Many experienced live poker players rely on “tells”, an action by the opposing players that will help tip their hand. I am sure you have seen players wearing sunglasses at a live poker game, this isn’t due to the bright lights in the casino, it is avoid any chance of another player picking up on a widening of the eyes or any other habitual gesture that will give away a strong or weak hand.
There are a few virtual tells that can help tip the hand of those you are playing against. A beginners tells are always easiest to spot. They will bet with a weak hand and hold with a strong hand, taking note of their behavior early will help you take later hands. Once you have spotted a beginner at the table you can use their behavior to help build the pot on your strong hands, allowing them to try their strategy on your refined play style and maybe helping fish in a few players along with him. An ideal situation would see you at an online table surrounded by novice players all using the same tactics to help build the pot for you!
Speed of play is another factor to help you spot the tells of other players. Quick bets are often a sign of weakness while a delayed bet is a sign of strength, Typically the delayed bet tells you the player is calculating his strategy for his big hand. Always try to make a note of the hand a player hand when he quick bet and what cards he held when he made a series of slow bets.
Auto Plays are another ways to sports virtual tells. Online casinos make use of check boxes such as “fold”, “raise any” or “call any”. You can spot auto plays as the bet comes in seconds after the player before him. What should you be looking for? “Raise Any” bets denote a strong hand, “Check” denotes a weak hand while “Call Any” will usually denote a player waiting for the miracle hand. As with other strategies discussed here you should follow this behavior for a few hands and be aware of betting patterns of certain players. Novice players may be using the “Raise Any” checkbox to scare away other betters and trying to take small pots.
While tells are never an exact science, they will help give you an advantage at the online poker table, where every little advantage makes your game stronger.
