Poker is over one hundred years old, but it’s very different from the game that used to be played in riverboat casinos and saloons across the US. Today, people play mainly through online poker sites, and new technology is changing how it’s played each year. Technology has advanced a lot in recent decades, and it’s influencing all aspects of our lives, including poker.
Online poker sites have also changed since the late 90s, when they first appeared. Although they were initially banned in the US, they’re starting to become available once more. In addition, lots of new technological innovations have made online poker more accessible, more exciting, and more competitive than ever before. While we can’t know what the future will hold, it’s interesting to predict how technology might continue to shape the way online poker is played.
Poker Software Tools
Poker software has been around for some time, giving players the chance to improve their game. These tools can be used to review previous hands and work out where mistakes were made. Modern poker software is far more advanced, however. Heads-up displays and poker solvers are tools that give players an advantage over their opponents during live games. They reveal the best course of action for a player to take, calculating strategies based on variables that the player inputs.
The availability of these poker software tools has made online poker more competitive than ever. If you want to make money playing online, you’re almost at a disadvantage if you don’t use them. This poker-playing arms race has led to new and more advanced software tools being developed each year. Because poker software can give players an advantage, many online poker sites have now banned it from being used. Players can still track their statistics and past hands, but solvers and HUDs are normally banned.
Crypto Payments
Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum are touted by some as the future of the financial system. While they’re unlikely to replace fiat currencies like the dollar soon, they offer an alternative for online payments. Some poker sites now accept deposits made using cryptocurrencies, as they’re fast and secure. Giving players greater payment options helps to make online poker more accessible. It’s also very important that poker sites make payments safe and secure.
Technology has made online poker more trustworthy, and crypto payments could help more players get on board. Some cryptocurrencies also offer a high level of privacy, something that’s important for people living in areas that don’t allow legal online poker yet.
AI Opponents
AI has improved considerably in a short space of time, and in the last few years, the first poker-playing AI has been able to defeat professional human opponents. While playing online gives you access to human opponents whenever you want to play, AI opponents could be used to present a new challenge to poker players.
AI could be used to strengthen limited player pools, and it could also be a fun feature at tournaments. Bounties could be placed on AI opponents, with different values for different levels of opponent. This could create a fun new way to play poker online and help keep the game interesting for longer.
Virtual Reality
Virtual reality (VR) is a huge trend in tech right now, with companies such as Meta pushing the idea of a Metaverse for people to interact in. While the reception to the Metaverse has been lukewarm so far, there is a lot of potential for VR to revolutionize the way poker is played online. One of the key aspects of poker missing from online play is being able to interact with real people and enjoy a social experience. VR could potentially change that.
With a VR headset, players can be transported to a fully immersive, simulated poker room. Here, they’ll be able to join a table with other players, using their avatar to greet their opponents and move their chips around. In the future, facial mapping technology could also allow you to spot tells on your opponent’s face as you try and work out whether they’re bluffing or not.