Thursday, 24 May 2012
Wednesday, 29 October 2008 18:17

Tells of Online Poker

Knowing which category your competition belongs to.


Poker tells are commonly referred to as signs unknowingly given by a player through his or
her body language. In online poker however, you don't really see your opponents but poker
tells can still exist through their actions. Even when playing an online game, you could
still get crucial information on how a player conducts his or her strategies. This is where
poker tells or actions that inadvertently give out information about your opponents become
very useful.

Defining tells of online poker

To further explain the concept behind online poker tells, here is one example. A long time
back, the "Pause" was the most amusing yet predictable poker tell. Rookies would stall
right before betting on the river if he or she has a monster hand, as though agonizing over
the most difficult decision in life. Now, it is being used by veteran players as a form of
reverse psychology to confuse other players. Nevertheless, pausing is still a very obvious
action or move that usually gives away the strength of a player's hand.

When a player is known for making slow plays but suddenly begins making wagers out of the
blue, that means something. It is your duty to discern what those moves exactly mean. Keep
in mind that each individual may have his or her own interpretation of a poker tell.  

By listing down the different characters you might encounter in a poker game, you'll get an
idea on some of the kinds of online poker tells.

# The Bigmouth -- A bigmouth is a player who usually uses intimidation tactics against the
opponents. This type of player might keep on insulting everyone through the chatbox. A
bigmouth type of player is usually the one who keeps on ranting about how defective the
software is. He or she then blames the defective software for his or her losing streak.

Do not get intimidated by these players. The fact is, you should even target them. These
players are the easiest to go on tilt. And the longer they remain on tilt, the better you
can take advantage of the situation.

Aside from rants sent through the chat box, another online poker tell you should take note
of is when a player places "chat revoked" on the location field. This means that the player
is immature and that the player has been penalized by a gaming site due to outbursts.

# The Braggart -- The braggart is someone who tends to gloat after every victory. Keep in
mind that these are usually long-term, weak-tight kind of losers. A WSOP-finalist who wins
95% of the time need not to brag about his or her achievements.

# The Crybabies -- A crybaby type of poker player is not probably someone who goes on tilt
when on a losing streak. Instead, he or she whines everytime he or she loses. The opposite
of a crybaby is someone who always challenges an opponent who has defeated him or her for
several consecutive games.

# The Professor -- This player is usually a first-timer, and has an oversized ego. He or she lectures on poker strategies to the point that it annoys other players. The professor keeps on giving lectures even if he or she is usually wrong. This kind of poker player is easily spotted that's why amateur players who act like experts don't last long in any poker game.