Social Poker vs. the Real Thing: Are They Any Different?

People have been playing poker for fun ever since the game was invented. Which shouldn't be a surprise: aside from being a trial of one's people reading skill, nerves of steel, and "poker face", poker is a fun thing to do.

Not too long ago, poker found its way into the world of casual gaming in a variety of forms, ranging from rudimentary AIs trying to beat players, through video poker games at minimum deposit casinos to full-blown, multiplayer poker apps and games thriving on social networks. Perhaps the best-known of these is Zynga's take on Texas Hold'em, but it's by far not the only one attempt to bring online poker into the lives of all sorts of people from all over the world.

At first sight, a social poker app might seem a lot like a real-money online poker room. But there are quite a few fundamental differences between the two that set them far apart. The first major difference between social poker and the "real thing" is that poker chips in a social game have no real value. This usually means that players gathering around a virtual table in a social setting will not feel obliged to learn true poker strategy. Instead, the players will most likely play "by ear", for fun, and are unlikely to be a challenge for more serious players. That is, a player accustomed to a proper poker room, especially online, will most likely grow bored of social poker games pretty fast.

Then, there's the question of software. Even if a poker wannabe would want to play serious poker at a social poker room - say, to learn the tricks of the trade or to practice - the set of tools available at social outlets is far behind what even the least popular real-money poker software can provide. Social poker rooms clearly focus on the entertaining part of the game. They usually come with experience points and various levels that may reflect the skill development of the player - but these metrics are hardly of any importance in the "real world". After all, the biggest risk taken by a player going all-in in a social poker game is to lose worthless virtual poker chips. These virtual chips can, indeed, be purchased for real money - but for an amount small enough not to represent a serious loss for the player. Social poker takes the pressure out of the game, leaving nothing but the fun in it.

Social poker rooms may be useful for the absolute beginner to learn the very basics of the game. But they are not the right place to start a professional career - especially because they can imprint the mind of the beginner with a set of bad habits that will be harder to shed in the future.