Apparently though, for most of us, the floor's clean enough already.

Most poker players prefer their more restrictive 2D alternative. Why? Easy, there are more tables, the players are "better", PKR hands take a couple of seconds longer, and none of that 3D stuff makes any difference to the game anyway.

Legit reasons? Or a herding reflex?

Britney Spears fans were fans because her music was popular, not because it was good

In theory, this "bandwagon" effect should reach a dead end when it comes to poker - an exercise in individual decision-making and not always following instructions - but does it?

It's impossible for new players to evaluate poker rooms in terms of poker, so player numbers, bonuses, tournaments and even the pros who play at - and, weirdly enough, have a stake in - them become deciding factors. And that's fine, most things work that way.

But once the game's learned and bonuses earned, the always-increasingly important emotional factors evolve on top of the cards which become second nature. For example, spotting and adapting to people who might be tilting or prone to tilting if things don't go their way is a step into the next "dimension" of the game.

"Playing the player"

To 'tune-in' to individual styles, characters, attitudes etc. you need information.

On a flat table, there's nothing to go on except betting patterns over loads of hands - and then they might bugger off anyway.

Their betting is obviously the most important factor, but anything which helps form a base to work from can only make the process faster and more accurate.

And at PKR, each player gives away subtle but distinct information about themselves in the design of their 3D counterpart and their use of actions at the table - if at all which in itself is a reflection on their personality and likely their playing style..

To suggest that you can sit down, take one look at your table and say definitively:

"ok, what've we got here? -- 1 tight aggressive, 2 loose aggressive, 1 idiot,
1 man pretending to be a woman and 1 genius.. Oh wait no, that's me.."

is stupid.

Think of it as a personality test / questionnaire and a person's answers - their avatar - gives you the groundwork on top of which the same betting patterns allow you to develop a profile and start fine-tuning your decisions much faster.

PKR's table actions add further information to and around individual hands in a similar way.

Catching on, taking in and adapting to things other than
the cards is the "next dimension" in online poker

It's always been there - PKR's just brought it to life.

The naturally poker-minded will already see that reverse-engineering these things as misinformation in the right circumstances gives you a significant degree of control which you just don't get in a flat environment.

I put together 2 thoughts in my own little noggin without the help of huge bonuses or Phil Ivey's face:

• Poker's a game of information, misinformation and decisions.
• There's more information to consider and more potential misinformation to
  sell with 3D avatars and actions than any 2D equivalent.

This makes the my decision to play at PKR a no brainer - at least for cash games & sit 'n go's where the playing field is otherwise even wherever you go.

Not that playing at PKR stops me playing in full-tilt's weekly $500,000 guaranteed or Pokerstars' Sunday Million anyway..

Phil Ivey's face.
Good tourneys at FT