Being able to pick up and utilize poker tells is one of the most critical skills to develop when playing poker regardless of what the setting, even though within an online sense, reading specific player poker tells can be a challenging aspect and one that requires careful thought and consideration. Since having the ability to pick up and read physical tells is out of the question trying to find other tells that are still present can be a key skill to create in the online world and can also include:
The Stall
Although this has become less of a focus right now as a result of the truth that many experienced players utilize this tactic to give false impressions to their opponents or may simply be playing multiple games at once and therefore increasing their play time necessary each round to decide their course of action, careful consideration and observations of a delay in plays can be a vital aspect to watch out for. Primarily, look for a player who takes an exceedingly large amount of time before you make a call, as this could indicate a particularly poor hand that they don’t feel confident with. A while before a raise could also indicate a stronger hand that they’re deciding how to handle it with as well as how to proceed into their next play. Regular stalls with both outcomes could also indicate that the player is playing a large range of games at once and so could be distracted, and should be targeted for more aggressive plays that may put the player effortlessly at a disadvantage.
The Chatbox – Going On Tilt
Watch out for whenever a player becomes unstable and begins verbally attacking their opponents or even the safe quality casino within the chatbox – often referred to as going on “tilt”. Therefore the player is no longer thinking clearly as well as can easily be antagonized into making stupid moves that they might not make otherwise whenever they were thinking logically about the cards they can be dealt as well as the way to proceed. When someone goes on tilt it usually implies that they can be a weaker target, while a sudden shift away from aggressive chat could indicate that they could suddenly have a good hand to watch out for, so be careful.
The Chatbox – Chat Revoked
Usually, chat privileges may be revoked from players for just about any number of reasons, ranging from exceedingly derogatory comments to other racial or ethnic remarks. Chances are that someone who has had their chat privilege temporarily revoked is somebody who can easily go on tilt, and to test this, try congratulating other players that have excellent hands that win against this player to find out how the player’s in-game plays may change. Often you may catch someone in a situation where they are going to easily become off balance and go on tilt for little to no reason.
The Chatbox – Gloating and Whining
Be mindful of any gloating or whining on a player’s part. Gloating after a player makes a number of big plays means that they may become over-confident and make poor mistakes at a later date, while constant whiners may simply be used to whining and this might not indicate that they are going to play any poorer than usual. Whenever a gloater loses big, take advantage of his or her dashed spirits as much as you can, although if a whiner loses out do not expect any major change in their plays.