Social Online Poker
Introduction
For many poker players one of the reasons they play the game is for the social interaction they get with, and against, the other players. Indeed for many non-professional poker players, getting dressed up and going out in the evening to a casino has become their favorite way to socialize. However, is it possible to also get that same sense of being sociable in an online poker game?
The poker purists of a few years ago
There can be no doubt that poker purists a few years ago thought that internet poker was the invention of the devil. It would make people slovenly in their approach to the game, it would kill casino poker, casino poker is the only way for a ‘man’ to play poker … etc; I’m sure you’ve heard all the arguments before. However, I believe that the professional poker players, especially in say the last three or four years, have embraced online poker making many other poker players review their stance regarding online poker. So what caused this shift in their, and the majority of poker players, attitudes toward online poker?
Online poker does present socializing opportunities
Who knows who might want to play with you online?
Quite simply, using modern Web 2.0 technologies, online poker websites can provide a social context for players – which in a virtual way is every bit the same as at a casino poker table. You could of course pick any of the excellent online poker websites to play at and, using their chat and interaction functions, quickly start to socialize with other players just as you would when meeting strangers at a casino poker table. However, the best poker sites will also have specific search functions to help you find players you might regularly enjoy playing and socializing with, where you can immediately interact with them – just as if they were in the room with you. Another point worth making here is that online poker may well prove to have been of benefit to casino poker, rather than as was feared causing its downfall. Online satellite tournaments are giving players a taste for the big casino games that they otherwise might never have even dreamed about. Finally, and even better, at this time of year you can enjoy a game of poker from the comfort of your own home – without having to go out in the cold and wet!