Learning About Player Tells in a Poker Room
 
By Itay Paz

Though it is a little harder to read people and their behaviors when playing poker online, there are clues that can be picked up about each person sitting around the table. Those who play in land based casinos or in their basement have the advantage of viewing body language and facial expressions, but these are things that cannot be seen online. However, there are ways that a player can pick up on a weaker player. This might help with strategy and how to wager. A good player learns this as time goes on, but there are some clues that anyone can look for in other players that might signal a weakness. Knowing these can also help a newer player not stick out so much among more experienced players in the poker room.

Players often look for what are called ‘poker tells’ in other players. These are the clues that suggest someone is a weak player, or perhaps a very new player. Some tells for this online are quite often how a player bets. Though it is hard to view aggression or careful consideration in a player, a pattern can be picked up. Someone with a good hand may quietly make a lower-end wager as to hide how good their hand might be. Some say that those who fold often are strong players because they can reason their odds rather quickly, and those who often stay in no matter what are weaker players.

There are some things that people might think are tells in an online poker room, but they can often be misinterpreted. Some think that a player who takes too much time when their turn is up might be a weak and indecisive player, but there are other reasons why this can happen. The most common is a slow internet connection. Many players take advantage of the online chat feature in rooms to give away clues, but a seasoned player may know how to speak like a new player. Someone stating that the game is fun might be considered someone new to the online poker room, but then again, they may know that would make them look new, and they use that to their advantage.

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