Poker News
3D Online Poker: Hits and Misses
3D Poker has been around just about as long as online poker itself. In the very early days of online poker, True Poker released a 3D client with a cast of characters, first-person table view and a variety of player actions. While True no longer uses that software, there are still plenty of rooms – most notably PKR – offering players a 3D experience.
Hits: 3D online poker has one big advantage over other online poker graphical models, namely that it comes closer to the actual experience of live poker. That’s more important for some than others, but it’s hard to argue against the fact that sites such as PokerStars offer a very “flat” experience when compared to the sensory overload often present in a live casino poker room setting.
With that comes another advantage: Casual players who are uncertain about online poker may find themselves more comfortable in the 3D setting. It may feel also more like a video game, another familiar context.
Misses: 3D Poker clients tend to be slower and buggier than their 2D counterparts. It’s no surprise that this is the case, as the 3D clients are often far more complex programmatically and require additional resources from the users computer. Also, users tend to play slower in the 3D environment, simply because there are more options for them to explore. A simple example that illustrates this fault is player chat. In 3D programs, player chat is generally visualized as an extension of the avatar, while player chat in 2D poker rooms tends to take place in a small box segregated from the action. Which table do you think moves faster, the one where all the players are chatting, or the one where only a couple have their eye on a small box?
It’s difficult to say that one form of online poker is better than another. What we can conclude is that 3D poker – just like any format – has both plusses and minuses that players will need to weigh on their own.
