Online Poker Tells

Online Poker Tells
How To Read Poker Tells Online ...and Offline!

"Tells" are a part of poker tradition. A tell is a behavioural giveaway that an opponent may signal if dealt a good hand. You look for that subconscious gesture. A widening of the eyes? Why do you think the champs wear sunglasses? They're cutting down the odds of a tell.

Okay. So what use is a poker tell online where there are no facial expressions? The answer is the nature of the tell needs to be looked for in terms of online behaviour. For example: if an opponent bets quickly it's likely a signal of a weak hand. Think about it. If you land a good hand, the first thing you do is think about your strategey for playing it. That takes time? You don't need time to figure out a four of hearts and a ten of spades is not likely to send a shiver down Johnny Chan's spine. You get the idea? Make a mental note of the time each player takes to make their decisions. These can be valuable tells.

Obviously your own behaviour at the table is already giving off a tell to other experienced players. What's the defence against this intrusion on your game? A good tip is to try to take more or less the same amount of time to reach every decision. This sheds the light of confusion and players who are focused on this element of your game will become irritated which is another landmine in your armoury.

Here are a few other observations worth making for online poker tells. The online check box enables you to "fold", "call any" or "raise any". If an opponent is swift to check the "raise any", this is a likely giveaway of a good hand. A player who hits "check" is probably betraying a weak hand and similarly an opponent who hits "call any" is more likely looking for cards to complete a hand with potential and is not getting ready to fold yet awhile.

We'll return to online poker tells in a future column but as a parting shot here are a couple of poker tells that'll help you identify a beginner. If you yourself are a beginner, these closing tips will be even more valuable.

A beginner's mind set is often to pretend weakness with a good hand and bet on a weak hand. Look for the tell tale signs as a game progresses.

Here's something else newbies do. If a beginner receives a high card and checks and then bets when he receives the three of hearts, you can figure that he's paired the high card previously. It's unlikely he's raising on a pair of threes. It's more likely a smoke screen tempting you in if you say have a pair of sevens.

POKER JOKER
Jim: "We were playing poker at midnight using tarot cards."
Bert: "How'd it work out?"
Jim: "I got a full house and four people died!"

Source: All The Aces: Online Poker Tells