Poker Online Comparison

Differences between online and live poker

At one point in your betting career, you might have come across the phrases “online poker” and “live poker” and you keep getting it all mixed up. Just know that you are not alone. This article will give you an in-depth understanding of the differences between the two and afterwards, you will be knowledgeable enough to know the best one to choose. Let us start with the basics. Poker is a family of card games that combines betting and several psychological skills. You can play poker in a land-based casino or at online poker sites.

If you decide to play poker at an online casino, you will be offered two different forms of play, and this is where the term online and live poker came to existence. Basically, the two forms of play share a lot of similarities especially in the rule of play such that if you have enough experience playing online poker, you will definitely find it easy to play live poker and this goes vice versa. So the major difference between the two is that live poker is played with a real-life dealer through a video feed while the other is played with a computer-based software. In this article we will list the major differences between live and online play, prepared for you by the team of BeastsOfPoker.

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• Comparing rake in online poker Although you can use this information to help you decide where to take your poker game, you should take other aspects of online poker into consideration when choosing where to play. These include the player pool, rake back, what stakes you want to play, and the usability of the different poker client software.

Style of Play

Live and online poker requires you to play online through a mobile or desktop platform, however, with live poker, you will be playing in real time with other players from different regions. You also have the ability to interact with the dealer as the round proceeds. Cool right? This helps lighten the mood of the game regardless of whether you win or lose. However, with online poker, cards are dealt by an automated software known as the Random Number Generator (RNG). When playing online poker, you are generally interacting with a computer program throughout the course of the game.

Another difference is the pace of the game. Live poker is much slower in progress. If you are used to the fast pace of online poker with RNG, you might find live poker too tedious to tolerate. Where online poker deals you 60 hands in an hour at a given table, you will most likely hit just half that number using the same timeframe with live poker. Online poker also gives you the opportunity to play several tables at once which translates to more hands per hour than you can get with live poker. With online poker, you can explore more in less time.

Just like most online poker sites, you will find a welcome bonus package on offer if you are signing up for an account with BetMGM Poker. These types of offers will vary from operator to operator. With BetMGM Poker, you will get your first deposit matched 100%, up to a max bonus of $1,000.

According to many players who have had experiences with the two versions, you are likely to experience more bad beats with online poker. However, you should know that this is not because online poker puts you at a disadvantage. It is because you tend to play more hands and rounds within a short period of time, so you experience more of everything and these include more wins and more losses. In the past, the contrast between live poker and online poker players was very clear, however, nowadays there is more overlap with the gap becoming smaller in recent times.

Playing Live and Online

In live poker, you will often come across more bet sizing than you can find with the online type, primarily when it comes to opening preflop raises. Generally, online poker is ideal for players with a relatively small bankroll. While online poker might feature players opening for 2x, or 3x the big blind, it is quite normal to come across players opening for 5x, 6x or even more, particularly in the lower-stakes live poker. Tournaments are a different story, although you will occasionally find live players overbetting, particularly inexperienced players who find it hard to keep track of pot sizes.

While playing live poker, you are likely to have more encounters with loose play in the form of players doing a lot more calling. One major consequence of this trend is more multi-way pots occurring during the rounds. Cases like this require strategy adjustment and also a lot more thinking through before proceeding with the round. It is not that unusual in a live poker session to come across a number of limpers in preflop and/or several callers of a preflop raise. Online poker on the other end, has preflop betting that results in more heads-up situations.

Generally, online poker gives you the opportunity to access online betting tools to help you play better. In essence, you will also be playing against other players who have the same access to such tools and are well-groomed strategically, thus making every round tough. However, live poker will most likely involve players who just play for fun and in many cases are not too technical about their analysis. However, this is not typical of all live poker cases. So, if you prefer to follow the calm, soft trend, live poker might be a good deal for you.

Variance in Online Poker

When playing poker, either live or online, it is a good practice to keep track of your wins and losses over time. Keeping record of your results helps you to ascertain whether your strategy is helping you make money or not. Be aware that variance plays a big part of your wins and losses in the short team. When the number of wins over a period of time is much more than your losses and more than you would expect to make if the cards break even, then you have a positive variance. If you experience more losses than wins over a particular period of time as a winning player, then you have a negative variance. It is common for players to experience extended periods negative variance at some points in their play – these periods are called downswings.

There is no standard period to compute poker variance, you might decide to go for 50 or 100 sessions– the choice is yours. However, it is advisable you stick to a period to get good data on how well or bad you have done. So, how do you apply this in real life betting? Let us assume you decide to use a month as the standard period for statistics. After a month, you played 20 sessions and you achieved a 55% win-rate which is 11 sessions. You can then check subsequent months to see if your results improved or not. The most important part is of course the amount of money won or lost – simply having more winning sessions only to lose a lot in a single sessions is not good for the long-run.

