Poker is a game that has been played for hundreds of years. Since its introduction, the game has evolved into what we know it as today. Despite how long the game has been around, it’s still ever changing due to new and improvements to technology.
Whether you’re just playing poker at home on your computer, or you’re competing in poker tournaments, technology is playing a massive part in how you and other players experience the game. But just how does technology impact poker and the player experience?
In today’s article. We will be taking a look at the different technologies that have changed how we play and experience poker and what that looks like moving forward.
Blockchain in poker
With the emergence of the internet, people then had the possibility to play their favourite poker games online. With this however, came additional risks with having to pay via card online, which could cause some people to opt out of playing over fear of the risk of being the victim of fraud.
That’s where blockchain comes in. commonly used in Cryptocurrency, blockchain allows players to deposit funds via crypto currency. This allows for a much saver transaction and gives players the comfort knowing their funds are safe and minimal risk of fraud.
Artificial intelligence (AI)
AI in poker has blown up over the past few years, with more and more companies implementing it into their games. AI is now being used for a number of reasons, to not only improve the game, but also your tactics.
Players are now using AI to review and evaluate previous games, giving them a full breakdown of strategies and tactics used throughout the game, whilst also providing statistics on probabilities of certain cards being drawn. This gives players a full understanding of their opponents, how they play and what they can do to get the edge. It also allows players to think of different strategies that might not have even come into consideration before.
Companies are also using AI to prevent cheating in their games. AI will be running throughout online games and tournaments, spotting and flagging anyone that is seen to be breaking the rules, or using anything they shouldn’t be such as third party software to cheat.
This is great for the poker community as it allows players to play freely and without worry knowing their opponents can’t cheat as they’ll be found out and eliminated, meaning players can just focus on the game at hand, meaning better games.
Virtual (VR) and augmented (AR) reality
With the emergence of VR and AR headsets, it’s only natural that online poker has been developed to take full advantage of this. It’s available for both players and fans, as players are able to log in and feel like they’re really there, playing in a hall around the table face to face with their opponents. This really gives the feel of real poker and gives online players that authentic feeling of really being sat around the poker table.
Fans are also able to take advantage of this, as they’re able to see the tournaments in real time, with fans on the other side of the world able to log in and feel like they’re really there watching live. Just like the players, this also gives an authentic feeling to the fans, bringing the difference to real life and VR closer together.
Mobile games for fans
If you’re constantly on the go, it can be hard to either go out to a poker site or sit down at a computer to play your favourite poker games. However, that’s where mobile games come in, with companies developing mobile games for all players. This means people can play anywhere at any time, no matter their location.
This gives players a new sense of freedom around how they play, as not everyone wants to play sitting in front of a computer. On the train to work, in a hotel on a business trip, you can get your phone out and play a few games of poker with ease.
With a variety of games to choose from, there’s really no limit at how, when or what you can play when playing mobile poker games.
Streaming poker
Just like the gaming industry, poker has seen a massive increase in people live streaming themselves playing poker. People will tune in not only to watch their favourite streamers go live, but also to watch how other people play, picking up on hints and tips along the way. Streaming poker is massive right now, and there’s no signs of it stopping anytime soon.
Poker is a massive part of the casino world, and it’s come a long way in a short space of time. What do you think will be the next big thing in poker?
