How Poker Table Games Differ From Online Poker

We’ve talked about video poker a bit in previous weeks, but now let’s talk a bit about another type of casino game –  poker table games. Many people think that poker table games at online casinos are the same as online poker. They are two different games entirely. While they are similar in structure, there are key differences you need to know.

Today, we will tell you the main differences between table game poker and online poker. This way you know what to expect when playing poker games at Aussie online casinos.

Poker Table Games Have a House Edge

The big difference between poker table games and online casinos is how they are played. With poker table games, you’re playing against the house rather than other players. This means that you’re battling a house edge. For online poker games, the only thing you have to contend with is the fees charged to operate the game, often known as the rake. The rake can be beaten quite easily by skillful players.

For poker table games, you’re battling the house and there is a house edge. Typically, the house edge is around 3%. You will not beat this over time, no matter how good a poker player you are.

You Cannot Bluff

If you want to be a successful online poker player, you must be able to bluff your opponents. Often, players will win huge pots off bluffs. For poker table games, you cannot bluff. The dealer does not have the option to fold in any poker table games. They will always play to the end. This eliminated bluffing.

The correct play to make in poker table games is to never try to bluff. If you have the option to fold and the correct play is to fold, do so. Otherwise, you’re just giving more money to the house.

All Games Are Fixed Betting

Poker table games are similar to Limit poker games. This means there is a limit to how much you can bet. However, most poker table games have a fixed amount you can bet. For example, if you play Three Card Poker at $1 per ante, the most you will play per hand is $3 since the play bet is 2x the ante.

A fixed bet structure is both good and bad. It is good in that you always know what you will be and you will limit losses per hand. However, you cannot extract extra bets or max value for your hands like you can in online poker.

Strategy Only Slightly Improves Your Odds

Most poker table games will allow you to use strategy to improve your odds. However, the strategies you use for poker table games will only slightly improve your odds. For example, proper strategy in most games will only improve your odds by up to 1%.

In online poker, players that are skillful can greatly improve their odds of winning over unskilled players. Improving your strategy can turn a negative expectation into a positive expectation over the long term. For poker tables games, using a strategy will only help you lose less over time. The difference is that you will always lose over time with poker table games.

Little Variation for Poker Table Games

Finally, if you plan to play poker table games, be prepared to play some form of Stud or Hold’em poker. You will either play a version of 5 Card Stud or a version of Texas Hold’em. Even games like 3 Card Poker are just short-form Stud games. Online poker has much more variety. You have Hold’em, Stud, Omaha, Badugi, Draw Poker, and more. There’s plenty of variety. For poker table games, you get variations on two to three forms of poker at most.