It might be quite tricky to run a variance calculation manually. This is why there are several tools that can help you. You can simply do a google search for “poker variance calculator”. However, when using variance to determine your win rate, you should be mindful of short-term losing streaks which might be a result of habits you don’t do regularly. An example is trying out a new poker variant that you have never played before such as 5 Card Pot-Limit Omaha. The losing sessions from this new adventure can skew your result, thereby misleading you to believe you have a negative win-rate.

Pros and cons of online poker compared to live poker

Pros of Online poker

• You can control the speed of play
• Allows multi hands and multi tables at once

Cons of Online poker

• Online poker is generally aggressive and harder
• Less social

Relative stakes and betting limits

Regardless of your skill level, you will need to adapt to different competition & betting structures for online and live poker if you will be trying both. As we have established earlier, online poker players have access to software that can improve their skills. This is however not the case for live poker. For this reason, you will most likely encounter higher-skilled players while playing online poker. As a rule of thumb, it is generally advised to use the 10-to-1 guideline when comparing poker games. For instance, if you have a $0.50/$1 NL game online, it will play as “tough” as a $5/$10 NL live game.

Due to the gap in skill level, we advise you to use relative stakes when playing online or live poker. With that in mind, you should note that there are different betting limits and they are implemented in four common forms. The first is the no-limit type and it’s denoted with ‘NL’. We referenced this type in the last paragraph for you to see how it’s used. This betting form allows you to raise the bet by any amount up to your remaining stake, however, the raised bet must be at least the amount of the previous raise.

There is also the pot-limit betting structure which limits players from raising more than the size of the total pot. The total pot includes starting pot (chips collected from previous betting rounds), trail (previous action in the ongoing betting round) and/or a call from the player making the raise. Also, we have a fixed limit betting structure. This betting structure allows players to choose whether to bet or not. However, the bet amount is fixed by rule in most situations. To enable the possibility of protection and bluffing, the fixed amount normally doubles at some point during a round.

Poker Variants

Poker has several variations, most of which still retain the standard order of play. However, individual differences occur when considering the type of hand values to be used, the number of betting rounds, the exact cards that are dealt and the type of actions allowed to be taken between rounds. There are three categories of poker variations that you will come across and these variations are Draw, Stud and Community poker. Generally, in draw poker, you will be dealt a complete hand, facedown, and allowed to replace cards to improve your hand. Draw poker allows two to eight players in a table.

Stud poker is a little different from Draw in that each player is dealt a combination of face-down cards and face-up cards in different betting rounds. The face-up cards are then used for analysis by the players. The popular types are 5-card stud and 7-card stud. The major difference between these two is the number of cards dealt before the betting round. The 7-card stud has an additional two cards dealt to the players and in a case whereby the deck is exhausted before the round is completed, the players share the community card dealt at the center of the table to proceed with the game.

And lastly, we have poker with community cards. This variation involves the player’s incomplete hidden hand being combined with shared face-up cards. The shared face-up cards are dealt in the centre of the table and are shared by all of the players. The set of community cards is known as the “board” and may be dealt in a set pattern or arranged in a simple line. The popular community poker variants are Texas Hold‘em and Omaha Hold’em. At the end of a round, each player will have two cards but has access to the five community cards from which they can make the winning hand.

Poker Game Structures

There are three common gaming structures available in the poker world. The first is the cash game. This is the most basic poker format that involves you buying in with a certain bet amount based on the stakes, and with the bet amount, you can bet, raise or call once you have received your cards. You can decide to sit out whenever you want without a penalty. If you have a busy schedule and still want to enjoy poker this is the best game structure for you. It allows you to get in a few hands during a short free period.

Tournament Poker

Tournaments, on the other hand, require you to play until either you are busted from the tournament, out of chips or you win. If you decide to sit out, your blinds will still be taken, which means that despite not being at the table for that round, you will still lose some chips. Tournaments require a significant time investment and it’s only recommended for those who have enough free time to spare. However, tournaments offer huge rewards and can attract tremendous player pools from different regions. An example of a poker tournament is the World Series of Poker.

Sit and go tournaments

Sit and go tournaments have several similarities with tournaments however they do not have a set schedule. This type of tournament only starts when enough players register to participate. Much like tournaments, they require a time commitment, therefore, it is not recommended for players with a busy schedule. Also sitting out does not exempt you from playing the blinds just as it is with tournaments. However, sit and go tournaments are typically much quicker from start to finish than a tournament. They are often the best choice for practicing final tables of larger multi-table tournaments since they are short.

