Spotting Online Poker Tells

If you have seen the movie, “Rounders” starring Matt Damon you may already know all about “tells” during poker games. The movie portrays a boss named Teddy KGB who reveals hand strength based on his interaction with Oreo cookies. If he opens the cookie and then proceeds to eat it he has a monster hand – if he puts it back in his cookie tray he has a weak hand. Tells are small non-verbal signals that opponents reveal during play about the strength of their hand. If you have played a live game of poker you might have even spotted tells yourself. When “Big Frank” shuffles his chips hes bluffing or the shakes “Timid Tim” gets when he is nervous with a monster hand. These types of signals give you a competitive advantage at the poker table. Have you ever considered the possibility of poker tells existing online as well? Most people would say, online tells don’t exist because you can’t actually see your opponent. However, this isn’t the case since online poker isn’t completely virtual. Here are some of the most basic tells to look out for when playing online poker.

Betting Patterns

People tend to bet similar amounts of money over the long term when holding certain cards. For example, many people at low stakes poker bet the same amount of money with premium holdings like aces and kings every time. People also tend to get cute with raises – instead of making it $3.00 they will make it $3.35 every time. These types of betting patterns may become trends and therefore reveal what premium cards they have. Here are some of the more frequent betting pattern tells you will find while playing online poker.

• Un-Even Betting Amounts (neutral strength):

Online poker players tend to think betting un-even amounts like $4.95 instead of an even $5.00 will trick opponents. This strategy rarely works or fools anyone. It isn’t necessarily a tell right away unless it becomes a pattern. In tournaments and cash games players will bet fractions of a dollar so that the poker software stacks more chips on the screen. This is likely done to try and intimidate players or induce folding. It is usually done when an opponent is weak and wants to reflect strength.

• Over Bets

Betting more than the pot is an interesting action in a poker game. Your opponent is either trying to make you overpay to see another card or trying to confuse you into calling. An overbet seems like weakness, but it usually  means strength. Sometimes over-bets are made as blocking bets when the better has the 2nd best possible hand. If an overbet is re-raised or pushed all in on the over-better will know they are beat. Other times, the over-bet is done to purposely reflect weakness or simulate a bluff. Over-bets are tough to read, but should usually be folded to. Over-betting occurs when a player bets more than the total size of the pot. For example, betting $50 into a total pot of just $10.

• Under Bets

Under-betting the pot is frequent in online poker. Players regularly bet a fraction of the pot to confuse opponents. They either have a monster hand and are hoping for a re-raise or simply believe the collective hand strength of the table is weak. Betting a tiny amount into a huge pot could also be a way to guarantee they get paid. Under-betting occurs when you people bet a tiny fraction of the total pot. For example, betting $2 into a pot of $25.

Unsolicited All-ins

People who go all in pre-flop without any action ahead of them are usually very strong. Many people use this method of play with one of three premium holdings – AA, KK or AK. This strategy can sometimes be effective if the table perceives the player going all in as a maniac. It can also work if the player has gone all in many times and shown weak holdings. Stay away from unsolicited all in plays unless you have one of the three premium hands mentioned above to call with.

Timing Action

Quick calls on the flop bet and turn bet are often signs of drawing hands – while quick folds on the river often confirm a missed draw. As in the examples above the length of time a player takes before acting in online poker usually reveals much about their hand. The length of time in relation to the final action they make reveals even more information. Study your opponents action timing while at the table. You might find some interesting patterns. Here are some popular timing tells you will find in online poker.

• Taking a long time, then betting or raising (very strong):

One of the most frequent online poker tells is taking a long time before acting and then betting or raising. By trying to take longer to act your opponent is actually giving off a tell. Your opponent thinks longer action means weakness, when it actually means possible strength. Weak hands are usually folded immediately on the river, while strong hands require thought on how much to call or re-raise. Any opponent who takes a long time to act on the river and then bets or re-raises is likely holding a strong hand.  Proceed with extreme caution, especially on a re-raise.

• Insta-Raise (very strong):

Players who raise immediately have either mis-clicked or hit and monster hand. When people raise so fast that its almost a reaction they have either hit the automatic raise all button or gotten excited about hitting a big hand. Maniacs occasionally try to bully other players by doing this, but most of the time this action is used by someone holding a nearly unbeatable hand that is sure of the outcome.

• Auto Check Button (weakness):

Although automatic action buttons in online poker speed up the game dramatically, they also reveal strength about hands. The auto check/fold button is another frequently used feature in online poker that indicates extremely weak holdings or folding hands. Although some players may try to get tricky and auto check re-raise, most are telling you straight forward that they want to fold. If you are in a pot with a limited amount of players who auto check consider making a bet to take down the pot right there.

