Replay goes to some detail to provide an experience comparable to live poker, just without the financial risk. Cash games are raked. Chip distribution is managed on an economic model. You can talk to opponents and choose to show your cards before mucking. There is one difference, however.
At a live table, the best players don’t look at their hole cards until it is their turn to act. Instead, they focus on those players, looking for tells. Obviously, you can’t see your Replay opponents to catch that nervous licking of the lips or throbbing vein on the temple. You could focus on the time it takes each player to bet, however.
As an experiment, maybe stick your thumb over your chair before each hand is dealt, and watch the goings on before the action comes around to you. There’s no real benefit other than adding a bit more realism to the game, but it’s an interesting exercise. Give it a go and see what you think.
That happened to me the other day. AQ, four bars on my wifi, timed out bc Replay was “unable to sync. Flop came Q-Q-8, and I watched someone else take my pot. That happened between being run down twice with AK. Three hands (one missed) and I was out of the tournament. Posted about it. Wasn’t happy, but I don’t think there was any intent. Technical issues are a separate matter from the game layout.
