Although some of the premier Texas Hold'em pros today are actually players who began a career in playing online poker,
most people generally lose money online and fail to reap the same benefits that go along with playing in real life. Playing online tends to have a faster game play, replacing general cues and tells, like a players facial expression and movement, with the click of a button. Playing online also requires players to play generally higher stakes and to put forth a substantially higher rake per game.
Not only do gambling addicts get suckered into paying higher to fulfill their addiction, but they also find it extremely difficult to draw the line and stop gambling. Therefore, playing online is risky business; it's dangerous to everybody involved, and allows for all kinds of technical contingencies that can be costly. According to an episode of 60 minutes, playing online poker is highly dangerous and risky. The actual card generators are located outside of the United States. Also, former World Series of Poker Main Event champion Greg Ramer was caught stealing tens of millions of dollars online from other players. His punishment: a slap on the wrist in exchange for information in how he did it. Playing online poker has been extremely costly for many people.
It's important to remember that for all the money that somebody makes, somebody else has to lose it. At the very least, playing in real-life discourages under age players from attempting to play. Also, playing in person also allows for a greater amount of talent, including facial reading, cues, instincts, and just overall good old poker. Playing online is basically the fast food industry of poker. It is convenient, quick, and is available to just about everyone.
According to an article techdirt.com titled "Online Poker Cheating Scam Unraveled", "Ultimate-bet.com has been fined 1.5 million dollars as part of an ongoing investigation into what appears to be a rather massive scheme to defraud online poker players by giving some insiders the ability to see all the cards other players held". The insider itself, as mentioned above, is allegedly former World Series of Poker Main Event winner Greg Ramer. In the episode of 60 minutes, investigators try to contact Mr. Ramer but he avoids any contact with anybody in regards to the allegations.
Overall, the cons of online poker outweigh the pros. Playing online offers little to no protection of gamers and is a monumental risk to all of those that play. I strongly recommend players to avoid becoming addicted to playing online, as I have personal experience in that regard.
Sources:
http://www.cardplayerbrasil.com/site/imagens/Tom_Dwan_Large_.JPG
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20081001/0309502425.shtml
http://www.aintluck.com/images/reviewpics/full-tilt-table.jpg
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