Do the rules differ between traditional and online poker?
The “turn timer” is more strictly enforced in online poker, due to people who have slow connections and people who love to waste other people’s time merely because they are immature. Usually a turn timer won’t start counting down in a real casino unless the person has had a long time to think and another player at the table calls for the timer because the player is taking too long to think. Also, most online poker rooms discourage swearing in the chat box, while at a casino, if you really had no manners, you could swear all you like every time you lose a hand. That is pretty much the only differences between rules in online and traditional poker.
There are substantial differences between online poker gaming and conventional, in-person gaming. One obvious difference is that players do not sit right across from each other, removing any ability to observe others’ reactions and body language. Instead, online poker players learn to focus more keenly on betting patterns, reaction time and other behavior tells that are not physical in nature. Since poker is a game that requires adaptability, successful online players learn to master the new frontiers of their surroundings. Another less obvious difference is the rate of play. In brick and mortar casinos the dealer has to collect the cards, then shuffle and deal them after every hand. Due to this and other delays common in offline casinos, the average rate of play is around thirty hands per hour. Online casinos, however, do not have these delays; the dealing and shuffling are instant, there are no delays relating to counting chips (for a split pot), and on average the play is faster due