• Snap Calls (weak or drawing hand):

Calling instantly or using the auto call feature is usually a sign of weakness. Most of the time this type of action is done on drawing boards with flush or straight possibilities. Players try to call quickly to appear strong and scare off continuation bets. As we know from poker psychology strong acts hint at weakness while weak acting is usually strength. By calling instantly, we know the players is weak or on a draw. If they really had a monster hand they wouldn’t be snap calling – instead they would take more time and consider re-raising.

Chat Box

You would be surprised at the amount of information you can pick up in the poker table chat box. This is especially true at lower stakes poker games where players might not know what a tell even is. People that use the chat box and then go all in are probably very strong. While people that make a huge river bet and then dare you to call in the chat box are probably weak. At the same time players that ask you what you had after the cards are mucked probably had the 2^nd nuts or something close to it. They wouldn’t waste their time typing in the question unless they had something decent to potentially call with. The chat box often reveals the mental state of poker players as well. Spewing off vulgar language in the chat box is a sign of weakness and could indicate the player is on tilt. You can gauge the emotional state of your opponents just by what they type in the chat box.

Always remember that strong opponents try to act weak, while weak opponents try to act strong. This is one of the most basic rules of tells and nonverbal cues in poker. Acting opposite of the type of hand you have is popularly found at lower level no limit poker games. Using all of the types of online tells to read your opponent could help you in making a key decision for a big pot. Always pay attention to table action, even when you aren’t in the hand. This means no distractions like television or talking on the phone. Spotting online poker tells may just make the difference between a winning or losing session.

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Exploiting Your Poker Table Image: Switching Gears

Creating a table image to complement your playing style is crucial in poker. The way people perceive your actions, words and appearance will shape your image at the table. Many different types of images exist, but each comes with specific repercussions. You must adjust your play to adjust to the way people perceive your play. Perhaps you have never noticed table image before or are unaware of its affects on your game. Hopefully you are able to gain a better understanding of how crucial table image is to your future success in poker.

Actions
As the saying goes, actions are more important than words – The same holds true for poker. Your actions will shape your table image more than anything else. The way you carry yourself determines how people view your confidence level. Are you quiet and reserved or aggressive and physically imposing? Some people prefer to be the silent assassin type, while others show obvious aggression. Slouching in your seat shows relaxation while elbows bent resting on the table shows attentiveness. All of your actions at the table reveal your character to other players. Loosen up your table image by feigning weakness. Joke around with other players, shake hands and use physical discipline.

Verbal
Since live poker is often a social game, your voice will also shape your poker image. With online play your screen name and chat box typing will fill this role. Intimidating ridicule will likely get everyone at the table to despise you. Instead of table harassment, try to portray a beginner type view of the game. Looking like a new player will likely get you much more action at the table. Talking about advanced poker concepts at the table or ridiculing an opponent’s play is off limits. Doing so will raise awareness of your advanced poker knowledge and make you look intimidating. Remember the line, “Speak softly and carry a big stick” next time you play poker.

Appearance
Your choice of clothing worn at the poker table can influence what people think of you. Are you wearing a business suit to the poker game or ragged old jeans and a tee shirt? If you are hoping to reflect a weak player image trademarked clothing like Full Tilt and PokerStars apparel shouldn’t be worn. Headphones and sunglasses worn may be sending off red flags to your opponents who are looking to attack weak players. To attract the least amount of attention at the table, leave your poker apparel and accessories at home. Try to reflect the weakest image possible by dressing in neutral clothing. If you are near a major casino, try to dress like a tourist.

Card Range
The hands you are dealt at the poker table have specific expected values of earning potential before the flop. Pocket aces are obviously the best holding, while seven-two off-suit is the worst. Your “range” of hands refers to what hands you are likely to play at the poker table. The card range your opponents mark you with is the result of hands you have shown down. Showing down weak holdings to opponents will give you a “loose” image, while showing down strong holdings presents a “tight” image. The cards you show down give your opponents critical information. Therefore, it is generally a bad idea to give other players free information. Exceptions always exist to the rules. In this case, showing down a bluff or weak holding could purposely be done to manipulate an opponent’s perception of you.

