Poker is not just about entertainment or a way to earn money. It is also an opportunity to take a break from your daily routine life for some time and do something which you are really passionate about.
Why you play poker? No doubt, every poker player must have faced this question at some point in his life. For some players, playing poker is just a hobby. Some consider the game as an opportunity to earn money, and some players love the game just because of the thrill and adrenaline-rush involved in it. Traveling to exotic locations, compete against the best players from all over the world, and the massively large stakes on the table turn the game into a thrill-filled adventure for them.
Playing poker is very simple nowadays due to easy accessibility of online poker sites. You can play poker at your computers, smartphones and tablets by comfortably sitting at the convenience of your home or office anytime and anywhere. Still players who are playing for years choose playing live over online playing.
Some of the reasons to prefer live poker rooms than online playing are as follows:
Understand the opponent
For some players, poker is all about getting face-to-face with the opponent to deduce his cards by reading body language and reactions. Understanding opponent’s psychology is must to determine the winning potential and possible outcome of the game. You can analyze players’ behavior even in an online game by observing their playing pattern or researching about their history, but you cannot see their expressions of frustration or excitement when they are dealt with cards. Without that, it is difficult for some players to predict what cards other players are holding or call their bluff, which makes them unable to decide their next move or modify their gameplay. You cannot make eye contact online to intimidate or unnerve your opponent to lead him to make mistakes or read the “tilt” when they get bad beats.
Fame and recognition
Like any other popular sport, winners of high stake live international tournaments are considered as “celebrities” in poker world. Along with great amount of money, these players earn recognition as champions i.e. WSOP winners get bracelet with a hefty prize pool. Tournaments like WSOP and WPT are internationally celebrated poker events where players from around the world come to participate. By defeating highly skilled players in a high stake live tournament, the winners gain the attention and great reputation in poker circuit. Players like Abhishek Goindi, Aditya Agarwal, Nipun Java, Aditya Sushant, etc are some of the well respected names in poker industry who participated and won in many national and international live poker tournaments. Online players are mostly anonymous and only recognized by their account’s name on the websites.
Socializing
Poker is an international sport and playing in live rooms provides the opportunity to meet several like-minded people from across the globe who share your passion and dedication for the game. You can interact with them, get information about trends and updates of the game, and discuss about a well played hand and bad beats. Sometimes bonding on a poker table leads to a lifelong friendship among players. Online poker also allows you to interact with other players but only through chat box.
Disciplined game play
Although offline poker playing costs lots of time and expenses, still seasoned players like to play in the standard playing environment of a live poker room. Playing at home or office with several distractions i.e. noises from TV or music, interruption from family members or friends, electricity or internet errors, spoil the fun and excitement of the game. Some players believes that the essence of poker is in its slow and steady pace, live interaction with dealer and players, appropriate dress code, and in the touch of real cards and chips. They require lively gaming atmosphere to play their natural game.