Online Poker Tells

Are there actually tells you can pick up when playing online poker? Do these online poker tells make you money? The answer to both questions is YES. These online poker tells are not the same as you would see when playing in person but they are definitely there for the perceptive poker player to pick up on. Let’s look at what some of those online poker tells might be and how you can use them to your advantage.

You will notice when playing poker at online poker sties that there will be boxes marked “check,” “fold,” “raise any”, or “call any”. You can tell when a player has used one of these boxes because their action comes very quickly. When a player has clicked “check” it should be pretty obvious that he has a weak hand. Usually a quick bet is a sign of weakness, and a delayed action is a sign of a strong hand. Take a look at how much time it takes the other players to make their action. If you get a chance to see their cards at showdown, see if you can determine what hands that they slow bet and which hands they played quickly.

Sometimes you can pick up a tell on a person at an online poker site by noticing how often they fold their hands. If they continually fold hands then you are probably facing a tight player. If they continually call, then you are probably facing a loose player. These are not hard and fast rules but for the most part players are not deceptive enough and don’t change their style and you can pick up tells based on how many hands they play.

Sometimes you can also pick up things by observing the chat box. A player that continually chats when playing online poker can be an easy mark. If the person suddenly stops chatting they may have a big hand. If they continue to talk even more then they could be bluffing.

One of the bigger tells, both online and in person, is betting amounts. You constantly see players bet big amounts with good hands and little amounts with weak hands. This is a tell and it gets obvious when you watch players at online poker sites. These players do not have the ability to change up their play and disguise the strength of their hands. How much a player bets usually is a great tell on the strength of their hand.

Online poker tells are not always as obvious as the tells you see at casino cardrooms but they are there. You just have to pay attention and look at areas where tells show up. Remember to notice the speed of the player, his betting amounts, his chatting, and even the number of hands he plays. All of these are very good tells that can win you money if you are paying attention when playing online poker.

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Byron Badd, Gambling911.com

Originally published February 9, 2007 4:59 pm ET