What Makes Poker Better than other Casino Games?
When visiting a casino, either in person in your newly styled outfit or online, players will find that there is a huge variety of games to choose between. From gaming machines like slots to table games such as blackjack and poker, there are games to suit all interests and skill levels.
Poker is arguably the best casino game that there is. There are now estimated to be more than 120 million online poker players around the world, a figure which continues to grow year on year.
Whilst it is easy to find poker games online, many American players struggle to find the perfect site where they can play Texas Hold’em, Omaha and BLAST seamlessly. Alongside this, they want to be able to find low buy ins and guaranteed prize pools which can give even a newcomer, a significant chance of success.
Online casino services in USA are currently limited to few regulated states and thus American players are somewhat confined in their online Poker choices. Beginner can take advantage of their neighbors from the north to learn how to play Poker as well as basic poker strategies at a great website such as 888Poker, an Ontario Canada regulated site that is part of a world known international group.
What games we most enjoy are an individual choice based on our own interests and preferences, however casinos often report that poker is one of their most played games. Online casinos continue to invest in developing their poker offering in our to meet customer demand.
What is it that makes poker much more popular than other types of casino games? Here are just a few reasons why it’s better than the rest:
Poker is a game of skill
As a casino game, those who do not have much knowledge of poker might assume that it is a game of chance. In reality, playing poker successfully takes a certain amount of skill that can only be developed with experience of the game.
Of course, luck is involved to some extent in this card game. However, players that develop their own tried and tested strategies are much more likely to win than novice players.
Those that have mastered the game can become professional poker players and compete in online tournaments and at poker events around the world. A number of the most skilled players have developed successful poker careers and won millions through competitions.
In poker, players compete against one another. In other casino games such as roulette, blackjack and baccarat, the casino has a mathematical edge. While players may win in these games in the short term, in the long term the house has the edge.
Poker is a convenient game to find online
Another reason poker is played more than other casino games is accessibility. There are a huge amount of casino sites and poker sites only, with different games, welcome offers and bonus features.
When the World Wide Web became widely available in the 1990s, poker was one of the first casino games to be playable on the internet. Poker fans were suddenly able to enjoy their favourite game from the comfort of their own home.
A number of the top online casinos now also offer live poker. In live poker games, there is a live dealer that the player can interact with in real-time.
Live poker has the fun and social aspects of land based poker games, with the convenience of being online. Some other online casino games, such as blackjack, and now also being offered ‘live’ however poker remains the top choice for players and is usually the easiest live game to find.
Poker is a very sociable game
People often play casino games for enjoyment and entertainment, while playing alone can still be fun, many players enjoy being able to share the experience with friends or even strangers online that share the same interests.
Part of poker’s appeal is that it can be a very sociable game in comparison to other casino games. For example, when playing slots players will tend to play alone and not have the opportunity to interact with one another.
Games like blackjack and roulette often also involve little interaction as players are playing against the house and not other players. Whereas, poker is all about reading the reactions and body language of other players.
When playing in tournaments there is a fun sense of competitiveness between opponents.
The biggest tournaments are huge events hosted in casinos in locations such as Las Vegas, where there is plenty of opportunity to socialise with people that share a passion for the game.
Poker in popular culture
Another reason that poker is one of the top casino games is that it holds a significant place in popular culture. There are a huge number of films that either feature poker in action or have a plot that centres around the game.
The game is often shown in glamorous casinos and luxurious settings, which adds to the excitement and impressiveness of the game.
Poker films such as Molly’s Game, Rounders, Maverick and Casino Royale are all famous for their portrayal of the game, largely due it unique set pieces. You can see the break-down of Daniel Craig’s Bond outing and how many tactics were used within poker game to succeed. Poker references can also be found in a variety of other places, including literature and music.
A number of phrases that are popular in the English language also come from the game, for example phrases such as ‘wild card’, this has become inspiration for ideas which has been implemented into other games like the English Premier League Football Fantasy where persons choose 11 players each gameweek to compete for points and prizes. Other popular phrases include ‘the chips are down’ and ‘to fold’ are all poker terms that are also regularly used to describe other things and is very common terminology these days.