FAQ

What is the best format of poker to play?

Many of the common poker formats are beginner-friendly – make sure you understand the rules and the betting structure in a particular game before jumping in!

Is online poker legal?

This is totally dependent on the region you are from, but most countries allow you to play online.

Can I play online poker using my phone or tablet?

Yes, you can. Several online poker sites are compatible with mobile devices.

What is a poker strategy?

This is the pattern of play a player develops for winning. In poker you can win with many strategies, but usually winning players use a tight and aggressive style of poker.

Can I play at more than one poker site?

Yes, you can try multiple sites and use the best one for you.

Is poker hard to learn?

Not that hard! Poker takes just a few minutes to learn as a beginner-friendly game and you only need to know the basics to start, but mastering a game requires real commitment and will take thousands of hours.

Whether you’re new to poker or simply new to playing poker online, No Deposit Poker offers a chance to get your first online hands in for no money out of your own pocket.

While you can always play for free on any poker site in play-money games, most online poker sites also give you credit to play in real money online poker games just for signing up.

This is known as “No Deposit” Poker. While it’s usually not a ton of money (typically up to $25 or $30), and it can’t be cashed out right away, a no deposit poker bonus makes it easy to play for fun in actual, competitive poker games and start building your online bankroll.

All you have to do to claim it is set up a new account, create a username, and start playing.

No Deposit Poker Bonus Codes

Where can you play no deposit poker in the US?

As of 2021, there are five states that currently offer legal, real-money poker sites to US players:

At ;east one more state has passed regulation to license and legalize online poker but has yet to launch any real money sites:

While the amount of real money poker sites available in each state varies (NJ has the most options, for example), most if not all poker sites offer no deposit poker for new players.

No Deposit Bonus Poker Sites

Whichever your state, use the links in the table above to claim your no-deposit poker bonus. After downloading the online poker software, you can then create your account.

This is where you enter your “Bonus Code” (see table above) to secure your no deposit bonus. After signup, the bonus is instantly credited to your account. You can then hit the tables and get started.

If you want to play no deposit poker outside of the above states, see our Global Poker section below.

WSOP.com (NJ, NV) – $10 free

This is the online poker arm of the famed World Series of Poker. WSOP.com offers online poker to players in Nevada (where it’s the only operator in the market) and New Jersey.

The WSOP partners with 888poker in the US for its software platform. 888 is a respected international online poker operator and a regular sponsor of the WSOP in Las Vegas.

WSOP.com offers the only shared player pool in the US among Nevada and New Jersey, and with 888 in Delaware. This makes for larger prize pools and player pools in most events, which makes it the regular revenue leader in New Jersey.

WSOP.com gives you a free $10 no deposit bonus simply for signing up. This makes it easy to play low-budget cash games, tournaments, sit & go’s, and other events.

That 10 bucks may not seem like a lot, but there are cash games that start at only pennies and low roller tournaments and sit & go’s for that as well. Those who decide to play for even more will also find an extra bonus of 100% match up to $1,000 on your first deposit.

If you prefer taking your poker on the road, WSOP.com also has a nice real money poker app for your phone. The free $10 No Deposit Bonus is also available to app users so it’s easy to jump right in the action and test drive what’s on offer.

888poker (NJ, DE) – $20 free

888poker offers online poker in New Jersey as a partner with WSOP.com, but also offers all online poker in the state of Delaware. 888 players also benefit from being part of the New Jersey/Nevada/Delaware interstate player compact with WSOP.

As for a no-deposit bonus, new players get $20 free to play real money casino games and poker tournaments. Here’s how that cash is distributed:

• $10 in free play for select casino games on 888 Casino.
• A credit of $4 worth in bonus money that can be used at 888poker or 888 Casino.
• Six 888poker tournament tickets with a value of $1 each.

If you want to deposit into your account for further play you can also claim a 100% match bonus up to $1,500.

partypoker (NJ) – $25 free

This is another excellent option for players in New Jersey offering a $25 No Deposit Bonus for players simply signing up. That can go a long way for players looking to play some cards on house money.

partypoker is one of the best platforms in the world and partners with MGM’s Borgata casino in Atlantic City. The additional skins BorgataPoker.com and BetMGM Poker also make use of partypoker software and all three share the same group of players.

You can receive your $25 in a few different ways. This makes for a nice way to play some of what partypoker has to offer including:

• $10 in poker cash
• $5 free for use in partypoker tournaments
• $10 free for use in the party casino

Players simply have to set up and account to earn that free money. The partypoker app also offers a great playing experience, and the company has worked to make it an even better option since 2019.

