Top Online Poker Myths
Rumours run rampant on the Internet. This is just as true of online Poker as any other aspect of the worldwide web. Following are seven of the major myths regarding virtual Poker room play, along with an explanation of the truth that debunks each falsehood.
Online Poker Is Rigged – Although it cannot be denied that some cheating has occurred in the past, those were isolated cases, such as the Ultimate Bet Poker Scandal and the absolute poker Scandal. A couple of bad apples do not spoil the whole bunch. In fact, those cases actually led to increased security. Today, the industry is as tightly regulated as any other. Reports of manipulations are quickly followed up and resolved. Playing at established online Poker rooms is no less fair than playing bricks and mortar casinos. Online Poker rooms are well aware that fairness must be present else their games would soon lose their following.
Hackers Can See Hole Cards – Again, a couple of highly publicized scandals from the past continue to plague the present. The applications used for today’s online Poker rooms have security protocols in place that make this impossible. The data showing the cards held is available only locally on each payer’s computer, and it is returned to the server only for the showdown of the hand.
The Cards Are Prearranged – Sophisticated random card generators are used to deal the hands online. If anything, the order of the cards in a virtual deck will be even more random than those resulting from live shuffles. That’s because after the hole cards are dealt, the remaining cards continue to be randomized until the flop is called for. After the flop, randomization of the remaining cards continues. It is as if the shuffling only stops when the cards are being dealt.
Fewer Big Hands Are Dealt Online – Actually, the opposite is true. Online tables offer significantly more hands per hour than their land-based counterparts. More hands dealt means more big hands dealt. Two corollaries to this are the myths that “Aces Flop Too Often” and “Bad Beats Occur More Frequently.” Again, it only seems this way because more hands are played per hour, causing more Aces to be seen and more tough losses to be experienced.
Poker Bonuses Can Never Be Cleared – The “play through” requirements or “rake back” requirements for being able to withdraw bonuses are there to ensure that players actually participate in games. Unfortunately, too many players blow through their cash bonuses in just a few sittings. That’s why they are unable to clear them. According to postings in online Poker forums, most players who have been able to clear their bonuses have done so by playing regularly at low limits. It can certainly be done, just not quickly.
Online Casinos Penalize Players Who Cash Out – Obviously all online casinos welcome deposits, but being able to cash out is also an integral part of play and the majority of casinos online make it easy to do. That’s because Poker rooms earn their profits off the rake, not from the interest on funds deposited. Withdrawals from Poker accounts have no connection whatsoever to play or the casinos’ profitability. There is no conspiracy to cause cash-out customers to lose.
Online Poker Bots Outplay Humans – Poker is not chess. It involves bluffing, intuition, and luck, not just percentages and odds. What’s more, a Poker bot is only as good as its programming. Many are very predictable and can be easily beaten. Also, bots can only perform at the highest level for which they are programmed, and the top Poker pros in the world are playing Poker, not programming software.