Two Things To Know When You Swap To Online Casino Games

Swapping from physical casino games to online versions might not seem like a big deal when you’re weighing up the two options – after all, for the most part, they’ve got the same games, the same rules, the same card values, the same strategies. However, if you’re thinking of making the trade, there are a few things to weigh up first.

A lot of people are starting to turn to the digital space for their entertainment, and we’re seeing a huge uptick in the number of mobile gamers. That said, if you’re used to the physical realm… you might notice a few changes. 

You’ll Need To Change Up Your Approach To Tells

First up, let’s say you’re planning to start playing poker online and you’re only used to physical games thus far. One of the most critical changes you’re likely to see lies in the concept of tells.

Tells are an all-famous part of playing poker well. Body language matters a huge amount. It’s not just about paying attention to other players’ tells, of course; it’s also about your own tells and being aware of them. Most people who play in person get really, really good at handling tells. They know how to spot them in other players and they also know how to distinguish them from really good bluffs. They know how to hide their own tells too.

Move into the digital realm, and this becomes very different. If you play online poker, you lose most of the physical tells that you might depend on in a face-to-face game. Suddenly, your opponents are all hidden behind screens. You don’t have facial expressions or head tilts or card shuffling or tapping feet to clue you into what other hands might be. And while that plays to your advantage too (you don’t need to worry if you grin when a good hand comes up), it’s a big change! If you’re playing online poker in Australia and you’re used to being able to see your opponents’ faces… well, you might be surprised by just how much this changes the whole game.

However, that doesn’t mean there are no tells in the online world. It just means they’re different.

What kind of tells can you have in a digital game? Most of it comes down to timing and learning other players’ patterns. Does so-and-so hesitate for longer when they’ve got a strong hand? Do they play more quickly when the cards aren’t in their favor? Or is it the opposite?

This is much like learning to look for physical tells at an in-person poker game! It takes a bit of time and practice, but you’ll get there. Remember, you’ll want to figure out what your own tells are and determine the best ways of concealing them and bluffing about the value of your hand. It’s different in the digital space, but it’s still as fundamental as in physical games.

You’ve Got To Keep An Eye On The Variants

Something that might come as a surprise to the uninitiated in the online casino world – variants. Without the physical limitations that hamper the standard brick-and-mortar casino, the online casino tends to offer up a greatly increased number of games for players to enjoy, and that includes far more variants. That’s excellent news: you can often find the exact game you want, with the features and characteristics that make it perfect for your preferences. 

It’s particularly true in the world of online slots. While the size of these machines means physical casinos tend to have to pare down their offering to a degree, the digital casino suffers from no such restrictions… meaning that you’ll often find literally hundreds of slots options. 3-reel, 5-reel, jackpots, multipliers, and more: there’s almost no limit. This approach has taken the basic slot machine that was so loved in the past and turned it into something exceptional and imaginative.

It’s worth noting though, that while these variations definitely take the excitement level up a notch, they do mean you should spend a bit more time figuring out what you’re playing and whether any rules are different from what you’d expect. Yes, it’s great to play a new twist on a game you know and love, but you’ll have a far better experience if you take the time to understand what’s what before you start playing. 

That’s especially true when it comes to strategy games. Make sure you’ve grasped any different rules and how they might affect your usual approach. If in doubt, check whether there’s a demo mode of the game you want to try; a lot of casinos offer this option these days, and this will let you test out the new mechanic and see how it meshes with your technique. Once you’ve got to grips with it, you can begin playing for real.