Do you have a
VIRTUAL TELL?
Careful…how
you click that mouse, you may be giving your hand
away. Just because you’re not sitting next to other
players at the table doesn’t mean you cannot read
them and they cannot read you. A common misconception
of online poker is that it removes the aspect of
reading your opponents and looking for clues to
determine what they hold.
When playing online,
it is very easy to fall into a rhythm. Think about it,
the
game is set up to move as quickly as possible. There
are preset buttons to fold, call or raise. The cards
come flying out of the dealer’s hand and each player
is expected to act fast. But when you’re playing
online this fast past rhythm could be doing more than
keeping the game moving smoothly. Fall into too much
of a pattern and you just may develop a VIRTUAL
TELL.
A VIRTUAL TELL
is just like any other tell. A subconscious action
that you perform in a given situation that gives other
players at the table clues to what you’re holding.
Do you constantly use the automatic raise feature with
a strong hand or always take longer to call with a
weaker hand? If so, you may be giving your hand away
to a sharp player looking to exploit your weakness.
The ways you can give
your hand away online are as numerous as tells in a
live poker room. It could be something as obvious as
overusing the automatic features. Or a more subtle
tell such as being overly anxious to bet a strong
hand. Constantly quick to click the bet key when you
have a good hand? If so, you may be costing yourself
money. Players will pick up on your betting rhythms
and learn to fold when you come out quickly firing
bets or raises.
The key to
successfully avoiding a VIRTUAL TELL is to keep
a constant broken rhythm to your play. Be aware that
you should sometimes wait to call, utilize all the
time given to you by the game. Other times, call
quickly, but be sure to mix it up in order to ensure
no one gets a read on your hand by your betting
pattern.
Remember poker is a
constant game of cat and mouse. Playing online is no
different. In order to be successful you’ll need to
keep your opponents guessing and try your best not to
fall into a rhythm with your play. Be aware of the VIRTUAL
TELLS outlined in this article as well as any
other patterns you think you may fall into. Don’t
just try to avoid these traps for yourself, actively
look for others who may have a betting pattern. If you
can spot someone else’s VIRTUAL TELL you will
have a valuable advantage and will tremendously
increase your overall profits.
