The online poker revolution that was heralded with the opening of the first three dimensional (3D) poker rooms has, as yet failed to materialize. There is no doubt that the enormously difficult task of providing a fully immersive 3D environment to play poker has been accomplished with some aplomb. So the question is, why are so many poker players staying away?
To begin to answer the question we need to take a look at the differences between the live poker game and the two dimensional (2D) online game we have all grown accustomed to. The most obvious differences between the two games are speed, in my local card room at a full table with a good dealer we can expect to see approximately 25-30 hands an hour. At a typical 2D poker room under the same table conditions we can expect to see in the region of 50-60 hand per hour. With the game stripped down to its bare essentials and all human error and most human interaction removed we get to play many more hands.
This nearly two fold increase in hands played in the same period of time is a benefit to all involved. The professional player will see a large up swing in there hourly return, the amateur player will see more hands played in the limited time they can make available for the game and the house of course will earn more in rake and tournament entry fees.
The three dimensional online poker rooms under the same conditions see an average of approximately 32-37 hands played per hour. This affords an increase of only 7-12 hands on the live game, a significant drop off from nearly double the ratio offered by there 2D counterparts. The 3D view also makes it nigh on impossible to multi table, another important factor for increasing hourly expectation of the more serious player. To counter this slower hand per hour ratio caused by the 3D environment the online providers hope to offer us an online environment that replicates the live poker environment, but can they actually achieve this?
Live poker today is more popular than ever, dedicated poker clubs are opening the length and breadth of the country and the major UK casino chains are working hard to provide poker rooms in all there outlets. The main cause attributed to the boom is the growth of online poker feeding players desire to get out and play the game in the real world. If hand per hour ratios where the only factors then this surely would not be the case, So lets look at why people want to transition from the internet to real world play.
When I speak to people who are making the move to live play the two main reasons they state for affecting this change is 1.) They believe there is more depth involved in live play, 2.) The social interaction and the opportunity to meet people who share a common interest in poker. Few would argue that there is more skill involved in live play, the ability to make a read on an opponent is all but removed from online play and controlling ones own emotions during the play of a hand is not required when sitting in your own home. Meeting new people who share your love of poker can also be a great experience but I’m sure most experienced live players could share a horror story or two!
The 3D rooms have tried hard to introduce the depth of play experienced during a live game to online poker, the software has made it possible to force your avatar to make simulated ‘play of hand’ movements at the table. Of course all actions are pre determined and your opponents know this which tends to nullify any possible read potential. As for replicating the social aspect of live poker, well this would appear to be the area the developers have had the least success achieving there goals. Player interaction during games on the 3D sites is effectively no further advanced than the 2D variations. Most often communication is still directed through the chat box which all 2D sites also make use of.
The 3D sites will always attract a reasonable number of players who enjoy the Playstation style graphics and player tricks. To attract the more serious player they will have to speed the games up to match win expectations offered by the 2D sites. The dilemma is to attract the more social player they will have to slow the games down and introduce a more personal feel. However they plan to precede it is clear they will have to create a third style of game that blends the speed of the 2D online games and the interaction of the live games, to achieve this goal they clearly have there work cut out.
Kevin Stevens is Article Editor for UKpokerinfo and content writer for UKpokernews
