While many players prefer brick-and mortar casinos because they can see their opponents, gauge their reactions, and enjoy the social interaction that is so much a part of the game, most players eventually find their way to an online poker room for any number of reasons.

They may not live near a brick-and-mortar casino. They might not be able to carve out a big enough block of time to travel back and forth to a casino, and perhaps they aren’t quite comfortable in a live poker room.

Online play is quite a bit different from poker in a traditional casino. For one, it’s much faster, and the speed of play and the rapidity with which players are expected to make decisions can affect one’s emotions. In addition, making a bet by clicking a mouse and watching pictures of chips move into the center of the pot is a lot different than wagering real, honest-to-goodness chips. Real chips in a real casino feel a lot like money. Positioning your mouse over a button that says “call” feels a lot more like a video game.

Why it’s easier to go on-tilt online

The speed of play and the emotional disconnection between the depiction of chips on a computer monitor and the real money it represents can make it tough to handle the swings that your bankroll may take.

Then you play online, you are playing at least twice as many hands as you would in a traditional casino, and that’s if you’re playing at only one table. Many online players aren’t satisfied with that low level of play and routinely play at two or more tables. Some online poker specialists have dual monitors and can easily play eight games simultaneously.

While I admire their stamina and speed of their decision making, that’s a lot of choices to handle at once. The most I’ve ever played is four tables simultaneously, and when I do this, I’m playing a very mechanical game. I’m certainly not playing my best, either. I can’t really recall the playing styles of most of my opponents at four tables, and there’s no time to take notes and construct a record of your opponents’ playing styles and tendencies.

For me, playing at more than two tables turns me into a robot who’s playing sub optimally. Even so, playing 65 percent of my best at four tables may allow me to win more money than playing my best at only one game.