Top Common Online Poker Tells in Poker!

Table of content:

• What is online poker tells?
• The importance of pattern recognition when it comes to online poker tells
• Reverse online poker tells
• How to prevent giving away information through online poker tells
• Summing up about online poker tells!

What is online poker tells?

In online poker, tells is defined as any pattern or action that ultimately gives some information of the player’s hand. A very important strategy in your poker game is gauging your opponents and gathering maximum information about them before you make decisions. A good understanding of your opponents is as good as a job half done.

Poker tells may include gestures, mannerisms, or acts that are displayed by a poker player while disguising the strength of his hands. However, this might get tricky in the case of online poker as you cannot see your opponent and read his or her body language. In online poker tells, the only information that you receive from an opponent is the time he takes to bet, how much he bets, and any possible chatbox activity.

To know the means of gathering this crucial information in the absence of a live teller, read the list of tips given below.

The importance of pattern recognition when it comes to online poker tells

Pattern recognition is one of the most important skills that a budding poker player must develop. It is a skill that is premised on good memory, the ability to read body language, the ability to replay moves in one’s mind, and the ability to reasonably predict. The ability to read your opponent’s play will offer you an edge in the game as you have a better chance of calling their bluffs and avoiding their monsters.

In an online game, there are various means of gleaning this information – it can be through a player chat, by observing the nature of bets, etc. For example, if a timid player is getting chatty, then it might imply that he or she has a good hand and is relaxed enough to talk at the table.

Online poker tells can be categorized as - Timing tells or Betting tells. The following tells is what you must look out for in your game –

• The golden rule of online poker tells is that a strong opponent will try to act weak, while a weak opponent will try to act strong.
• Most of the time you are raised, you're probably against a better hand. Though not a golden rule, the chance of this being true is high.
• The instant check in an online poker indicates that the opponent has used the “Check/Fold” pre-action. This occurs most often when the big blind has a trash hand and will fold to any raise. In circumstances that the check is quick, but not all that quick, then it indicates a weak hand and an impatient player.
• An all-in over-bet on the river is done to fool opponents into believing that he or she really wants to get paid off. Do not call these without the nuts as most of the time the over-bettor will win over the caller.
• A minimum check-raise reduces the opponent’s hand to one of the two extremes. Use the information that you have to identify which of the extremes he or she will be placed at.
• As a general rule, a player who check-raises the minimum and then checks again on the turn signals a failed bluff.
• A donk bet is usually done by a weak hand that wants to prevent you from c-betting and lead the flop. It is best to raise against these weak donk bets. You might just earn some extra money out of this.
• Players that are emotionally volatile resort to ranting or abusing in the chatbox. These sitting ducks are likely to lose another round for their emotions to get the better of them. Play your strong hands quickly and avoid slow play. Strike the iron when it is hot, literally!
• When players from an early position have odd buy-ins, one may deduce that the player will play loose and fast, hoping to catch a flop and double up quickly. Place pressure on such a player using a position advantage or a card advantage.
• When a player often limps calls after a raise from the player behind him, then automatically assume that the player is weak and is unsure of his game. Isolate such a player and play him heads up in the pots.
• Taking an excessive amount of time to call a bet is usually one of the two things – whether the player is usually quite strong or he or she is plotting a creative bluff. If a player breaks from his usual betting time by delaying and then making a big raise it usually indicates strength. Shy away from such bets.
• Check-raise on the is seldom a bluff. Get out while you can.
• Even the avatar of the player tells. A picture of a baby, or a pet might point towards the player being a recreational player, and an aggressive-looking picture such as a cartoon super-villain or an animal predator shows a really aggressive player. A picture of the player might indicate that he or she takes his or her game seriously and isn’t a total fish.

Reverse online poker tells

Reverse online poker tells are a misleading move. It is when a player deliberately gives away pieces of information about his or her hand to the opponents to trick them into believing the opposite of what is actually true. For instance, he or she will mindfully display a known tell that points to some weakness when in reality, he or she holds a categorically robust hand. This, however, might backfire when played against opponents who aren’t capable of noticing a tell, for they are too inexperienced or are poor observers.

How to prevent giving away information through online poker tells

• Give yourself the same time before undertaking an action every single time to prevent giving away any information.
• Try and be as unpredictable as possible by not repeating your play. Change gears – play conservative and aggressive at appropriate times.
• Avoid choosing an avatar and refrain from chatting, and even worse, venting after a bad beat.
• Do not offer unsolicited advice to other players or comment on their hand selection and the like. Maintain an aura of mystery around your personality if you will.

Summing up about online poker tells!

As the game progresses, and the going gets tough, any small edge is welcome. Using these tips given above, one can hope to make a significant difference to their game and maximize their win rate in the long run. The player can take these a step further to learn how one must cover their own tracks to minimize chances of exposing their vulnerabilities and weaknesses through online poker tells. It takes some experience to develop this intuition in an online game. Give it that time and concentrate on improving your game, every step of the way.

To develop your intuition about online poker tells, download the GetMega Poker app and keep practicing!