You are torn. You are nervous about trying something totally new, but you love to play poker. You do not want the hassle of receiving a bunch of your poker-playing friends together and you live miles away from the nearest land-based casino. Obviously the very first good thing about an online casino is a no-brainer. Convenience. You may play any time you want. So for anyone who is up at two in the morning and itching for a game, sit down in front of your computer and after a few clicks you’re off and running. You should not have to get dressed or wash or shave; play in your pajamas, nobody can see you. (Make sure to turn off the webcam if you want your privacy.)

Second. Some casinos offer low-bet poker games. Will you believe two-cent bets? You can even find no-bet or free games. I only recommend these for gamble novices and advise you not to spend a lot of time playing for free or low-bet games. Why? These games are not real-life situations. If there’s little or no money involved, why fold? Just keep on playing and hope to make that monster hand. You haven’t got much to lose. When you are a real newcomer to playing poker, then certainly practice at the free games, but bear in mind you will be playing another game with different strategy at the for-money tables.

And third. After you in turn become good at online poker, you can play more than one game at a time. If you turn into a poker junkie, go for it.

Fourth. If you select the best online casino you will be able to play different types of poker and different casino games altogether. Had enough Texas Hold’em? Click, click, click and you are playing seven-card stud. If your head is aching from focusing on poker, take a break and try your luck at roulette or blackjack.

Fifth. Environment. Playing online can have fewer distractions. No background noise. No waitresses disrupting your concentration by offering you drinks. No dealer or any other players attempting to chit-chat with you. No big screen TV with your favorite team struggling to win the big game. Whenever you fold a hand, don’t take a break because study time begins. Do some detective work and observe your opponents. Are they frequent folders? Do they bluff often or never? Do they raise on mediocre hands? This valuable information is up for grabs; don’t waste time.

Finally you have earned a bonus for reading this far. Here is just one disadvantage of playing online versus land-based casinos. You cannot capitalize on “tells” online. What’s a tell? A tell is a thing a player does that gives away what he’s holding. For instance, suppose you notice a player always smiles when he has a winning hand. This could be very valuable information. On the flip side, be cautious. Good players may fake tells to throw you off. Doyle Brunson attributes a great deal of his success at the poker table to his ability to read faces, but then he competes at the brick-and-mortar casinos.