You are torn. You’re nervous about trying something totally new, but you love to play poker. You don’t want the hassle of receiving a bunch of your poker-playing friends together and also you live miles away from the nearest land-based casino. Obviously the very first benefit from an online casino is a no-brainer. Convenience. You may play any time you want. So in case you are up at two within the morning and itching for a game, sit down in front of your computer and after several clicks you are off and running. You don’t have to get dressed or wash or shave; play within 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. Would you believe two-cent bets? You may even find no-bet or free games. I only recommend these for a beginner 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 or no money involved, why fold? Just keep on playing and hope to make that monster hand. You have not got much to lose. If you’re 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 become good at gamble online poker, you can play more than one game at a time. If you turn in to a poker junkie, go for it.

Fourth. If you choose the right online casino you will be able to play several 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 may 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 have earned a bonus for reading this far. Here is one disadvantage of playing online versus land-based casinos. You can’t capitalize on “tells” online. What is a tell? A tell is something a player does that gives away what he’s holding. One example is suppose you notice a player always smiles when he has a winning hand. This could be very valuable information. On the contrary, be careful. Good players may fake tells to throw you off. Doyle Brunson attributes a great deal of his success at the poker table to his capability to read faces, but then he competes at the brick-and-mortar casinos.