Online Poker

It seems that Facebook never fails to latch onto the latest bandwagon and roll with it. This time around they've sunk their teeth into the sensation of online poker.

A free-to-play version of the World Poker Tour's Texas Hold'em game has been made into an online application for Facebook members to join in on. Free online poker is all good and well for learning how to play the game, but what excitement is there when there's no real cash to be won?

I know from personal experience that playing free online poker games on certain websites teaches you nothing but the basics of Texas Hold'em. Since nobody is using real money, most will flagrantly go all-in every hand, ultimately destroying the very nature of the game.

I'm more than a little skeptical that something like this will catch on with proper online poker fans, even with a couple of prizes thrown in. When you sit down to a game of online poker at Full Tilt or Bodog, you are not only able to join a room with people of a similar skill level and knowledge of the game, but also with a comparable bankroll.

Honestly, why play on Facebook (a social networking site, of all places!) when you could be playing a proper game of online poker against fellow lovers of the game? And it's not like you can't practice at online poker sites for free, either. As soon as you have had a few games to warm up, you can jump right into the real money action, without having to change online poker venues.

Call me a cynic, but this seems like one of the countless Facebook applications that will blow over after a couple of months. Without a proper incentive to "win" each hand, there's no real reason to play, other than against your FB friends.

I'll be sticking to the real online poker sites. How about you? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below.

- TheDoctor