Can You Benefit From Tells When Playing Online Poker?

Posted by Harry Kane on Tuesday, March 28, 2017

One of the joys of playing online casino games is that there is such a significant diversity of choice, from interactive slot titles to defined games of skill such as poker. Each of these games offers a unique blend of strategy and opportunism, enabling players to select an option that best suits their experience, preferences and skill-sets.

Of all of these games, however, it is online poker that remains the most far-removed from the crowd. After all, this discipline provides a number of unique opportunities to players, primarily because it pits them in competition against one another rather than forcing them to against the house.

The Tells Associated With Online Poker

Often, you will hear people say that they avoid online poker as this medium negates the competitive edge of reading rival players’ physical tells. For years, successful poker players have thrived by successfully reading their opponent’s body language, using this insight to inform their decision to call or fold during any given hand.

While it is technically accurate to claim that players cannot identify physical tells when playing online poker, there are other indicators that can be leveraged in the virtual realm. One of the most telling is long pauses in-between player actions, as opponents who take an age to decide whether to check or raise are usually burdened with less than impressive hands (particularly when this is followed by a check or a minimal raise). These pauses stand out online due to the slightly quicker nature of gameplay, although this has become increasingly authentic in recent times, and they can be used to inform your decisions and appetite for risk at any given time.

Conversely, quick or decisive moves are generally the sign of a strong hand. While there may be instances in which savvy players utilise instant moves as an example of reverse psychology when they have poor hands, this tactic is not commonly followed online. This means that quick calls indicate that your opponent has a relatively strong hand, and wants to progress the game while forcing you to rush your own decision. This can either be an indication to fold or slow the pace of the game down, in order to ensure that you make the correct calls.

Another interesting metric is your opponent’s status, as some online casino’s rate their members based on their performances over time. So, if you are competing against a rival who has earned VIP status, this should instantly gain your attention and encourage you to study them in-depth before you take them on directly. We would recommend checking out how regularly they play and approach each hand with caution, while appreciating that every move they make has probably been carefully calculated.

Why Player Statistics Also Offer Crucial Tells

Most online poker platforms include key data relating to each registered player, including their success rate, the frequency with which they play and whether or not they compete in live or big money tournaments. These statistics help you to develop a profile of your rivals, while also enabling you to identify further tells (and analyse their behaviour) during gameplay.

So while you may not think there are tells associated with virtual poker, there are actually a select few that can be extremely insightful. The key is knowing what to look for and identifying tells during the heat of competitive gameplay.