Like other gambling games,Poker is attractive to everyone due to the quick and easy money, the thrill of the gambling experience, and the immense hope this game gives at the beginning of every hand dealt. Online poker is a niche sector in India, and it has grown manifold. Digitalization has become essential for any growing industry in this age, so as expected, poker has graciously embraced this. The number of live poker tournaments has increased by leaps and bounds. In 2017 a breakthrough was the launch of the Poker Sports League, and along with it, the Match Indian idnplay League had also made quite a buzz among the fans of poker.
What is online poker?
Online poker is just a poker game that is played over the internet. Traditionally players used to go to casinos, poker rooms, and many other destinations for poker games, but nowadays, due to technology, players can play this game in their homes with the help of poker online.
Poker online-How is it different?
Playing poker in flesh and bones is very different from playing poker online. The judgment of body language or facial expression cannot be done, and players mainly depend on betting patterns, reaction time, speed of play, opponents’ fold or flop percentages, behavioral tells that are not physical, and waiting for the big blinds. Since the first online card room, ‘Planet Poker’ in 1998, IDNplay has come a long way. Online poker has given nervous novices a fair chance to try their hand at this game without having to enter an intimidating room of poker faces. They have freerolls to help beginners gain confidence as they start. The casinos are usually in disparate locations, and accessibility to poker experience has become easier due to online poker.
The high rising popularity of poker
The game’s popularity proved by the ever-growing audience; over the last few months, nearly 50 lakh players have signed up for ‘real money poker games. Poker is largely perceived as an intelligent sport, and this tagline of the game invites the young and the elite group of audiences. When one searches up online poker, the first thing that pops up is the tips and strategies to be a pro online poker player. This only affirms the belief that people have embraced this game with open and arms, encouraged indulgence into the game, and excelled at it. This is how the game proceeds and each player has two options either to match or increase the previous bet or fold.
A very pertinent and asked question is about the legality of this game. Legal ambiguity around such ‘real money’ card games and, therefore, the delay in framing clearer laws has led companies to offer such card games. Jay Sayta, an expert in gaming laws, mentions that these platforms use the twilight zone to run their business- even if it is for a short time. The major debate lies in whether poker is considered a skill game or a gamble game.