Online poker is mainly math based, with a small amount of reading your opponent by the way they hesitate or some other
tells. In live poker, you can watch your opposing players when they are in the hand and even when they are not involved, giving a better read. Live poker is a slower pace to allow for more reflection as to how this hand and previous
hands have been played.
If poker is meant for recreation and not just to make money, the round the table bantering can be fun. Yes, you can also get players who will be rude and crude to try to put you off your game, or trash talk to put you on tilt, but for the most part, it can be fun. For example, playing with Phil Helmuth or Mike the Mouth or Jamie Gold would be excruciatingly painful, playing with Daniel Negreanu or Phil Laak would be hysterically funny.
