Just because you can’t physically see your opponent in online poker doesn’t mean you can’t pick up tells on them. This article will take a quick look at some of the most common online poker tells and what they mean to you. The article will focus on the time it takes for a betting decision and the size of the bet, and also touch on knowing when a player is going on tilt.

The Time of the Decision

The time it takes a poker player to make an in hand decision can be a good indicator as to the strength of their hand. If a poker player checks very quickly it usually means the player either has a horrible poker hand and is just looking for the hand to be over or the player has a very strong hand and wants to display weakness. A good play against an instant check is a small bet. This way if the player has garbage they will just throw the hand away and be happy the hand is over, but if they have a strong hand they will re-raise and you will only lose the small bet you just made.

If a player instantly bets at the hand it usually indicates a bluff. If a player actually wants to make a meaningful bet with a strong hand they will usually take more time because they will have to figure out how much they think the other player(s) at the poker table will call. So this means that in general if a poker player takes a long time to bet they have a strong hand.

The Size of the Bet

The size of an online poker players bet can also be a big indicator as to the strength of their hand, but the situation really matters when looking at this particular online poker tell. For example, a big bet on the river usually means the player has a strong hand and is looking to get paid off big on the river, whereas on the flop or turn a big bet is less likely to indicate strength and more likely to be a bluff or a semi bluff. Another indicator of hand strength is the min raise. A player could either make this hand when they want to try to take down the hand for cheap with a bluff or when actually have a strong hand and want to string their opponent along. A good poker play against the min raise is often to flat call and if they check on the turn, bet and you will likely take down the pot. If they bet on the turn then give them credit for actually having a hand and fold.

Yelling in the Chat Box

Ranting in the chat box can also indicate a poker player’s psyche, especially when the chat box yelling occurs just after the player lost a big pot or got sucked out on. When you notice a poker player might be going on tilt like this it is smart to play hands them because they will likely be playing very loose and aggressive, so if you make a strong hand you could get paid off in a big way.

These are just a few of the many tells you can get from your opponents in online poker. It is also important to note that all opponents are different and what may mean one thing for one poker player could mean something totally different for another. For this reason it is definitely smart to keep notes on some of the regular players that investigate some of the factors above. If you can read an online poker player and put them on a hand you are that much closer to taking that players money, and make a profit from online poker.