Switching Gears
One of the most important skills in advanced poker is “shifting gears. While you may have figured out your own poker identity and mastered its ramifications – could you take on several identities? Switching gears involves playing one hand one way and then changing your play completely to keep competitors guessing. One professional poker player, Gus Hansen stands above the rest in keeping competitors guessing\. Being unpredictable by mastering two different table image identities is a desirable skill.

http://www.youtube.com/v/g0i2vxbsV6I&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0×234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1

Deceptive play diminishes the chance that opponents will gain reliable information on your playing strategy. Giving false images and showing a deviation from basic strategy will increase the chances of your opponent misreading you. These table image strategies are mainly accomplished by showing weak or strong holdings to the table and by peculiar bets. Table image is not entirely based on how you play, but on how your opponents perceive you playing. You can create whatever image you like as long as you play the part.

Pro Table Image List

Shape-shifter (Loose, Tight, Ultra Aggressive) – Gus Hansen

Silent Assassin (Tight, Aggressive) – Phil Ivey

Flagrant (Loose, Aggressive) – Tony G.

Professor (Tight, Aggressive) – Howard Lederer

Mathematician (Tight, Aggressive) – Chris Fergusen

Ego Trip (Loose, Aggressive) – Tom Dwan

Card Reader (Tight, Loose, Aggressive) – Daniel Negraneu

Nagger (Tight, Aggressive) – Phil Helmuth

Table image is an often overlooked factor in achieving poker profitability. Who you are can often be more important than the cards in front of you at the poker table. Taking on multiple alias’ by switching gears and showing down weak holdings will create the confusion you are looking for at the table. You can manipulate your table image to be whatever you like, but your opponents ultimately determine your poker identity. Regardless of your desired identity always remember to be cordial and feign weakness at the table.

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Take Notes & Tag Opponents

In effort to attract new player signups, poker sites have created a wide range of software features enhancing user experience. While some of these features are just aesthetically pleasing, others can actually help you increase profitability. One of the best features to ever hit online poker is the note taking and tagging feature provided by many poker sites. These features allow players to write down the habits and patterns of opponents. You can type text notes and mark players with a particular color to categorize them. These features come in handy when you are trying to select a table to sit down at. Obviously you want to play against the weakest competition possible, so having color coded tags on your opposition makes this easy. Player tells and patterns can easily be recorded – gone is the tedious task of writing about players on paper. Taking notes and tagging opponents is not only convenient, but it is also an extreme advantage.

Anyone who plays poker at one of the major poker sites knows about note taking and tagging capabilities. However, few players know how to effectively note-take and tag opponents. The fact that you pay attention and utilize the note taking system means you actually pay attention to how your opponents play. Secondly, it implies that you are willing to do anything, no matter how meticulous, to gain an advantage on your opponents. These are two characteristics of a long term winning player. Try to take notes or tag one player at every table you sit down at.

4 tables x 1 note/tag per table = 4

x 250 days playing = 1000 tags

Quality vs Quantity

The quality of your notes is many times more important than the quantity of notes you take. Notes must be reliable, efficient and specific if they are to help you beat your opponents. While you may think generic notes such as, “limps a lot and chases” are helpful – they definitely are not. What position does your opponent tend to limp in? Does your opponent tend to limp-raise or limp-call? What type of drawing hands does he chase with? These are all the types of questions your notes need to address in a concise and efficient format. Notes must categorize and then specify tells and patterns to be effective. After all you don’t have the time, nor the patience to read a full page of notes against every opponent when it’s your turn to act. Color-coding or “tagging” satisfies both of these issues, while note-taking tackles specific issues with each player. Some players will flash bad plays to manipulate their table image. Make sure your opponents aren’t advertising a play so you incorrectly tag them or write inaccurate notes.

Reliable – Updated and Accurate

Efficient – Concise and Timely

Specific – Address Major Aspects of Play

Outdated Notes

Now that you have taken thousands of notes the fun isn’t over yet. As you adapt and grow as a poker player so will most of your opponents. The bad player you played against and stacked this week may now be the best player at the table months or years later. Make sure your notes and tags confirm the player’s playing style. Always include a date or at least the year at the bottom of your notes. This gives you a time frame to judge your opponents. Most players improve to some degree over long periods of time – those that don’t are soon washed out. Your notes should reflect the adaptive nature of online poker.

Other Considerations

-Hand Ranges

-Betting Patters

-Timing Patters

-PreFlop Raise Patterns

Color Tags:

-Basic color code ranges

-Sklansky Player Classification System

-Develop your own system

Traffic Light System

Green = Go since opponents are loose and aggressive wide range

Red= Stop since the opponent is a regular player or skilled Tight range

Yellow= Caution since the opponent plays very tight – Very TIGHT

Blue= The opponent is a fish and very weak – Loose and Weak

Pink= The opponent is a calling station – Loose and Calls Too Much

All other colors can be customized – this list is a place for you to start off.

