A Dissection of Various Online Poker
Tells
written by BeatTheFish.com
...Fishy says, "Is it a tell if I
can't quite reach my fin over to the mouse on time?"
In this article, I'd
like to discuss various online poker tells, their possibly meaning,
their general degree of reliability, and how you can use each as a
false tell. Just as I would caution you not to put too much emphasis
on live poker tells as part of your overall strategy, I would do the
same for online poker tells. Adopting sound poker fundamentals and
playing a solid game will maximize your profits much more than
wasting too much of your time searching for minute (or nonexistent)
tells from your opponents. With the overall horrendous level of play
online, you can become a long-term winning simply by waiting for
opportunities with premium hands and throwing your opponents enough
rope to hang themselves with.
With that caution aside, I've
encountered a number of fairly reliable online poker tells that I
have incorporated into my game. I consider them reliable based on
countless hours of play and witnessing the same correlating patterns
again and again. Of course, you'll occasionally fall for a reverse
tell or realize after the fact that there really was no tell, but
any pattern that seems to detectable 60-70% of the time gives you at
least another piece of information to make the optimal play for the
specific situation.
What
are online poker tells?
Before I dive into specific tells,
readers may wonder how online poker tells even exist. After all,
isn't a tell a physical tick or mannerism that gives away
hand strength? While physical tells certainly play a factor in brick
and mortar cardrooms, a tell is any pattern or action that
inadvertently gives away information about a hand. In online poker,
the only information that you receive from an opponent is the time
he takes to bet, how much he bets, and any possible chat box
activity. Betting patterns and, to a lesser degree, betting time can
also be significant tells if read properly for the specific
opponent. Also, keep in mind that these tells apply mostly to
no-limit games.
Tell: Instant check
Reliability: Medium-to-high
Hand Strength:
Low or occasionally very high from a tricky opponent
Indications: The instant
check online poker tell most likely means that your 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. Your
opponents may also use this beyond the flop in any position if they
haven't connected and are playing multiple tables. If the check
isn't instant but extremely quick, it usually also indicates a weak
hand from an impatient player ready to get to the next hand. While
players often slowplay monster hands, they usually have to think
about doing so for at least a second or two. This certainly isn't a
foolproof tell, but is accurate enough to help you steal your fair
share of small pots. Be wary of ragged flops after an instant check
on the big blind; this is the type of flop that hits trash hands
ready to fold preflop.
How to use to your advantage:
Tend to bet out in position after an instant check from your
opponent. Also, try using the "Check" and not "Check/Fold" when you
have a big hand to throw off your opponents who also use this tell.
I still remember an online hand against a known professional who
used the instant check heads-up in position to induce a bet from me
on the river when he had trip 6s and I had pocket Aces. Try it out
occasionally as a reverse tell.
Tell:
All-in overbet on the river
Reliability: High
Hand Strength:
Usually the nuts or an unlikely big bluff
Indications: A move that has
become more popular recently is the all-in overbet on the river.
This is mostly done to fool opponents into thinking that the player
would never make such a huge bet if he really wanted to get paid
off. Don't fall for it unless you have some specific information on
your opponent. A popular use for the all-in overbet is from players
with a full house when it's likely their opponent also has a flush
or if they've rivered an unlikely hand like a runner-runner flush.
David Sklansky recommends this type of play in similar situations so
you'll find it increasingly popular at the tables.
How to use to your advantage:
Rarely call such a gross overbet without the nuts. I would
estimate that 80-90% of the time you see this type of hand go to
showdown, the overbettor rather than the overcaller
wins. Learned opponents know this so you can occasionally use this
move as a bluff if you're confident that your opponent doesn't have
a huge hand. However, be aware that it's a very high-risk and
high-expense bluff that probably could have succeeded without such a
huge bet.
Tell:
Check-raising the minimum
Reliability: High
Hand Strength:
About 50/50 between a big hand or a bluff
Indications: This is
certainly an online poker tell that requires your knowledge about
the specific player. The minimum check-raise is certainly a tell,
but it's one that narrows your opponent's possible holdings to the
two extremes. You'll very rarely see this play with a
medium-strength hand.
How to use to your advantage:
Use your previous knowledge and/or notes on the player to decide
which hand strength is more likely. Many players try this play if
they feel your bet is fishy or seems like an obvious continuation
bet. I often call with a medium-to-strong hand when facing this play
and see what happens on the turn. A player who check-raises the
minimum and checks again on the turn indicates a failed bluff.
Tell:
Ranting in the chat box over a bad
beat
Reliability: High
Indications: TILT! Ranting,
swearing, and insulting opponents who beat them in a hand shows an
obvious lack of emotional control. If these players stay in the
game, they're sitting ducks for losing another big hand due to their
ego and/or desire to get even. This is a very reliable online poker
tell.
How to use to your advantage:
Your implied odds are huge against a tilting player. If you can
hit a set against their overpair or spike some other unlikely hand,
you're probably going to get paid off. Tend to play your strong
hands fast and don't bother to slowplay. Tilting players usually get
involved in another big pot out of frustration so target them with
hands that you want to play a big pot with. If you're the player who
put the last
bad beat on them - even better! Many weak online
players with weak personalities will make their #1 priority to get
revenge on players they feel have wronged them. Let them do it when
you've got the nuts.
Tell:
Posting blinds early from late
position
Reliability: Low
Indications: According to
many manuals, this is supposed to be an online poker tell that
indicates an impatient player. I really don't put any faith in this
tell, especially at the $2/4 or lower stakes. With blinds that low,
why not get in a few extra hands when you already have a positional
advantage? If you feel like playing right away for a couple of extra
bucks, does this automatically make you a loose player? I don't
think so.
How to use to your advantage:
If everyone folds to you in late position after posting the
blinds prematurely, try throwing in a raise for a quick steal.
You'll look like you have a strong hand as you are putting extra
money into a pot that you could have played for "free". You also
cultivate the table's mistaken perception that you're a loose
player.
Tell:
Posting blinds from early position
with an odd buy-in
Reliability: High
Indications: This usually
indicates a player on "scared" money who has just lost an another
table. A buy-in of something like $134.05 probably means the player
has bought in for everything left in his account. Posting the blinds
a hand or two before they would have come around naturally shows
extreme eagerness to get right back into the action.
How to use to your advantage:
This type of player will tend to play loose and fast, hoping to
catch a flop and double up quickly. Tend to put pressure on this
player when you have positional advantage or feel that you have a
card advantage.
Tell:
Taking an excessive amount of time
to bet
Reliability: Medium-to-high
Hand Strength:
Usually high or occasionally a creative bluff
Indications: A classic
online poker tell is the extreme delay in making a bet or especially
a raise. While online players often react slowly due to the
popularity of playing multiple tables, if a player breaks from his
usual betting time by delaying and then making a big raise it
usually indicates strength. This is an old-fashioned case of "weak
means strong". The bettor appears to deliberate because he isn't
sure about his action but in reality is simply acting and waiting to
pounce.
How to use to your advantage:
Tend to shy away from delayed big bets. At the same time, you
may use this method to pull off the occasional bluff off of
opponents who also know this tell.
Conclusions about online poker tells
While there are countless numbers of
strategic elements you should incorporate into your game before
bothering with tells, some of the scenarios outlined above can help
you stay clear of obvious big hands or take away pots from seemingly
weak ones. While online poker players don't have the luxury of
watching out for trembling hands or nervous ticks, the key to online
poker tells is watching out for deviations in betting time and
reading betting patterns.
Back to
Poker Strategy
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