Great Poker Secrets

Just because he can not see your poker face, doesn't mean he can not read you like a book! Many poker authors claim that physical tells are a big part of the game of poker, and that by playing online gambling (mouse click the next document) poker over the internet you're missing vital information on the additional players. Mike Caro, by way of example, would complain that you couldn't see another players' posture, their respiratory rate, how often they blink, obvious signs of a quickening pulse or adrenaline buildup. All of this really is true: but in fact physical tells are rarely decisive even in a live game. Normally, your own card strength and your opponent's betting patterns will guide your decision making. It's only on the margins that such apparent physical tells will influence your betting decisions.

There's also Internet poker tells which are almost as reliable as the physical tells. When you are playing online poker, your read your opponent based upon their betting patterns -- information gleaned by watching each and every hand they play. You should notice when these patterns change in a particular hand, and what that could mean. Here are several of the on-line poker tells to watch out for when playing on the internet:

The insta-call - When your opponent is able to call instantly, that implies he does not have much to think about. You may see this before or after the flop. If a player instantly calls along prior to the flop, that implies he wishes to enter the pot with some type of speculative hand. Additionally, it implies that he didn't give any serious thought to raising. What types of hand will insta-call prior to the flop? Typically drawing hands, like suited connectors or small pairs. Big cards (like AK) or the larger pairs could have at least considered a raise. By insta-calling ahead of the flop, your opponent has helped you narrow down his likely holding. What about an insta-call on the flop? What kind of hand would an opponent not even think of folding or raising with? This is most often a draw, and sometimes a lesser made hand (such as second or third pair). Your opponent knows that he is prepared to pay the price being charged to stay in the pot, but does not want to risk a raising war. Note that not all calls on the flop will be with a draw or perhaps a weak made hand, but an insta-call usually will be -- especially in a multi-way pot.

The delayed reaction - On another end of the spectrum, if your opponent takes an unusually long period to act on his hand, he's genuinely unsure of what to do. Unless you've really put him in a tough spot (say, for all his chips), this usually does not mean he's unsure of how to proceed because he's holding a marginal hand. Usually the excessive delay is because he's made an unexpectedly strong hand. He is pondering how exactly to get maximum value out of it. An unusual delay (and it may only be for a couple of seconds) is rarely a great sign. An unusually long delay followed by a raise is a very bad sign! Note that you should not confuse an unusually long delay with the situation where an opponent is simply consistently slow to act. Some players, usually the better ones, are extremely deliberate about a pot they're seriously contesting. It may be strange and unusual within the Internet poker world to spend more than two seconds before acting, but some wise players will take their time. The tell you are searching for is any time a player's actions are delayed for an unusual time frame. This really is when you need to be cautious!

Offering unsolicited advice - There's no surer sign of an unsophisticated, barely competent player than one who offers unsolicited advice concerning how to play poker. Consider: why would a skilled, tough poker player offer GOOD advice to his opponents? Presumably his objective is to win the game - not to show off what a winning poker player he is. If you really have good advice to offer, keep it to yourself. You don't want to educate your less-skillful opponents!

Playing hand immediately after a bad beat - This is normally a sure sign of tilt. A substantial, tight player should be selective within the cards he plays. What are the odds that a player who just suffered an especially bad beat really has a playable hand the very next deal? Unless he is in position or playing out of the blinds, he is probably just playing angry and on tilt. He is liable to play foolishly aggressive, trying to win back the money he lost at any cost. Exploit this weakness.

Showing an uncalled hand that went to the flop - Another sign of a gravely inexperienced poker player. It's more often than not a mistake to provide information about how you play a hand. An aggressive player might have a case for showing an uncalled hand that Did not see a flop (to show how allegedly "tight" they are). But showing a hand that is gone to the flop whenever you aren't required to will be giving the additional players ammunition (information) they may use against you. It's a sign of inexperience, or some sort of need for validation at the table.
Massively overbetting or underbetting the pot - This really is among the most dependable online tells that you usually will not get in live play. A tremendous overbet or underbet of the pot in LIVE play often means little more than that your opponent lost track of the pot size. When playing poker online, on the other hand, a massive overbet or underbet always tells you something about your opponent's hand. It's different between players: sometimes an overbet is a sign of weakness (e.g. a flush or straight draw); more frequently, it is a sign of great strength (e.g. jamming the pot on the river with a lock hand). You'll need to observe your opponent to view what this tell means by keeping notes on their play. Whether they know it or not, every player has certain betting patterns which will tell you all you'll need to learn about their hand. When you see these patterns, you will be able to read right through his poker face... even in online poker over the web.