Many experienced live poker players rely on "tells", an action
by the opposing players that will help tip their hand. I am sure
you have seen players wearing sunglasses at a live poker game,
this isn't due to the bright lights in the casino, it is avoid
any chance of another player picking up on a widening of the
eyes or any other habitual gesture that will give away a strong
or weak hand.
There are a few virtual tells that can help tip the hand of
those you are playing against. A beginners tells are always
easiest to spot. They will bet with a weak hand and hold with a
strong hand, taking note of their behavior early will help you
take later hands. Once you have spotted a beginner at the table
you can use their behavior to help build the pot on your strong
hands, allowing them to try their strategy on your refined play
style and maybe helping fish in a few players along with him. An
ideal situation would see you at an online table surrounded by
novice players all using the same tactics to help build the pot
for you!
Speed of play is another factor to help you spot the tells of
other players. Quick bets are often a sign of weakness while a
delayed bet is a sign of strength, Typically the delayed bet
tells you the player is calculating his strategy for his big
hand. Always try to make a note of the hand a player hand when
he quick bet and what cards he held when he made a series of
slow bets.
Auto Plays are another ways to sports virtual tells. Online
casinos make use of check boxes such as "fold", "raise any" or
"call any". You can spot auto plays as the bet comes in seconds
after the player before him. What should you be looking for?
"Raise Any" bets denote a strong hand, "Check" denotes a weak
hand while "Call Any" will usually denote a player waiting for
the miracle hand. As with other strategies discussed here you
should follow this behavior for a few hands and be aware of
betting patterns of certain players. Novice players may be using
the "Raise Any" checkbox to scare away other betters and trying
to take small pots.
While tells are never an exact science, they will help give you
an advantage at the online poker table, where every little
advantage makes your game stronger.
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