Play Money Vs Real Money Texas Holdem

Play money Texas Hold'em versus real money Texas Hold'em poker... it's the same rules but a whole different game. Any player that has even played an hour or so of play money poker and then switched to the real thing will say the same, and that is that there is no comparison. This is not to say that playing for fun is bad thing, far from it, and hours of enjoyment are had between friends when throwing a few cards and a few matchsticks around, what we are saying is that it's different, as are many things when there is money involved. Play money Texas hold'em is a great way to learn the rules of the game, the hand rankings, how side pots and split pots work and even how blind levels can affect the game, however when cash is on the table, the way people play changes dramatically.

Even Small Stakes Matter!

You will notice these changes a whole lot more when playing real money Texas hold'em poker online, as when playing home games, even with money, players can and do still play a little loose. You'll see that once a player has made a deposit into their room of choice then their attitude towards the game changes and play will become so much tighter, even at the very smallest stake levels. The simple fact is that players will not give their cash away lightly, and most players when playing for real money online will protect their bankroll, and they don't enter any cash game with the intention of playing loose and losing. Many small stakes players are in fact trying to build bankrolls so that they can move up the levels and play larger games and the last thing they are going to do is throw money around.

That said, many players at the lower levels are still learning and will play loose unintentionally, misreading others players actions and placing bets that they quite possibly shouldn't be placing. Everyone goes through that stage, and those mistakes need to be made in order for our game to improve.

The Psychological side of Real Money Poker

Sensible players and those that are really trying to learn the game will be cautious with their money, and occasionally this backfires. When you make the switch from play money to real money there is a big psychological effect in that sometime players will try too hard to protect their stack and this is a huge part of learning the game of real money Texas hold'em. You simply have to throw caution to the wind at times and go out on a limb, otherwise, playing too safely over long periods of time means that your cash slowly gets eaten away due to over protection. You have to take risks now and then, of course these risks should be calculated ones, but risks none the less. Many of the best real money Texas hold'em players in the world will say that, money is a tool and it is a tool that you must learn how to use.