Beyond the free money option, those looking to fund their account will find another nice deposit match bonus of 100% up to $600.

PokerStars (NJ, PA, MI) – $30 free play (on deposit)

When you’re the most recognized and popular online poker site in the world, a no deposit bonus isn’t in the cards. But you can get $30 in free play for a minimal deposit.

Known for its world-class software and massive tournaments, PokerStars now offers real-money online poker in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan. As of January 2021, it’s the only poker site in PA and MI, but that should change shortly when partypoker launches. In the US, all of NJ, PA and MI are still “fenced-in” markets, which means players can only play against others located in that state – not against a national or international player pool (yet).

That being said, you’ll find many similar series and promotions that you’d find on the international PokerStars platform, only geared toward each state. Both have proven popular so far and offer access to big tournament series such as the NJ/PA Championships of Online Poker and the Bounty Builder Series.

Players won’t find a completely free no deposit bonus for poker, but a pretty solid deal nonetheless. For a deposit of $20, players get $30 in free play. Or, on that first deposit players can also choose a 100% match bonus up to $600 instead.

The $30 free play bonus includes:

• $20 Bonus Money
• $10 in Spin & Go tickets
• Free entry into a $5,000 depositor freeroll
• 1 million in Play-Money chips

BorgataPoker.com (NJ) – $20 free

The online site of one of Atlantic City’s most renowned poker rooms, Borgata Poker online is a partypoker skin that offers another nice no deposit bonus – simply set up your account and earn a free $20.

As they share software, you’ll find the same excellent and newly revised table layout you’d find on partypoker NJ plus the same cash game and tournament selection.

Your no deposit bonus comes in the form of:

• $10 in cash
• $10 poker bonus

If you choose to go on and make a deposit you’ll get a 100% match bonus up to $600.

Players at BorgataPoker.com will find some nice daily and weekly events as well as major tournament series. That includes chances to qualify at the property’s regular live tournament events – some of the best in the country.

BetMGM Poker (NJ) – $25 free

Another partypoker skin, this platform also uses the same software and player pool. It also offers the chance to earn another nice no deposit bonus.

Set up an account and take the free $25 to jump on a table and do some betting and bluffing. No big requirements here; just use this link and get started playing with your free cash.

If you decide to actually make an additional deposit, you’ll get a 100% match bonus up to $1,000.

Global Poker No Purchase Bonus (All US except WA & Canada except Quebec)

This is a unique Sweeps Coin poker site available to players in the US (excl. WA) and Canada (excl. Que). Similar to a social casino gaming site, players can play for a free with a virtual currency called Gold Coins (GC).

Those who purchase more Gold Coins receive Sweeps Coins (SC) as a bonus. These can also be used in separate tournaments and ring games and ultimately be redeemed for cash prizes and gift cards.

Global Poker is a great promotional sweepstakes poker option with a $20 Gold Coin no purchase package for you to get started and try the platform out.

Free Poker vs No Deposit Poker

No deposit poker is a great way to jump in to your first action online. These bonuses are indeed real money and can be a great jumpstart to having a proper poker bankroll you can use to play progressively bigger stakes.

That’s certainly not required however – you can play at the lowest stakes (literally pennies) for as long as you want to. Legal poker sites also offer the chance to simply play for virtual currency (play money), too, although the game is decidedly different strategically than real money poker.

Regardless, through both you can see how the site functions, get used to the speed of the online game and work on your own strategy weak spots.

Playing at a legal, regulated online poker site in the US is the same as playing at a live poker table at a casino. They offer safety and security and must meet strict gaming regulations like traditional casinos. Read more about safe and secure online poker sites.

Beyond the traditional poker software client, playing for real money on poker apps is also an option.

Online Poker Sites Comparison

These are not to be confused with other social gaming and similar play money apps. These don’t offer a real-money option and playing poker is much different when not playing for real money. You’ll find traditional real-money online poker is much closer to what you might experience in a real casino card room.

Traditional online poker sites in the US offer players a virtual game as well as the ability to play for real money in major tournaments and cash games.

New Player Freerolls to Build a Poker Bankroll

Another great way to build a bankroll on an online poker site is to make use of freerolls. These are free tournaments to enter where the poker site puts up a real money prize pool.

There is no tournament fee and you can earn real money if you win or make it into the money spots. Many sites offer new players exclusive freerolls in addition to no deposit bonuses.

Freerolls are another nice option to make some money on a poker site without having to make a deposit. Additionally, these tournaments aren’t solely for new players and many sites use them as promotions.

