Gaming online with others can lead to meeting them in real life. People who struggle socially often find that interacting with people online is easier. They don’t need to see you or know who you are until you’re comfortable to share more. 

You get to be yourself and check out people and their personalities before creating a relationship. If you’re shy, you might prefer meeting people online first and breaking the ice before meeting them in person. Online connections allow you to avoid face-to-face conversations if you have trouble meeting new people or find you prefer to break the ice via text first. 

You can explore your interests with others online who play the same games. The worldwide availability of online gaming means that you could form connections with people from your country, or with people who are on the other side of the world. 

Participate in Tournaments

People have been playing poker for close to 1,000 years! Thanks to technological development, poker can be played online. Some people are in it for more than just the winnings. Poker can be superb for networking with others and sparking new friendships. Some poker platforms have interactive social features like forums and areas where you can chat privately or in groups. Joining poker tournaments helps to improve your skills as you play the game you love with different people. 

When you join tournaments, you’ll be a part of a community. This can make it easier for you to network as you’re surrounded by people who love the same thing as you. Therefore, you already have some common ground as a starting point. Andrew Bachman sold his online marketing company for millions and has started a few more since then. He met business people by playing poker, and eventually, they invested in his company. Networking through online gaming isn’t just about games, it could lead to something better.

Join Forums

Forums are fantastic for meeting people who share your interests. The great thing about forums over other social media platforms is that you can choose a specific forum that’s dedicated to a particular game. 

As a result, you can easily start a conversation about your common interest. You could talk about a certain part of the game that you’re stuck on, ask for advice, give them advice, or simply discuss the mechanics/storytelling. 

eSports Events

You might already have a few people you play online games with, but feel like meeting up in real life. You can interact with people who love gaming as much as you do and compete together in eSports tournaments. 

If you are heading there solo, finding people with the same interests is easy. Whether you are just there to look around or compete in some tournaments, you can make new connections no matter what you are doing there. You won’t have to worry about finding someone who has the same interests as you, as everyone is there for the same reason: gaming. 

Organize An Online Poker Game

If you already have some poker friends, why not organize an online game? To make things interesting, ask each person to bring a friend. That way, you have some already formed connections so you feel comfortable with a few new faces you can get to know. 

Due to online gaming growing, it’s easy to meet up with friends and newcomers on gaming platforms and play together. The new people you network with might be more than just someone to play online with, it could expand to an offline friendship.

Discord

Discord is an app that makes meeting gamers simple. Look at it as an e-social platform for all types of gamers. You can create your own server specific to your gaming likes and preferences. You can personalize the channel with bots and permissions. 

Discord allows you to connect with people via video/voice calls and direct messages. 

You can send multimedia files to your friends and share screens. You can also use Discord to interact with each other whilst playing online. 

You can create group chats where you and your gaming friends can connect with each other. It doesn’t just have to be about gaming either. You could talk about anything. It’s just that you’ll most likely start with the topic of gaming before seeing what their other interests are. 

To Sum Up

Trying some of the ideas above could help you expand your network through online gaming. Expanding your network through games like poker allows you to improve your communication skills, meet like-minded people, and enjoy helping others with tips and strategies. 

Remember to choose a community that’s specific to the games you like to ensure you connect with the right people for a positive gaming and networking experience.