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Online Poker Tells
28/09/2011
Online poker tells make for interesting conversation, but they don't play a large role in real money poker games. In all my years of playing online poker and winning a significant sum of money, I have never used an online poker tell as the sole basis for a decision. I have taken them into consideration, but I have never simply relied on an online poker tell to make a big call or big fold.
The problem with online poker tells is that they aren't reliable. If an opponent takes forever to make a bet, it could have some significant meaning or it could simply be due to a knock at the front door. An oddly sized bet might be because the opponent is messing with you or it could simply be a case of big ole sausage fingers.
However, that is not to say that online poker tells are completely useless. Some online poker tells are legitimate sources of information. Since you won't always know if a tell is really a tell, it is important that you only consider them one factor out of many. Take a look at the opponent's betting patterns, your recent history at the table, the cards on the board, your own cards and any tells you may have picked up, then make your decision.
Common Online Poker Tells
Now that we've gotten that little disclaimer out of the way, let’s look at a couple of common poker tells. These poker tells don't always mean the same thing, so take each of these with a grain of salt. Some poker players are aware of these tells and will purposely display them in an effort to be extra tricky.
1. The Delayed Bet
The delayed bet is supposed to look weak, but it actually suggests strength. The opponent, through his actions, is trying to say "Ahh man I dunno if this hand is good enough to bet, but I guess I'll bet anyways." In many cases, the delayed bet is simply a lame attempt to get a call.
2. The Insta-Bet
The insta-bet is a bet in which the opponent throws out a solid bet as soon as the action is on him. This bet is supposed to look scary and in-your-face, but it suggests weakness. If the opponent truly wanted a call, would he really try to throw the bet in your face like that? Probably not.
3. The Insta-call
The insta-call is supposed to represent strength, but it actually suggests weakness. The opponent is trying to tell you that his hand is so good that calling is a no-brainer. If his hand was strong, would he really want to give it away like that and scare you away? Just be careful with this tell. Some players make insta-calls because they are aware of this tell or are simply busy multi-tabling.
Take Notes and Find New Tells
It is possible to sometimes find a reliable tell by watching an opponent and taking notes on him. In low stakes games, I wouldn't worry about this too much. There are just so many players coming and going that you won't run into the same opponent often enough to make it worth studying hundreds of opponents every day.
If you play heads-up or high stakes poker, however, being on the lookout for tells is a smart idea. If you play against the same opponents on a regular basis, you should keep very detailed notes on those players. You will eventually discover patterns and tells that can be used to your advantage.
Sometimes you will find tells that aren't as obvious as the ones listed here. You may realize that your opponent always bets slightly smaller when he has a strong hand or that he tends to slowplay Aces before the flop. At that point, though, we are moving away from "tells" and more to just knowing your opponent.
In the end, online poker tells are worth noting, but they should not comprise your entire poker strategy. Online poker tells are just one more source of information like any other. If you make your decisions based on all the information you have available to you, you will get it right more often than you get it wrong.
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Fundamentals of Poker - List of Contents
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12/02/2012 The Cashout Curse
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12/02/2012 Taking Notes Online
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03/02/2012 The Deciding Phases The Turn and the River
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08/01/2012 Relative Chip Value
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08/01/2012 Pot Odds and Implied Odds in Poker
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08/01/2012 Poker Variants
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28/12/2011 Expected Value
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23/12/2011 Poker Myths
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13/12/2011 Flashing Cards
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09/12/2011 Crazy Home Games
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28/09/2011 Expected Value
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28/09/2011 Calculating Outs
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28/09/2011 Observation & Taking Notes
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28/09/2011 Online Poker Tells
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28/09/2011 Bluffing
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28/09/2011 Bet Sizing
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28/09/2011 Starting Hand Selection
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28/09/2011 Stack Sizes
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28/09/2011 Multi Tabling
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28/09/2011 Importance of Aggression in Poker
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28/09/2011 Pot Odds
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28/09/2011 Implied Odds
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28/09/2011 Position
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27/09/2011 Table Selection
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27/09/2011 Poker Etiquette
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