Poker has been played in some form or another since 1829 – according to reports from the time. Since its inception, there have been rule changes and many different variations thrown into the mix to provide to players a far-reaching array of ways to play poker. Riskier players can opt for a no-limits Texas hold ‘em match, while others could choose a safer Omaha hi-lo variant. The core features of poker mean it can be applied across the board in many forms to create different games for different tastes. But it hasn’t been until the advent of the internet that poker has taken off as much. The internet provides not just a range of resources in order to improve poker playing ability, but ways to connect with other players, play games for real money, and rise through the rank of amateur playing until you reach professional level. The internet has definitely replaced the dog and diamonds as the poker player’s best friend.
Source: Pixabay The internet provides countless opportunities for the amateur poker player.
A Brief History of Poker Online
Online poker began in the form it is known for today in the 1990s, with the first real-money game being played on January 1, 1998. Attracting early adopters of the online platform and new poker players, the sites that cropped up needed to find a way to attract people to the new digital way of playing poker. Early online poker sites enticed fans through the use of satellite tournaments, which gained the players access to real professional tournaments. This has gone on to propel some poker stars from amateur to professional, such as the aptly named Chris Moneymaker in 2003. Moneymaker’s victory overall at the World Series of Poker, as a result, changed the way online poker was viewed. It was not just a hobbyist creation, but a way in which amateur players could rub shoulders with professionals and show that you didn’t need to have played in poker circles for years in order to take victory. Since then, online poker has been on the rise. Not only have poker sites attracted interest from their circles, but they have from wider investors. In 2014 an online poker company was even floated on the stock market and involved in a takeover bid worth $4.9 billion. Online poker has shown how it can help the amateur poker player rise to great heights in the poker world.
How to Improve Your Poker Skills
Not only does online poker provide the actual platform for amateur players attempting to improve their poker playing ability, but it provides the skills they need to do so too. The internet is a cache of all the poker information ever documented. So, for the savvy amateur, they are able to watch high-stakes poker matches to see how the professionals play. They can read up on poker strategy and skill through an armada of poker strategy apps and sites. Indeed, thoroughly learning how to play poker games is the first step towards mastering the game itself. While there are other elements that make up a poker game, such as the ability to bluff or the strategic decisions needed to be made in a quick manner that can’t be prepared for, learning the key basics of how the game should be played can turn anyone from amateur into more of a professional player. Learning the difference between the variants – seven-card stud and Texas hold ‘em are similar, but the rules are different enough to turn experts from one into amateurs in the other.
Poker Practice Makes Poker Perfect
While observing the professionals and studying rules and strategy can get you a certain amount of knowledge, it’s in the application of the knowledge that the internet can really help. There are plenty of poker sites to play on for money, which can bring in the high stakes element of the game. But there are also free-to-play no-money practice sites for the complete beginner or shaky amateur as they put into practice everything they have learned already on the internet. By playing free games that have no monetary incentive, you can focus on learning the ropes and devising what you might do next in the game. Once you’ve really honed down your strategic thinking and practiced some of the moves, gambits, and skills from the professionals, you will be able to move on to the games that cost money and can win money.
Source: Pixabay The internet has changed the way in which poker is traditionally played.
Poker Meets AI
The next development for anything in the digital revolution is for artificial intelligence to take over. AI provides solutions to make the process of playing poker easier and more simple. Energy will be taken away from customer service enquiries with handy chatbots that appear on sites to guide players through their navigation. There is even the semblance of the beginnings of personalized AI interactions. We already have streaming options such as live poker, blackjack, and roulette which allows players to interact with dealers and watch as they spin the wheel, and deal the cards. Changing this to incorporate an AI element could provide an even more personalized service based on the player profile. Regardless of whether AI and poker end up being a good match, the online poker industry has always prided itself in being at the forefront of the latest tech. Online poker players and tech aficionados occupy the same territory online, so showing tech buffs that poker continues to grasp the latest developments shows the continued dedication to improving the already foolproof method of playing poker.
Poker existed for around 175 years before the advent of the internet, and many doubted the digital way of playing compared to the traditional way. But, the developments that online poker has showcased for amateur players shows that it is perhaps the best leap forwards for the industry. Online poker can turn an amateur into a professional through opportunities and connections, through methods of practicing and studying poker, and through providing ways to practice this newfound knowledge. Online poker has definitely evolved as not only a way to play poker, but to take on the role of poker tutor and a way in which players can practice playing regardless of other circumstances. That’s why the internet has been deemed the poker player’s best friend.