Online poker games are one of the most popular gambling games online. There are so many sites offering this type of game that the amount of poker players in the world has grown considerably. There are many types of poker for players to choose from; however, one of the main differences is that you can play poker for real money or you can play with virtual money (chips with no value). The rules are the same and the game is the same, but there are some major differences between one and another.
In this article we will address those differences. Most people may think that they are just the same, but nothing further from the truth, they are very different. Therefore, if you have always played Poker online for free and you are thinking of playing at one of the many US real money poker sites available, this article is just what you need in order to understand the differences well and what you will be facing.
Main differences that exist between the free online poker game and for real money
Of course, it is obvious that the main difference is that in a game real money is committed and on the other a virtual (fictional) money is committed, therefore no investment is required by the player; That means, it is free. But, the meaning of these lines is to go further and deepen the differences that imply the style of play between one modality and the other.
Practically all the best poker sites for us players have poker tables to play with virtual or fictional money; This is because these types of tables are usually considered a kind of training for those players who need to learn the gameplay before daring to bet real money. Although that is not the only reason, since there are also many people who only want to play poker for the simple fact of playing the game itself, in order to have fun, and not because they are interested in betting money. Therefore, that type of player need for those types of table to be available.
But let’s go back to what concerns us, the differences between one type of game and the other. It is said that the poker for real money is much more serious and even more complicated; And the reality is that it is truly more serious, but not necessarily much more complicated. The main difference is that, in the games with fictional money the players do not have the concern to handle a certain budget and to take risks of losing it.
What does this mean? As the poker with virtual money can be played with an infinite budget, the way players handle their play money when betting and the decisions they make are totally different. The game attitudes are different.
When you play with fictional money at american poker sites, it is practically impossible to bluff. This is because, no matter how much money you bet, or how many people are in the game, nobody has anything to lose (since it is not about real money), therefore no one gets shy when calling on your bluff. This is another big difference. In a poker table for real money, bluffing is fundamental; of course, it does not always work, but it is a very important part of the game.
This is why the fictional money poker tables are kind of a “jungle”, since there are not much criteria for decisions to be made. Players do not usually pay attention to their opponents, nor to the amount of chips they are betting. There is no way to anticipate or draw conclusions in any play or on a player. In addition, many players manage to obtain a large stack of chips, so every time they bet they have the habit of increasing the preflop disproportionately; which makes it impossible for other players to play at all.
Of course, everything mentioned above affects how every hand it is played. At real money poker websites usa tables it is extremely difficult to win a pot with a pair, which always happens at the free poker tables. In fact, pots are often taken with just a high card. This is because, as we have already mentioned, nobody has anything to lose, therefore players tend to place high bet even though they only have a couple of cards that would never compete in a poker game for real money.
