Online Poker Tells – What You Should be Looking Out For

5 years ago
Online Poker Tells – What You Should be Looking Out For
07:33
19 Jun

The popularity of playing poker online has grown dramatically since Chris Moneymaker's win at the WSOP (World Series of Poker) in Las Vegas in 2003. The largely unknown online player turned up and scooped the multi-million prize against all the odds. Online players, however, generally miss out on the usual clues as to how their opponents are faring with a hand.

The unconscious facial tics and body giveaways that all but the very best display are not available to the online player. So what else should he or she be looking for to determine a strong or weak hand in an opponent? Surprisingly, there are plenty of tells to look for, and new players who want to progress should learn to both read them and avoid giving them away with their own play. Below are a few to ponder for your next game.


Timing

As they say in every game, timing is everything. The nervous cricketer snatches at an easy chance outside off-stump and the under-pressure penalty-taker will spend too long timing his run-up. The same happens with online poker. The long wait and then check is one of the most obvious online poker tells out there. It can suggest that your opponent wants you to believe that they are genuinely considering their next move - when, in fact, they haven't got much of a hand at all. Raise as soon as you are in position. His next move will reveal the truth.

Likewise, if your opponent waits before placing their bet or raising, then this can be a sign that is the opposite of the tell above. If you have a good hand then betting too quickly can give it away so when an opponent does this you be prepared to fold.

One more timing issue that all too common is the opponent who repeatedly times out with any apparent changes to their game. There is a good chance that this player is multi-tabling - playing more than one game at a time online. Multi-tabling means that they can be found to be weak at certain points in the game (when their focus is elsewhere) and will make poor plays as a result. Be ready to exploit them if they play against their usual method.



Bet Sizes

A weak hand draws a weak bet. Yes, a player might not want to draw attention to their good hand, but a weak bet is obvious. If you've been playing a more than a few hands with an opponent, then you will recognise the change in their betting size.

Passive players tend to bet big with a good hand and small with a weak one - but you'll work these opponents out pretty quickly. The opposite is usually true of the aggressive players who like the game of bluff so much that it becomes obvious when they're playing it. If these players have a good hand, then they will try to build the pot to maximise their winnings. While this is good advice, the best players manage to do so without it being obvious and drawing the inevitable folds.

Betting patterns are probably the best way to read an opponent’s hand. The more game you play, the more you'll understand your opponents. 



Pre-selected Folding and Checking

Online poker makes it easy for opponents to check or fold with the use of a pre-select button. The way to know when a player is using this option is when they are in the Big Blind seat, and they check the instant the flop is revealed. They clearly have a weak hand and use the button to clear out. The next time you should bet on the flop and more often than not the opponent will fold straight away.

Once you know how to use this to your advantage, then you should be aware that you're not the only one that might know the trick. If you're in the same position, then fold your poor hand in good time. Not slowly, but not instantaneously. Keeping your opponent's guessing is very important.


Learning to Hide

While it can be very valuable and worthwhile learning to read the other players' intentions and likely plays, you should be very wary not to give away your own. Keeping your composure counts as much with a good hand as with a bad one. Making all your decisions in the same amount of time will give nothing away that can be easily read by the other players. Before making any move then repeat a favourite line in your head. It should calm you and put off anyone watching you closely.



Other Little Tricks

Avatars and photographs are all selected for a reason. Players are either trying to portray the type of player they want to be seen as - aggressive, or a great bluffer - or they are giving away their age and experience. Check out a number in a screen name because it will often give away their age - simon62, james84. Older players are generally tighter in their play but are more likely to stay too long with a marginal hand.

Other little things to check with your opponents are their locations - different cultures often have different styles of play. Check the chat boxes. Whatever they are saying will tell you something about how they are feeling. Either way, there is potential to exploit this with your play.

Decision-making with all poker playing is based on your experience and understanding of your opponents. Time alone will teach you all the little things that can make a difference. None of the tells above will win you the game, but a combination of them all should help to make you a better player. Playing online and playing at a casino are very different experiences and it is worth understanding a few of the little tricks that could help you. Look for patterns of play in your opponents and remember them. Try to avoid falling repeating yourself. Vary your cold calls on an ace-king hole hand but remain consistent in your decision-making process.


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Writer and semi-retired poker pro from Edinburgh (UK).Read more

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