Interent Poker Tells

Believe it or not, internet poker players sometimes have tells too. We usually think of tells as being a live poker phenomenon only but tells also play a part in internet poker. Tells aren’t extremely accurate in internet poker but they can provide us with a little bit of extra information during difficult decisions. Every single piece of information you can absorb is worth noting when it comes to real money poker.

The most important thing to remember about internet poker tells is that they do not tell the whole story. Live poker tells aren’t even very reliable and I’m sure you can imagine online poker tells are even worse. However, internet poker tell still provide a little extra information that might come in handy during close decisions.

1. Instant Bet / Instant Call

The instant bet and instant call is usually a bluff. People sometimes make instant bets or instant calls because they want to look like they are stronger than they actually are. Let’s say, for example, that some guy has a marginal hand and he doesn’t want his opponent to bet him out of the pot. The guy with the iffy hand will sometimes make the instant call to make it look like he’s attached to his hand and not afraid to call any bet.

Instant bets and instant calls actually represent weakness. If a player actually had a strong hand like he’s trying to represent, he wouldn’t make it so obvious by instantly calling and betting. He would be more likely to delay his actions to make it look like he’s having a hard time deciding whether to continue or not.

2. Instant Raise

The instant raise can go one of two ways. It means your opponent either has a bluff or a monster hand. You will have to take notes to figure out what the instant raise signifies for any specific player. There are two ways this tell can go:

It can mean that the opponent has a weak hand and wants you to go away. The idea here is to get you to think your opponent has such a strong hand that the decision to raise is a no-brainer. On the opposite end, the instant raise can be used by people who actually do have a strong hand but want you to think they are bluffing.

3. Delayed Bet / Delayed Call

First of all, know that this tell is much less reliable than the instant bet/call tell. Delayed actions can be a tell or they can be a result of a poor internet connection, some sort of distraction or because the player in question has a legitimately tough decision. In other cases, delayed bets or calls are intended to disguise the strength of an opponent’s hand.

The person who purposely delays a bet or call wants to make it look like he does not have a strong hand and that it is a tough decision to bet or call. In reality, the delayed action represents great strength. This is a common tell that players use to make their strong hands look weaker than they actually are.

4. Delayed Raise

The delayed raise is a pretty strong indicator of a monster hand. When an opponent acts like he has a difficult decision to make and then suddenly raises, he probably has a strong hand. This is a fairly obvious tell because the story it tells doesn’t make any sense.

The story doesn’t add up because the player is trying to tell you it’s a very difficult decision to make. He is trying to act weak, which indicates he is considering a fold. When that same opponent suddenly raises, it doesn’t make any sense.

Every once in a while the player will actually be torn between calling and raising because he really does have a decent hand. In most cases, though, this internet poker tell indicates strength. If you see the delayed raise tell, you better proceed with caution.

5. The Chat Box

The things people say in the chat box can give you all sorts of information. You have to pay attention, though, because the same comment in the chat box from one player may mean something completely different coming from a different player. In order to pick up chat box tells, you have to watch your opponents, remember what they say and watch for the showdown.

One pretty solid chat box tell is the one in which the quiet player suddenly starts talking during a big pot. These players often have strong hands and are talking because they feel excited and confident. Players who are bluffing tend to be more stressed out and less talkative.

6. More Tells

You can find more internet poker tells simply by observing your opponent and using the notes feature at your internet poker site. Watch how quickly your opponents bet, note anything they say and look for specific betting patterns. At the same time, make notes of these observations and watch what types of hands your opponents show down. If you pay attention, you’ll eventually notice all sorts of tells.

Remember that no matter how many tells you find, there’s no such thing as a guaranteed tell. Poker tells are not the most reliable sources of information but they can still help when you have close decisions. Keep your eyes open for poker tells but don’t forget to play smart poker and note your opponents’ betting patterns.