You’re torn. You are nervous about trying something 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 closest land-based casino. Obviously the first advantage of an online casino is a no-brainer. Convenience. You can play any time you want. So if you are up at two within the morning and itching for a game, sit down in front of your computer and after a couple of clicks you’re off and running. You should not have to get dressed or wash or shave; play in your pajamas, no-one can see you. (Make sure you turn off the webcam if you want your privacy.)

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

And third. After you in turn become good online casino gambling 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 choose the best online casino you will be able to play differing types of poker and different casino games altogether. Had enough Texas Hold’em? Click, click, click and you’re playing seven-card stud. If your head is aching from concentrating 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. When 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’ve earned a bonus for reading this far. Here is one disadvantage of playing online versus land-based casinos. You can not capitalize on “tells” online. What is a tell? A tell is one thing a player does that gives away what he’s holding. As an example, suppose you notice a player always smiles when he has a winning hand. This might be very valuable information. Conversely, be cautious. Good players may fake tells to throw you off. Doyle Brunson attributes a whole lot of his success at the poker table to his capability to read faces, but then he competes at the brick-and-mortar casinos.