by Emma
4. November 2008 05:20
Playing online poker games, such as Texas Holdem, you need to know some basic but rather useful poker tells to increase your chances of winning the game.
There are a few online poker tells which are common withion the poker community. Successfull online poker players are aware of their opponents even when they are not in the hand. Whilst it can be harder to read poker tells online than if you are playing accross the table in a live poker event I have detailed some of the more common online poker tells
Seriously pay your attention to them and keep them in your mind next time you are engaged in the game, you will find them really paying off.
- The Fast Check
This is a very common online poker tell. When a player instantly checks, he has probably clicked the "auto-check" tool featured in all online poker rooms. This means that before you have even bet or checked, he was planning on checking. Most of the time, you'll be able to steal the pot with a reasonable bet. However, some players might try to use this tell against you so you should be careful with it.
- The Fast Bet
When someone quickly bets, they're almost always trying to scare you. When I want someone to fold, I bet really fast. It shows them strength and is a very intimidating tactic to employ.
- Wait and Bet
When a player waits and bets in poker games online, he usually has a legit hand and is probably thinking of how much to bet which almost always results in the timer running slightly slower than normal. You'll notice this if you pay close attention to the time a player takes to bet. If they wait a long time and check instead of bet, they are usually trying to make you think they have a hand. If that's the case, you can probably take the pot right there.
- Betting Patterns
Betting patterns are extremely valuable in any variation of poker games. You always want to figure out how each player bets when he has a hand. Most players will give away their cards simply by betting different amounts. For example, if a player raises $50 pre-flop and then only bets small on the flop, he's almost always weak. Notice how hard players raise their aces as opposed to their jacks.
- Telling You Their Hand
Players telling you their hand is a funny type of tell. I've figured out this tell from most of my friends telling me they were lying in the first place. It's also common sense. According to one of my Hold'em rules, when a player tells you his hand without you asking, he's almost always giving away false information. Think about it. Why would he tell you his hand if you didn't ask him? The reason he tells you is to get inside your head and make you think you folded the winner.
What do you think is the most common poker tell?
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