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5 common misconceptions about online poker

27th September 2021 Print
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Online poker attracts legions of fans from around the world, and yet to those who have never fired up a casino site to try their luck at the virtual tables, it can feel like a closed-off and slightly mysterious community.

Because of this, there are also plenty of misconceptions about what the online iteration of this historic game involves, both from a practical perspective and in terms of the culture. So let’s look at the most common fallacies and why they don’t hold water.

Online poker is difficult to learn

Arguably the biggest reason that people avoid investigating the world of online poker is because of the false notion that it is hard to pick it up as a total newcomer.

The good news is that there is an easy way to understand how to play poker, and moreover you can get to grips with it quickly without needing to learn every single rule.

One of the reasons for this is that the best poker services do a good job of ensuring that players know precisely what is going on at every point. Of course that does not prevent you from making the wrong decision when choosing to hold or fold, but getting the fundamentals down pat should not be a problem.

Security is a concern

This is another unfair stereotype attributed to online poker sites, and yet plenty of outsiders think of this industry as being somehow shady or suspicious, which in turn makes them believe that they would be putting their private data at risk by playing with mainstream operators.

Once again, this is not something that rings true, so long as you stick to established online poker brands and take all the usual precautions you would when signing up to any web-based service.

Part of this of course comes down to only playing online poker if it is legalized and regulated in your region. If it is, then you have the full suite of consumer protections afforded to you if something goes wrong. If not, you could be left high and dry should an issue arise.

Every player is an expert

Another excuse given by those who are sceptical about online poker is that the players you face on the web will all be seasoned veterans, meaning you will go into every match at a massive disadvantage.

Luckily this is simply not the case, and while it is certainly possible to end up facing off against experts who will have a greater chance of winning because they have spent so much time playing poker online, the vast majority of players will be just like you.

Playing poker should be a fun pastime, and casual players are in plentiful supply online. If you still feel cautious about risking real cash for fear that it will simply be snatched away by pros, you can always play at free poker sites, where the only thing at stake is your pride.

It’s a lonely hobby

The stereotypical image of the average online gamer is of a teenager hunched over a computer in their parent’s basement, alone apart from the glow of their computer monitor.

This is both unfair and massively outdated, as gamers have not only matured but the services themselves have become far more socially engaging.

Online poker is the perfect example of this, as the best services feature all sorts of social features, ranging from text chat and voice chat to full-blown video chat that really lets you see who you are up against.

Of course the degree to which you participate in any of this is entirely up to you, but it is nice to know that you have the option to communicate with your fellow players rather than feeling like you are just gambling against a cold, calculating piece of software.

This of course helps to add to the realism of proceedings as well; poker is a game which relies in part on the interactions between players in order to determine the decisions which are made, so social features help to replicate the experience of playing at a table in a land-based casino.

It’s expensive

The campaign for responsible gambling is an important one, and if you do decide to play poker online then you should certainly set a budget you can afford and never exceed it.

Online casinos make it much more affordable for the average player to get involved thanks to the generous sign-up bonuses they offer, which can ease the sting of risking cash when playing poker.

Obviously the only way to see if online poker is for you is to create an account with a reputable site and start playing, so hopefully you now have a few more reasons to take the plunge.

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