Picking up Online Tells
Friday, July 31st, 2009poker online makes it more difficult to get a read on your opponents. By observing the betting action carefully, you should be able to pick out some patterns for certain players. These patterns can give telling information.
One clue to look for is bet timing. For instance, if a casino online player almost always responds with an ‘insta’ check or fold, it means the option for that action was checked in advance. When that player suddenly takes some time to respond, then there is likely to be a reason, like a powerful hand that calls for strategic play.
Beware of over-bets on the river. Savvy players use this to make other online poker players think it is a bluff. If you don’t have the absolute nuts, it is crazy to call these over-bets. The most prudent action is to always fold unless you have a clear read that the over-bettor is bluffing. In these river over-bet situations, the bettor is more likely to win than the caller.
A check-raise with a minimum bet often indicates some weakness, such as looking for a draw, or that the raiser is testing to see if the bet after a check was a continuation bet meant to intimidate. A check-raiser who checks again after the next card may have failed to hit the draw and probably warrants a raise.
Chat box rant often gives off good signals too. Look for a player who seems angry and may be on tilt; then play your strong hands fast against the titled player since they are apt to call anything.