No Deposit Bonus vs. Welcome Bonus

Most poker sites offer all new players a Welcome Bonus. This shouldn’t be confused with a no deposit bonus.

A welcome bonus, also sometimes referred to as a match bonus, applies to players who make an initial deposit. Some of these bonuses can be for up to $1,500 and make for a great way to get started on a real-money online poker site if you intend to play a lot of poker. Meeting the clearing requirements for some welcome bonuses – particularly the largest amounts – will take some concentrated effort in a short period of time.

A no deposit bonus is just as the name implies. A new player only has to register an account and can play using these funds without even making a deposit. No deposit bonuses are the easier way to get started with online poker.

Play Free Poker on Your Phone

Online poker has exploded as a way to play poker for real money on a cell phone or tablet. Poker sites now tailor their product for mobile users as well as those using the traditional poker client.

All the traditional online poker sites mentioned here in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Nevada and Delaware all offer nice poker apps. Those include:

• WSOP.com (NJ, NV)
• PokerStars (NJ, PA)
• 888poker (NJ)
• Partypoker (NJ)
• BorgataPoker.com (NJ)
• BetMGM (NJ)

Poker apps are easy to download for both iPhone and Android. You can still take advantage of no deposit bonuses as well as other deposit offers found here. You can expect to find all the games and events you’d find using a laptop including:

• Cash games
• Tournaments
• Sit & Go’s
• Major MTT series

Poker Online Comparison Tool

If you try out a poker app you’ll find a platform built specifically for mobile play. Much of the play on a poker app can be done utilizing a single finger, which makes playing on the go very simple. Most features found on the desktop client are also available on the app.

For players not able to play traditional online poker on their phones, promotional sweepstakes poker sites like Global Poker also offer an opportunity. While Global doesn’t yet have a mobile app, the site uses a browser-based system that also works great on a cell phone or tablet.

No Deposit Poker FAQ

Are online No Deposit Poker bonuses really free?

Yes, poker sites offer these bonuses to USPoker readers to try out the site. Players can build a bankroll using these funds and ultimately cash them out for real money.

What games can I play with a No Deposit Bonus?

While these bonuses may be smaller than players would typically deposit, they do offer a chance to play for real money. Players can take advantage of cash games, tournaments, and sit & go’s.

You can find stakes for all bankrolls and can play for as low as $0.01/$0.02 at many sites. You’ll also find tournaments and sit & go’s available for around $1.

Some sites may offer the no deposit bonus as a simple credit to your account allowing you to play as you wish. Others may offer players specific tournament or sit & go tickets. These can be used to actually win real money and build a poker bankroll just like funds you can deposit on the site.

Can I claim a No Deposit Bonus and a Match Bonus?

Yes, a no deposit bonus is free money a player can use after simply creating an account at a site. There is no deposit required and you don’t have to fund an account.

Match Bonuses or Welcome Bonuses are funds credited to a player’s account after making a deposit. These can be hundreds of dollars and even thousands, and are a great benefit for players looking to make a deposit.

These may have requirements for “play-through” before these funds are released however. That means a player may need to play a certain number of hands or events to have some of that bonus released and credited to his account.

When can I withdraw my no deposit bonus?

Most winnings from these bonuses can be withdrawn as they are accumulated. These funds are real money as if the player had made a deposit.

What’s the catch with a No Deposit Bonus?

There’s no “catch” with these types of funds. They’re available to you to try out a regulated, legal online poker site for real money and see if it’s for you. It’s real money to play poker and it’s free. What could be better? You won’t be able to claim the bonus and then immediately cash it out, obviously, but that shouldn’t be classified as a “catch” per se. That’s simple common sense.

Top Poker Sites Online

Where can I get a No Deposit bonus in the US?

Since 2011, after what’s known as “Black Friday,” the US has been limited to a state-by-state approach to legalizing online poker. Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware have offered online poker since 2013.

Pennsylvania began offering online poker in 2019 and Michigan online poker launched its first poker site in 2021. West Virginia legalized online gaming including poker in 2019 but has yet to go live as of February 2021.

Those looking for some No Deposit Poker are in luck with a few sites in some of these legal states. It’s also important to note that while you have to be located within these states to play, you don’t have to be there to sign up for a No Deposit Bonus or even fund your account.

Some players see that No Deposit Bonus as a challenge – ie how long they can make it last as they try to build it up into an even bigger bonus. Here’s a look at a few popular sites where you can get in the games just for signing up.

If you’re interested in no deposit bonuses for online casino play, see our dedicated page here: