Online Poker Tells: How to Read Your Opponents for Clues

A very important tell is how a player typically plays their hands. Are they a very tight player who will fold with anything but a very strong hand? Or are they a rather loose player that takes a lot of chances with not so good hands hoping to get lucky on the flop? Take note of each opponents play style and this will help tremendously. If the player folds most of their hands, be cautious when he finally decides to stay in. When a player stays in many of the pots, there is a good chance that you can outplay him if you have a decent hand. This is one of the most important factors to look for when playing online poker.

 

Poker players have the ability to chat with other players using the chat window while playing online. In all honesty, a player should just keep quiet and never chat during the games. Each time you chat in the window, you are giving away a clue to everyone in the game. So keep out of the conversation and be the audience instead. Has a chatterbox just become a mute? That most likely means that he has a good hand and is using all his brainpower to focus on his strategy. On the opposite end of the spectrum, if a player becomes suddenly chatty in an antagonistic manner, they are probably trying to scare their competition into folding to a weak hand. Another good thing to look out for are players who are in a bad mood and whiny, also known as being “on tilt.” An angry or whiny player who is noticeably upset can affect their ability to play good poker until they can calm down. 

 

Have you ever noticed that sometimes a player folds, calls or raises a bet within a blink of an eye? This is a sign that they are using the auto play feature. If a player’s move comes within a flash of the player before him or her, it means they are using auto play. This can be a very useful tell. If a player checks the raise any box, that obviously means that they have a very strong hand. Maybe a player uses the checkbox to call any other players. This can be a good sign of a hand that is not yet completed, but stands a good chance and doesn’t want to fold. If they use the check box to check, you can probably assume the hand is not very good. When players are so confident with their hand that they can make a decision before seeing other player’s moves, it is a sure clue as to what they have. 

 

Online poker players are given a certain amount of time before they decide whether to go all in or to fold. Most of the time the speed at which a player folds or bets is a great tell. A fast bet is usually a sign of weakness and a slower reaction is a sign of a strong hand. This is because a player with a good hand will be determining his strategy and a weak hand wouldn’t need to do so. Get into the practice of watching the speed it takes each player to make a move. At the showdown you will probably be able to see the difference between the quick reactors and the ones who took their time before betting. Do not confuse a fast play with the auto play feature though because that could change things. It is obvious that a human usually cannot click within a blink of an eye. So if it takes a couple of seconds than you know they are not using auto play and that they may be bluffing with a weak hand.

 

With a lot of patience and practice, you will be reading tells as well as Phil Ivey or Annie Duke.