When I first transitioned from live poker to online I kind of figured it would be an easy switch. But I was completely wrong. I quickly found myself having a hard time beating the $25 dollar games compared to the $200 games I could easily beat playing live.
However, after making some adjustments which took maybe a few months, I was then able to start crushing the online games with ease. In this update I will explain how to adjust to playing online vs live and what to expect playing certain stakes. Let’s lock in.
Live Poker – Why It Can Be Softer
The reason most people think live poker can be softer is because the games are set at a much slower pace. You can also see the people sitting at the table, which makes it easier to get a read on someone. If you’re naturally good at reading people, then you will have a massive advantage playing live. The only issue is the games are much slower, which limits your ability to make money as opposed to being able to multi table with online poker.
Online – Why It Can Be Harder
Online you can’t see the person sitting next to you. This makes things a bit trickier, and you have to make decisions in hands not knowing for sure if they have you or not. With online there are some tells like betting too fast, mis clicks, and waiting to bet size. Typically, if someone waits long enough, they usually have you and folding is the right approach. Online games are also harder in general since players are pretty skilled at most stakes. This is because they are also putting in massive volume compared to live.
Volume Difference
The thing is that you can put way more volume into online poker than you could ever do playing live. It’s mainly because the pace is much faster online and there are time limits put in place for players to act. Sometimes in a live game you have to sit there and wait extremely long for someone to decide which is nonexistent online.
You can also multi table online which gives you an edge if you do it correctly. I’ve found the sweet spot to be 2 tables at a time playing mid stakes. If you start to do more than that you really lose focus. You want to multi table in a way that allows you to play solid not wreckless. For example, if you were to try and play 4 to 6 tables at a time it becomes impossible to pay attention to the little details going on in each hand. You will often miss things and that’s when your ROI goes down and multi tabling becomes pointless. Just stick with 2 tables and thank me later.
Which Is Best?
If I had to lean one way or the other, I would probably say do both of them. Online is going to give you the ability to earn more money if your playing mid stakes games. For example, if you’re playing live poker 200nl or 500nl you will be limited to how much you can make in a day.
But if you’re playing the same stakes online the ability to make money changes. This is because you can multi table and see more hands per hour. It’s true that variance can be hard to deal with when playing online poker, but the benefits are hard to ignore. If I had to put a cap on it I would say play online 70% of the time and live 30% of the time. These are just some numbers I’ve come up with you can use or at the very least try out.
Stakes Matter
Okay, this is a big part of all of this. Live poker is generally easy to beat when you sit down and play $200 cash games. If you were to try the same stake online it’s about 5x harder. Players have evolved with the online game dramatically. The average online player understands concepts like GTO, ABC, and the basics like the back of their hand.
To excel at the online game, you need to also understand all of the concepts and strategies to beat the same stake. My honest recommendation is that online you should stick with some of the lower stake games initially. Meaning try to play $100 games and below to first get a feel for how things work. I would also recommend finding a solid site on Pokerstacked.
Final Thoughts
Even if you mainly play live poker switching online is a natural progression. It lets you put in a lot more volume than you could ever do live and will sharpen your skills much faster. Even if you’re playing low stakes online it can still let you hone in and improve your game for when you go back to live. If you want to mix both at the same time that’s the ideal situation.
And eventually you might end up preferring the online game more than playing live. The goal should be to first test things out, and if you enjoy online enough then start putting in more volume there. I was a bit of an early bloomer and just preferred the pace of playing online since you’re given different benefits like rakeback, lots of tournament options, and you obviously never have to leave your house to play a game.
If I was just starting online, I would go with some of the lower games, and then eventually move up to the mid stakes. Once you get up to 200nl to 500nl that’s where the money starts to get good in my opinion. You can also multi table which will add more to your hourly profit if you’re beating these games consistently. With that said don’t shy away from playing online embrace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is live poker generally softer than online poker?
It depends on the stakes and location. Lower-stakes live games often include more recreational players who may play fewer hands and make larger fundamental mistakes. However, softness varies significantly by casino and region. Some live games can be quite competitive, especially at higher stakes. In general live poker is easier.
Why does online poker feel tougher?
Online poker tends to move much faster, allowing players to see significantly more hands per hour. This increases variance and exposes strategic leaks more quickly. Also, online environments attract experienced multi-tablers and data-driven players, which can make certain games feel more technical. Some players also use software like HUDS that can give them a slight edge.
Do anonymous tables make online poker softer?
Anonymous tables can reduce the advantage of tracking software and player databases. Without long-term data, regular players may find it harder to exploit specific opponents. Some analyses of anonymous platforms suggest that this structure can help retain recreational players and reduce predatory behavior, potentially affecting overall table softness.
Format vs Stakes?
Stakes typically matter more than format. A small-stakes live game may be softer than mid-stakes online, while microstakes online games may be softer than larger live games. Game selection and understanding your player pool are usually more important than whether the game is live or online.
