Understanding Online Poker Tells
Before we get into online poker tells you need to understand that many online players already know these tells. If you think someone pays attention to online tells you can reverse the tells to your advantage.
Don’t ever show your hand if you reversed a tell. Just let them think they are smart and they’re reading you correct. If you are looking for real life poker tells we have that too.
Tell 1. Sudden All-In
There can be two instances where this tell is performed by your opponent. It is critical you pay attention to the board to understand wether they have a hand or not.
If you are betting into a pot with top pair and there is no flush draw or any sort of draw out there and your opponent is slowly calling then you need to be careful. They want you to think they are unsure and that they are drawing but that is not the case.
In this instance your opponent most likely flopped a set or slow played a preflop monster. You will more than likely see your opponent re-raise you or bet big on the river no matter what you do. They acted slowly to make you feel confident in your hand and so you would keep betting.
Tell 2. Sudden All-In Part II
This time you’re betting into your opponent with top pair and they are calling. The difference now is that there is a flush draw and a straight draw on the board. You will almost never see an opponent slow play a set or aces all the way to the river when a flush draw and a straight draw is on the board.
You make it to the river and this is what you should do. If no scare card comes like the flush or something that would have made them a straight you will check your hand. Your opponent will bet big hoping to chase you away even though he has nothing.
You call the bet and win with top pair. You also increased your pot winnings by checking the river to him so he would bet at it. If you bet he most likely would have just folded.
Tell 3. Slow to Call/Raise
Any time an opponent is acting very slow to make a call they are more than likely trapping you. If you get re-raised after a long wait then you should bail almost every time. Why would some act like they are unsure and then re-raise you? Its because they have a monster.
Tell 4. Quick Caller
Many times when an opponent calls very quick they are on a flush draw. Only a very large bet would get them off their hand because they feel confident they are going to catch it. A quick call almost always denotes a drawing hand and this is a very rewarding tell if you pay attention to it.
Tell 5. Using the Chat Box
Anytime a player is continually using the chat box and when you ask them a question to see if they’ve got a hand or not and they don’t respond you can guess they don’t have it. It is human nature to stiffen up and become quiet when you are bluffing.
Next time you are in a tough situation use the chat box to your advantage and see what responses you can get. If the player responds with trash talk you can learn toward the side of folding. Most players don’t trash talk unless they have a monster.
Tell 6. Using the Check/Fold Buttons
Players are lazy and they use the check/fold buttons a lot. You should never use the check fold buttons. It gives away too much information. If you get 3 instantaneous checks in front of you then the players have junk and it’s a good time to bluff or semi bluff at the pot.
Alternatively, you can reverse this tell against someone you think pays attention to the check/fold tell. Next time you have a monster click the “Check” button so it does an instantaneous check. Your opponent will think you are weak. Throw out an overly large bet next go around and you will certainly provoke a call.
Tell 7. Instantaneous Checks
When someone checks very quick but is not using the check/fold button then they are weak. When someone has a good hand they need to think about what their next move is. A very quick check means weakness. Fire away and you will take the pot.
Tell 8. Multi-Table Tell
This is a very profitable tell. Many players like to play two or three tables at once. At most poker rooms you can do a player search to see how many tables a player is playing.
Anyway if you spot a player who is playing multiple tables you can bluff them very easily. Most of the time they play by the book and don’t bluff too much. They have too much going on to think about bluffing.
Also, if a player who is playing multiple tables suddenly takes forever to act they have a monster at another table. If he is in a hand at your table a small bluff will make him fold.
Tell 9. Position Thieves
Position thieves are very common in Sit n Go poker tournaments. If everyone folds up to the thief and he only has the small and big blind to act behind him he will raise to try and steal the blinds. With a moderate hand you can fight back and likely get him to fold.
