Online poker has obviously only existed since the beginning of the Internet. And sitting down to a physical table with friends or strangers to enjoy the rush of playing cards for money has existed for hundreds of years. Truly, online poker would not exist if it were not for the worldwide popularity of its physical form. And I am not for one minute suggesting that online poker is a better all-around experience than enjoying the sights, sounds and excitement of physical casino or poker room play … or am I?

Actually, many poker players prefer the online version to sitting down at a physical poker table, and for many valid reasons. For one thing, you can play any time you have a few minutes to spare, or you can enjoy a marathon session from your recliner in your pajamas. And online poker is now available on virtually any mobile device that has an Internet connection. That means that any time night or day, no matter where you are, if you are near a smartphone, tablet, laptop, desktop or other mobile device that can access the World Wide Web, you can enjoy your favorite poker game.

That certainly is not true in the “real world” poker environment. And not all of us live near a brick-and-mortar location that allows legalized poker play. Even if you just want to enjoy a few hands with your friends, conflicting logistics and schedules mean that the game is not always available when you get the poker itch. The next time you head over to your friend’s house for a poker game, or get dressed up and head out to your local casino for some Texas Hold ‘Em, try this little experiment.

When you are buying your stack, ask the bank or cashier to double or triple the amount of chips you receive without charging you any more money. Your friends are liable to make some joke and then totally disregard what you said, and a casino cashier is liable to call security on you. But it is an industry wide practice in the online poker community to match your opening deposit with a 100%, 200% and sometimes even 300% or more matching bonus.

This instantly doubles, triples or quadruples your bankroll, without you investing any more money than you intended. And the online poker rewards also extend to “refer a friend” bonuses, ongoing deposit matches, promotional and seasonal rewards and other generous practices. So all in all, online poker delivers 24/7 access from virtually anywhere, you can play while taking a crowded subway car to work, or from the privacy of your own home, and web sites actually pay you to play. Online poker .. in many ways, much better than the real thing.