The question of which is better; playing poker online, or playing poker live in a brick and mortar casino or poker club, is a subject of much debate in the poker community. Each side has its die hard devotees, and then there are players who just want to play and aren’t really picky where they do their playing, as long as they get to get a few hands in. Online poker and brick and mortar poker each has its advantages; which one you choose is a matter of personal preference.

When it comes to online poker, players’ favorite advantage to talk about is convenience. With poker sites, you can get a game anywhere, any time. You don’t have to drive or fly to a casino or worry where you’re going to stay that night. Walk to your computer, click the mouse a few times, and you’re away.

Not only this, but online gamers point out that with convenience comes money saving. Traveling to a casino costs money, whether you drive or fly. Once you’re there, you have to pay for food, accommodation, and any other incidentals that may arise. Additionally, casinos often have a dress code, so you may have to invest in some new duds before getting your game under way. Online sites not only save you money allowing you to play from home; they actually sometimes give you extra money in the form of new user bonuses and reload bonuses.

Online poker fans also say that their way of playing offers more variety. Even if you wander in and out of several casinos in gambling capitals like Atlantic City or Las Vegas, you are likely to only find a few varieties of poker being played. Log onto the internet, and you are guaranteed to find your particular brand of poker being played, plus tons of willing players.

Brick and mortar poker fans maintain that playing poker online just takes all the fun out of it. They point to the glamour and excitement of a casino environment, and the energy and buzz of a live poker game, and claim that these factors are as much a part of poker as the cards themselves. Some players, especially new players, may feel like they have never REALLY played poker until they have played a live game in a casino setting.

Not to be outdone by the online site’s monetary bonuses, casinos offer some fringe benefits of their own. Most casinos will keep the drinks flowing all night, on the house, and others will even provide free meals to their players. If you start dropping a lot of money in a casino, be prepared to receive complementary rooms in the casino hotel or complementary access to some of the casino’s amenities. It may not be cold hard cash, but sometimes the actual monetary value of these things far exceeds the bonuses online sites give to their users.

The choice between online poker and brick and mortar live poker games, then, is up to you. Do you want to play whenever, without changing out of your pajamas or jumping in the car? Then online poker may be for you. If you can’t enjoy a game of poker without the excitement of interacting with your opponents in person or without all the action of a casino going on around you, then go for the brick and mortar choice. Whichever option you go for, just resign yourself to the fact that you’ll never make a believer out of everyone!