Note taking and tagging are vital to your long term poker success. If you currently don’t utilize either feature you are definitely costing yourself money. If you find that your current poker site doesn’t offer these features it may be a good idea to find somewhere else to play at. Tagging and taking notes on players is one of the easiest ways to increase profitability. Tournament players may find this especially true when each decision at the final table could result in a major increase in payout. If you haven’t yet discovered note taking and tagging you are costing yourself a ton of money.

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Using the Poker Room Chat Box

To enable social interaction among players, poker rooms have created chat boxes at each table. This allows players to communicate with one another in the likeness of brick and mortar poker rooms. Communication varies on a wide spectrum since the vast majority of players abuse chat privileges every time they play. Whether they are giving advice to other players, swearing or going on tilt few players use the chat for its real purpose. Participating in the listed methods of chat-box abuse is very detrimental to your bottom line. The following paragraphs will discuss the various methods in which chat boxes are abused.

Phishing
It doesn’t happen vary often since poker rooms monitor chat, but account theft still occurs. A user will spam a contest winning line with a fake link in it. It will go something like this, “The first people to fill out this poker survey win $1000 transfer to their account. Go to http://scamsite.com.” Poker players visit the site which is a near exact replica of the poker room’s website they are currently playing at. The only thing different will be the address bar domain name, which will obviously not be the same as the poker room’s domain name. Scammed players use their poker room login information to fill out the survey as fast as they can. The moment they login to the phishing site their login details are sent to an account. The scammer logs into their account and cashes out their money or transfers it without them knowing. By the time they contact support their money has been laundered on the poker site. Don’t let this type of situation occur – only use your login on the poker room’s software on your computer.

Tilt
The most common method of chat abuse is people “tilting” after a bad beat. Profanity and name calling almost always occurs after someone has received a bad beat. This is especially the case at lower stakes tables where new poker players are active. Tilting through the chat box is a good thing for your opponents and bad for you since you are letting them you the unfortunate luck got to you. This also lets opponents know that you are no longer playing optimally and are prone to over-aggressiveness. Players who use the chat box to vent or steam are almost always losing players.

poker chat box

Education
Giving other players advice on how to play is arguably the worst thing you can do at a poker table. Why would you ever want to help someone get better at poker who you want to compete against? Giving advice improves the skill and knowledge level of your opponents and reveals that you are a good player. When this happens people will tend to play cautious and tight against you. It’s hard to win money off opponents who are wary of you. A skilled poker player ideally wants a loose aggressive image to get action at the table. Keep your words of advice to yourself to avoid improving the collective strength of your opposition.

Bragging
Talking about how good you are at the table is another bad idea. This falls into the same category as education at the table. Knowledge is poker at the poker table so why give it away for free. Bragging about stats or big wins is a brutal idea since it alerts your opponents that you might be a good player. Its much more difficult to win big pots off cautious opponents. Instead of bragging, say nothing at all or portray a newbie poker profile. Make people think you are either a new player or that you are a maniac. Bragging isn’t a good idea in everyday life so eliminate it from your poker chat as well.

Tells
Professional players use communication at live poker events to extract information out of their opponents. Visual cues are huge in live events where you are face to face with opponents. Obviously poker on the internet lacks this quality, but chat tells actually exist. When someone makes a big bet or raise and then starts talking while you are time-banking, this could be a sign of weakness. Find clues about your opponents when they type. If they have been talking non-stop at the table and then suddenly stop conversation and make a raise or bet they usually have a big hand. Tiny clues revealed by opponents over their hand strength will pay off big for you long term. Pay attention to the chat of your opponents and monitor your own chat activity to avoid giving tells.

Common Chat Abbreviations

NH = Nice Hand
VNH = Very Nice Hand
NB = Nice Bet
NC = Nice Call
NF = Nice Fold
GG = Good Game
WP = Well Played
BRB = Be Right Back
WTF = What the Fu**
TY = Thank You
Woot = Happiness or Excitement
CYA = See You

The chat box feature can be a positive or negative aspect for you as a poker player. Do you use the chat in the right way or use it for abuse? Giving education, bragging, tilting or swearing at other players will not only get your chat banned, but will also hurt you financially. Poker is a game of such small edges that typing on emotion will do nothing but hurt you. Not only will everyone at the table know you are immature, but they will also know how and when to attack you. Abusive chat exhibits poor self control and a lack of discipline. Basically, you are broadcasting to everyone at the table how weak you are – sort of like a wounded fish among sharks. Next time you are playing poker take notice of your chat habits and those of your opponents.

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