Online Poker Tells - Reading Hands Online By Thomas Kearns At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Body language which has the potential to reveal information concerning the opponent's hand is called "a tell" or "tells" - and you had better learn to keep a good eye open for it: it's a fun challenge; it keeps you from fidgeting, and it may decide the outcome of the game in your favor like nothing else. In a live game, when your opponent vigorously tosses their chips into the bank, fidgets with their chips, licks their dry lips, glances aside or scratches behind the ear systematic observation may yield invaluable insight and earn you cash. To the uninitiated such technique may seem like black magic, but in fact many professionals rely heavily on it.

Online, however, things look differently, to say the least. In fact, at first glance, you don't seem to see anything. A photograph (not necessarily of the actual player) or an image of anything else - from anime portraits to brains in vats - or a blank is all that represents the players. Is "reading" then impossible online?

The first thing to realize is that your own hand is likewise readable online, even if it's Homer Simpson with a hand of pink glazed doughnuts that you have uploaded as the online image of yourself. Online tells are primarily the speed with which a player makes his bets. The most basic available way to bet, raise, call, or pass in an online game is by clicking the appropriate button when it is the player's turn. The other possibility is to mark the box of the action beforehand (bet/raise, etc), so that when it is your turn, the move is made instantly and automatically.

Online "pondering" may mean a weak hand: when a player takes a long time to "think" and then says "check", they are probably trying to convince you they have good cards when they don't in reality. It's as if they were considering investing a significant sum. Actually, they hope you will check as well, so they can have the next card for free. When a person really intends a "check/raise", they will normally say check after a natural pause and then make a raise equal to the last bet. A bet after prolonged pondering implies strength: making an aggressive bet, the player suggests weakness by "wavering" for a while, enticing you to "call."

Many of those who make immediate bets or raises are likely to have a strong hand. Deliberate aggressiveness may suggest weakness, but in many cases the situation is the reverse: the player hopes that you will be bullied into believing that he would never have raised so "rashly" if he really had worthwhile cards. It's a trick of "reverse psychology," a show usually meant to intimidate you into an unnecessary call.

Some players use the "check/raise" button to play what is probably a very strong hand with deceptive gradualness. When what seems like a hurried check, enticing you to make an aggressive move, is followed by a raise, beware: the check was likely a trap and the opponent's hand is probably much stronger than you thought it was!

These are mere tips which may give you some idea how to observe the habits and mannerism of invisible online opponents. Take the time to observe players carefully, especially those with whom you have been playing for a while: they probably betray other, more individualized tells. Be aware that some players may deliberately time their responses randomly or persistently take equal time to respond in all cases, making it impossible to guess their hands. It could be a good idea to learn to do the same.

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