Online poker you may play anytime you want -- 24/7 365. You may play it altogether comfort, right from your own home, wearing whatever you like (or nothing at all), sitting, reclining, or jogging on a treadmill (even though we don't recommend it). You may set the lighting, temperature, and ambience to be just when you like it. In many ways, with online poker you simply have more control.

You've got no other people to contend with (at least not in person) -- no-one hovering over you, talking at you, pushing you, crowding around you, giving you unsought advice, or shooting you nasty looks. You do not have to smell smoke in the event that you don't want to. You've got no sexy waitresses tempting you with mind-altering drinks and otherwise distracting your attention away from the game at hand (pun completely intended). You should not have to drive anywhere (and with gas-prices what they can be, that alone preserves your bankroll tremendously), nor do have to get dressed up or tip your dealer -- all of which save you time and money.

Another advantage of online poker is that you may play against people from around the world. Think about it next time you sit down at an online poker table -- not everybody there even speaks the same language. And globetrotting via the internet provides you with access to more casinos and poker rooms than you can ever find in one single place, even when that one place happens to be Vegas!

Online poker players get to choose from an inordinate selection of cardrooms, game types, and table stakes. Moments ago, we mentioned the ambience of the environment where you certainly will be sitting down with your computer to play online poker (most likely your home), but online poker gives you almost just as much control in determining the ambience of the cardroom itself.

Whether you enjoy an Old West setting, a Hollywood setting, an Egyptian setting, a jungle setting, a resort setting, as well as on as well as on...you may certainly find an online poker room designed around whatever theme suits your tastes. Likewise, you can find rooms more likely to have More Signup bonuses (or less) experienced players, faster (or slower) action, higher (or lower) stakes, etc.

Through the same token, however, when playing online poker additionally, it helps to be aware of its perceived disadvantages as in comparison with playing traditional "offline" poker. A simple awareness of the main difference alone could make you an even better player.

For one, you do not get that intimate, face to face contact with other human beings. But don't rule online poker out as a social outlet altogether. A growing number of online poker rooms are fostering a real sense of community amongst their players with attractive and appealing member's clubs, player forums, and sponsored land-based events.

For some poker players, the game just is not the same without the feel of the cards within your hands as well as the weight of the chips as you place them within the center of the table (or perhaps the sound of them clinking while you pull the pile towards you after a big win). And also you can not substitute a number, however large or small, for the visual impact of the chip stacks -- red, blue, and white -- increasing or receding in front of you and expect the same effect.

But probably the biggest deal that makes some offline poker players leery of playing online poker will be the inability to read another players. Most expert poker players depend upon inadvertent visual cues given by their opponents -- tells -- as to the actual strength or weakness of their hands. There is a thing to be said for the amount of information you can glean simply by looking your opponent within the eyes (thus the prevalence of sunglasses at the poker table) and watching their hands, their posture, their facial expressions, etc. Fortunately, alternatively, there are various of tells you may look for in online poker as well, you just have to know where (and the way) to look. But that is a subject for another article.

As for this article, we leave you with the analogy. If you like going to the theatre for your shows, the arena for your concerts, and the stadium for your games, get thee to a brick-and-mortar casino for your poker playing enjoyment. If you like Tivo however (or maybe if you just ain't got the dough for the theatre, arena, and stadium tickets), then online poker is your ticket.