a master of judging body language and tells. Despite this, she has made the move to playing solely at online poker tournaments.
This has surprised several people as Mercier is well known for having risked everything to get the opportunity to play poker professionally. However, part of her reason for doing this is to access the progressive jackpots that are available in online poker.
A progressive jackpot isn’t something that is logistically possible with real world poker. Playing online allows pots to be linked from all over the world. It means that while the initial stake might be a little bit lower at first, the overall winnings that can be accessed are significantly higher.
This is a move that’s offered bigger prizes to traditional poker players and is seeing more and more pro players making that switch.
What makes it so surprising is that Mercier is a player who relied on her ability to read people when playing. She is removing this advantage from herself and, as such, a part of what makes her such a good poker player is removed.
However, she feels that the increase in prize level is worth this risk. It means that many more pros are likely to make the switch in years to come. If you’re into playing for progressive jackpots, then now should be the time to do it before the scene is dominated by pro players.