Poker is a largely psychological game. Therefore, your odds of winning not only depend on the hand that you are dealt with but with how good you are at analyzing every move of your opponent. However, with online poker, you can not tell how your opponent is physically responding to every card being drawn or every move being made because unlike regular poker games, you are not in the same room as your opponent. Nevertheless, this fact should not hinder you from analyzing your opponents online since there is a proven online poker strategy that will allow you to do just this.
This online poker strategy involves identifying ‘tells’. ‘Tells’ are defined as actions made by another player which can give you an idea of the cards he is holding. The reason behind why offline poker players wear shades is that they are preventing their opponents from seeing their pupils widen when they possess a strong hand. Since this will not be possible with an online game, here are several ‘tells’ which you can use to increase your odds of winning a game of poker online.
First ‘tell’ you might want to take into notice is the speed of play. Although this can be affected by the player’s internet connection, you can still check out how fast or how slow he puts in his bets. Every online poker room has a set time for a player to respond and observing the response time of a player will tell you something about the hand he is currently holding. A quick bet is a sign of a weak hand. Slow bets can be a sign of strategic planning as the player is still thinking of his odds of winning with the hand he is currently holding.
The use of check boxes during the play can also improve your online poker strategy when identifying tells. The use of these check boxes can prove to your advantage if you know what each implies. When a player checks on the raise any option, you can assume that he is holding a strong hand. On the other hand, if he just marks check then he definitely has a weak hand, unless if he decides to bluff with this one.
Another ‘tell’ that can be observed is through the use of the chat box. If you notice a chatterbox suddenly clam up, then it is wise to assume that he is holding a strong hand because he is focusing on how to get the biggest pot. Like other ‘tells’, the use of the chat box can also lead to a player’s downfall because one can bluff and manipulate his actions and that of others through his words.
The use of ‘tells’ is just one online poker strategy you can use in your online poker experience. There are other strategies which can help you improve your game as to the discipline and calculations made during the game, yet this particular online poker strategy will help you nonetheless because even without seeing your opponent, you can already anticipate his moves and be on your way to outwit him.
Sean Moronse is a professional poker player. Visit his website and subscribe to his free ecourse on how to win using a proven online poker strategy and texas holdem poker at http://www.SitNGoGenius.com
