Before embracing IDN poker, you must understand more about poker both online and live to know when it is right to play poker online, and when you should play it live.
Game availability
Most live poker rooms worldwide are generally opened during certain hours of the day. Even those that are opened for 24 hours don’t guarantee that you will get games to play. It is possible that you could go when they have only one active tournament, and you happen to be too late to be allowed in.
It is also possible to visit when all the cash games available are full, and there is a long list of those waiting to get a seat. But online, you will not encounter such problems. It is hard to find poker sites closing, and at any given time, you will get a game running for you to join, whether tournaments or cash games.
There are times when you will find some that are busier than others, and you might not see the actual tournament or game that you prefer, but there will always be something for you to play. The availability of games tends to be much better when you are on online sites than live poker.
Social factor
One of the setbacks you encounter when you play poker online is that you will miss out on the social factor. Various sites include a chat function on their tables, and thus, you will be able to communicate with other players, but it doesn’t go to the level of talking to them physically.
Having a joke and laughing with your opponents is a significant part of what makes poker more attractive to most players. Some players are not bothered by such an aspect, preferring to focus on the game, but overall, it is fair when you say that the social factor gives live poker a certain edge over having to play online.
It tends to add some extra something to your experience overall. The live poker wins in this aspect as it tends to be a more social affair than online due to the environment where it is played. It is up to you to choose whether you will play online or offline. It builds up to your preferences. If you are an introvert, you will be okay playing offline, but as an extrovert, offline is the way to go.