Facebook Poker
Enjoy Online Poker via Your Facebook Account
While many poker players stick exclusively to real money sites such as PokerStars and 888 Poker, the social side of the game on Facebook has literally millions of active users. Poker on Facebook is very different to what you might find on a real money site, as the focus is on challenges and leader boards, while players are also aiming to compete with their ‘friends’ at the site.
In this guide we start by listing some of the most popular poker apps on Facebook, before looking at the way these poker rooms operate. Then you’ll read about how these games can differ from real money poker and some poker strategy you could employ to make your time at the tables successful. The guide ends with a look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of playing Facebook poker.
Most Popular Facebook Poker Rooms
Texas Hold’em Poker by Zynga is by far the most popular Facebook poker room, with in excess of 5 million active monthly players. Zynga, who are also known for a series of popular apps such as Farmville, offer a poker room which is easy on the eye and offers a smooth level of gameplay - where you’ll see the Facebook images of all the other players at the table. The currency here is in dollars, but while you might be a small to mid-stakes player at a real money site, here you’ll literally be playing for ‘millions’ of play-money (pretend) dollars at times.
Behind the Zynga game in terms of player traffic is the official WSOP – Texas Hold’em Poker app. This poker room has over a million monthly active users and is designed by EA and gives players the opportunity to win a virtual WSOP bracelet.
Other popular Facebook poker apps include World Poker Club, Turn Poker, Governor of Poker 3 and Texas Hold’em Poker Deluxe.
How Facebook Poker Rooms Operate
In general, these Facebook based rooms give players the opportunity of playing both cash games and tournaments, while some also offer online leagues. At all the rooms, you’ll be given free chips to start you off and this original balance will allow you to play for free at many tables, while you’ll move through levels as you progress in the game and your bank balance grows.
While you may start with a relatively small amount of chips in comparison to the top players in the game, you can receive an instant chips boost by simply paying for them. There are usually set fees for certain numbers of chips, but as you play at these games you’ll find many special offers coming your way, to give you an instant chip boost at a more reasonable cost.
How Facebook Poker and Real Money Poker Rooms Differ
The play in the Facebook poker rooms is very different to what you will find in real money poker rooms. Whether playing a cash game or a tournament, the games are much, much looser, where the majority of the table will become involved in every hand, either through limping in or going all-in pre-flop. Where you might find only premium hands such as AA, KK or AK going all-in pre-flop at a real money site, you shouldn’t be surprised to see hands such as KQ, KJ and 77 hitting that all-in button. The games can become a little more skillful at the later stages of a multi table tournament, where players will become a little tighter.
Strategy in Facebook Poker Rooms
For the majority of players entering a Facebook poker room, the aim is to have a fun gaming experience. This means that there’ll be a host of players aiming to bust bigger hands with their weak holdings such as five/eight suited and eight/jack – these are the hands that many players see pros playing on the TV, so they’ll try and emulate these hands (usually with much less skill applied). The best way to counter these players is to play tight aggressive poker, where you won’t want to become involved in too many hands, but when you do you’ll want to play hard, pricing these players out from calling with their draws. This will improve your chances of winning, but of course, if you’re playing at a Facebook poker site for fun, then playing these weaker hands can be more enjoyable.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Playing Facebook Poker
The best aspect of Facebook poker is the social side of the game. The games are fast paced and fun and you can enjoy a full range of games. The challenges are always enjoyable, while you’ll open more doors as your bankroll increases and you move through each level.
The main disadvantage you’ll find at these games is that they don’t really mirror the games you’ll be playing at real money poker rooms or if you play a game at a casino. Therefore, using a Facebook poker site as a learning tool may not be too beneficial to learning poker strategy. Of course, the lack of real prizes also means that these play-money game will not benefit your bankroll either!
