No Limit Texas Holdem Poker Tournament Strategy – Online Poker Tells When Reading Poker Players

Getting to know online poker tells can set you apart from other players. Over the long run, the small advantage of knowing online poker tells can pay off big dividends. Even if you only make one right call you wouldn’t have made otherwise each tournament, it could have a drastic impact on your bottom line.

The Importance of Taking Notes

Every player you play against, you should take notes. Note what cards they play in what position. If they raised, what amount they raised.

Most players are very transparent. In just 10 minutes of play, you could have a set of notes on this player like:

Raised: KJo (EP) Limp: 88, 76s
Bet post-flop w/overcards after PF raise
Uses quickcheck

These sets of notes are simple observations you could make in the early portions of the tournament. Later on, these notes may come into play and help you out a lot. For example, the quick check tell may tip you off to a bad hand. Or if he raises pre-flop and bets the flop, you may call him on his bluff.

Speed and Timing

Online poker websites feature little checkboxes that allow you to decide ahead of time what action you want to take. For example, if you click “check” then you’ll automatically check when it comes around to you.

If your opponent uses auto-check, chances are they have a weak hand. On the other hand, a fast check that’s not instantaneous means they’ve decided to check, but didn’t use the check box button. This could mean a weak hand still, but it could also mean they’re planning a check raise.

A big bet after a long wait usually means they have a very big hand. They’re trying to come off as having a hard time deciding if they want to bet, but in reality they have a strong hand.

These are the two main tells online: The speed of their decisions and their previous actions. Take careful notes and watch the speed and timing carefully and you will find yourself winning more pots and becoming a better online poker player.