Online Poker Tells

There are those that mistakenly believe that it is impossible to detect and decipher poker tells online. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Though it is not possible to see a competitor face-to-face and observe their physical tells, there are online tells that offer clues regarding what type of hand a person has. They include, but are not limited to, speed of play, a player’s use of check boxes, their flop/fold percentage and how talkative (or quiet) they are. We will look at these common, online tells in more detail below.

Speed of Play

Though this isn’t always the case, many times when a player is playing extremely fast, they have a weak hand. Conversely, when they take their time, the likelihood increases that their hand is a decent one and thus they are strategizing about how to best use it. Of course this isn’t always true. A person may be taking their time because they have absolutely no idea what they are doing.

The only way to determine whether or not this is a tell is to wait and see what happens. If pattern emerges, then this is likely a tell. For example, if particular player routinely takes a long time to make playing decisions when they have a good hand (as seen in the showdown), and the converse is true when they have a bad hand, then the amount of time they take to play may be indicative of the quality of their hand. It is a tell.

Observing a behavior only once is not enough to determine if it is a tell or not. It is always necessary to watch a few games first.

Check Boxes

Another tell is a player’s use of check bones. If they have checked the “raise any” box, they probably have a pretty good hand. If they have checked the “check” box, then they probably have a weak hand. When the “call any” box has been checked, then the assumption might be made that they have a draw hand with no immediate intention to fold. It is important to note that these are all assumptions. They are not foolproof. The same is true when trying to decipher physical tells in land-based games. These are all best guesses, but not without merit. The reason why check boxes assumptions can be made is because individuals typically only feel comfortable making decisions in advanced (without knowing what moves the players in front of them will make), when they have certain types of hands.

Flop/Fold Percentage

When a player has a bad hand, it is generally recommended that he or she fold. Smart and experienced players generally adhere to this strategy. Inexperienced players and those who aren’t very good may not. They may instead, stay in a hand that they have no possible chance winning, hoping that the other players at the table are also inexperienced or don’t know what they are doing. If you can find players that consistently stay in every pot, you may be able to use this against them.

Talkativeness

This is a common tell in both online and offline poker. Many times (though not all of the time), players that typically talk (or chat) a lot and then suddenly stop, have a good hand. Instead of chatting, they are now engrossed in strategizing their next move. Also, be on the look out for a lot of emotion. Players on the tilt may be ripe for picking off because they are upset. It is often difficult to play smart when in this state of mind. Lastly, pay close attention to players that are bragging a lot as they may be bluffing.

Tells can be just as obvious online as offline. It is just a manner of learning how to recognize them. While players should be on the lookout for tells, it is more important to develop a good playing strategy. Tells will let you down. Players will be able to fool you. In order to avoid being suckered, focus on learning the game so that tells become less important.