Online Poker - the Benefits

Online poker players in the United States set to suffer as impact of Black Friday hits home

Following the indictment by the U.S. Southern District of New York against the owners of PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker for the serious charges of violating the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, the future of online gambling in the United States now has a decidedly bleak outlook.


Full Tilt Poker has already ceased serving the American market, with PokerStars and Absolute Poker expected to follow suit shortly. On the surface this looks like a short-term solution whilst the gaming giants await a reversal of the Internet gaming laws in the States, but in reality, the chances of them obtaining a license will be slim indeed.


All of this is unfortunate for American players, as online gaming provided a multitude of benefits just not found in traditional bricks and mortar casinos. Most obvious of course is the freedom to chose how and when to play – at home, or on the move – basically anywhere with available Wi-Fi, at a time that suits them.

Another major attraction for players to online gaming is the sheer variety of games on offer including 6-handed max and heads-up games, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10 game rotations, with stakes available to suit all wallet sizes. All of these formats are offered at micro, mini, low, medium, high, and nosebleed stakes for both cash games and tournaments.

Sit and go, double or nothing and multi-table tournaments all offer online poker players greater value for their money and a field size that just can’t be matched by bricks and mortar casinos. Once again, the different buy-in levels on offer mean that all players get the chance to compete at their own wallet and skill level.

Online tournaments start at all times of the day, enabling players to choose a time that is most convenient for them. Due to the affordable buy-in levels, the tournaments attract a large field which is not limited to a physical amount of tables that binds a bricks and mortar casino. The huge amount of players in an online tournament increases the available prize fund, which can only be a good thing for the customer.

So, whilst bricks and mortar casinos may be rubbing their hands at the prospect of hordes of poker players returning to the more traditional scene of gambling, it seems that unless they can offer the flexibility and accessibly that players have become accustomed to, the stampede is unlikely to happen.