Virtual Poker Tells

Live poker is often categorised by the physical tells that people give off. In contrast, the online game is based more on mathematical principles and sound logic. However, this does not mean that you cannot pick up little details that give away the strength of your opponent’s hand.

Online tells can be a great way to help your decision making process in a tough pot. While most strong players will not have any obvious traits when they are weak or strong, the fish at the table often exhibit some common tendencies.

The most common online tell is a timing tell. When a player is weak, they will often let their time bank run down as low as possible before acting. While, in some cases, this may seem like that player has a strong hand and is trying to trap you, in reality the opposite is true.

Indeed, the premise “weak means strong, strong means weak” applies here, as the player is trying to make it look as though they are pondering a big decision. However, in reality, they are simply trying to stop you from betting and putting them in a tough position.

Another reliable online poker tell is the min raise. Often, you will see players make the smallest raise possible when they have some kind of draw; this is usually a flush draw. The logic behind their move is that they know they should be making some sort of raise because they have a strong draw. However, they are afraid to fully commit to the move and, therefore, do something in-between, which is to make a min raise.

If you see this happen, you can simply put in a big raise of your own and scare them off the pot.
           
A final tell to look for is someone’s screen name. This is not a major thing to focus on, but it can give you a clue as to how much poker knowledge they have. For example, a player called “NHWPGG” will have been around the game long enough to know these expressions. Thus, it is likely that they have some idea of how to play the game.

As with all tells, these may or may not mean anything. However, if you are able to spot them and decipher what they mean, you could find yourself making even greater profits.
   

Last Updated 11 November 2015
Virtual Poker Tells