Online poker first appeared on the internet following the successful roll out of the World Wide Web in the 1990s. The web had a significant impact on society and the way the people work, communicate and how they entertain themselves.

Poker websites have been live since the early years of the internet and while there was little choice in games at the beginner, online gamblers can now find a huge selection of poker games and tournaments, including pot odds poker. 

Technological innovations over the last few decades have continued to help build on the online poker experience and it is now almost unrecognizable when compared to those early years. 

From the development in code and improved internet connections to artificial intelligence and specialist tracking software, here are just a few ways that technology has changed how we play poker online:

The development of HTML5 has enabled creation of high definition graphics

If you are someone who has been playing poker online for a number of years, you will notice that the graphics have improved a lot in recent years. Poker cards and chips once looked very pixelated and unrealistic, however as the technology has improved and HTML5 has become more widely used by developers, the picture quality has changed completely.

Today's high quality graphics help to create a much more immersive experience. Players can enjoy games with vibrant colours and clear pictures, the use of animation sequences has also helped to make games that bit more exciting too. 

Faster internet speeds have improved gameplay thanks to fibre optic technology

Back when people started to play poker online, dial-up internet made games progress very slowly. Over the years home WIFI connections and mobile data have increased the speed of games significantly. 

Most recently, Fibre optic connections have allowed internet speeds to reach as high as 30MB per second. Now playing poker online is now more convenient and faster paced than it once was.

Live poker games have been introduced using video streaming technology

Online poker was lacking social opportunity and interaction for some players, however with the introduction of live poker on many online casinos, players can play along with others in real-time and interact with a dealer they can see on camera.

Cameras with the ability to film in high definition or even 4K have made streaming these games to online poker players a reality. Playing live offers the real casino experience but still provides players the convenience of playing at home from their sofa.

Live games use a piece of software that reads the cards the dealer has dealt and converts it into data for the players on their computers at home. A number of different cameras are usually used in filming so that participants can get a good view of both the card on the table and the dealer.

Tracking software have removed the need for pro players to record their data manually

While some people play poker just for a bit of fun, others take it much more seriously and track their results in order to improve upon their gameplay. There is now specific tracking software that players can install to keep tabs on their playing history and analyze it.  

This is used by all poker professionals as it allows them to see their mistakes and redefine their winning strategy for future games.

Increased personalization using artificial intelligence (AI)

Artificial intelligence technology is now used on online casino sites to collect data on its users. This data is used to offer an improved customer experience as it informs the operator what types of games an individual likes to play, what their journey across the site is like and the times they like to play.

Using this information, the casino can offer its customers personalized incentives and bonus offers, it is used as part of their re-targeting strategy to bring back customers who might have stopped logging on to play.

What does the future hold?

The technology used in online casinos and poker rooms has come a long way in the last few decades and there are plenty of more changes on the horizon. The rollout of the 5G internet network is improving internet speeds even more and giving players the opportunity to play more games with less interruptions. 

Virtual reality (VR) is another piece of tech to look out for. VR allows players to immerse themselves in a digital casinos that looks and feels real through their headset, it has the potential to make online poker just as sociable and interactive as the real land based game.