After spending hundreds of hours in both online casinos and live casinos, there are various differences between the two despite playing the same game. Here are a few of the nuances I’ve noticed.

Online players are a lot easier stronger stake for stake

Normally the smallest live game you can find in a quality casino is $1/$2 ($200NL). This is where all of the beginners start. Online, the minimal games may be as small as $0.01/$0.02 ($2NL) where there isn’t much money to be made. That means beginners in live casinos are playing for way bigger stakes than online. Online Players playing $200NL are generally very strong.

Live low-stakes players generally don’t have a clue

Cannot tell you how often times I’ve been talking to live players speak about how online players do not determine what they’re doing. They will say things like “you can’t read his face” or “online players don’t know-how to bluff and keep a straight face” – stupidness, really. Many live players don’t understand the concept of frequencies and betting patterns, which in fact are much more informative than “his lip twitched when he reached for his chips” or whatever

Raising 3x the bb preflop does not do anything

Many live players don’t consider big blinds, they only consider chips. What I mean by which is if for example, at a $1/$2 game, somebody raises $6, many players will think “oh that’s just 1 red chip” in place of thinking about 3 big blinds. When you are going to come in for a raise in a live game, you will probably want to raise between 6-8bb, at least in the $200NL live game.

Very little 3betting in live games

Most players in a live setting are way more content to just call a raise as oppose to 3bet, even with big hands like AQ and AK – and it is certainly not for balance. Many times, in case you are 3bet in a live game, the player is going to have QQ+ (weak players)

Live players think pocket pairs will be the nuts.

In a live game, players have a very hard time folding pocket pairs preflop for some reason. I’ve 3bet with hands like AQ+ and can not tell you how often times I’ve been called by 22-77. Many dead money in this spot.