Poker has a long history in the live arena but has grown to be much more popular online. Whether due to COVID-19 restrictions or other factors, the vast majority of poker play happens online now and this trend is expected to continue. There are many differences between live and online poker which can make the transition between the two quite challenging for players who were previously accustomed to playing in person.

Some of these differences are simple and obvious – for example, in an online poker game, players can use a variety of strategy tools and HUDs to make more informed decisions at the table. This makes the competition much more fierce, but it also means that there is a greater opportunity to improve your skills. In a live setting, players can only rely on their brainpower and physical reads, which is a lot more challenging for many players.

Another difference between the two games is the pace of play. Online, players tend to log more hands, which can lead to more short term variance – meaning that you’ll experience bigger gains and losses than you would if you played live for the same amount of time. This can give the impression that you’re getting more bad beats and that your results are worse than they actually are.

In addition, the type of players you’ll encounter in an online poker room will often be different to those you’ll face in a live game. In general, online players tend to have more aggressive styles, which can be tougher on players who are used to a more loose-passive approach in a live game. However, this can also lead to softer games and more multiway pots.

Players who are making the switch from live to online poker should focus on adjusting their style to suit the new environment. This is likely to be the most difficult part of the transition for most live players, as many don’t adjust well and end up making poor decisions. For instance, it’s usually a good idea to tighten up against more aggressive opponents and play strong hands while balancing this with slow-playing on draw-heavy boards and bluffing against weak players. In addition, you should make it a point to see more flops and avoid shoving with marginal hands when you’re deep in an online poker game. This will help you improve your overall poker skills and increase your chances of winning. If you don’t do this, you may find yourself losing more money than you should be.