As you aren’t privy to any physical tells players may display at a live table, reading hands is considerably more challenging when you play online poker. Every time a player makes a move in a live poker game, the other players can read that move and speculate about the person’s hole cards.
Even though it isn’t possible to see what other players are doing to determine their tells, you can still use some strategies online that will help you read your opponents’ hands.
Position at the table
You must monitor the choices other poker players make on the felt to get a read on them. The player’s position will be one of the critical factors in these choices. Players should open a smaller range of hands preflop in the early position and a larger range as they approach the button. Furthermore, players should play more aggressively when in position and more passively when out of position once the flop is dealt. However, some players don’t adopt these poker rules.
You gain essential knowledge about how your opponent plays every time you view their hole cards, whether at showdown or when they decide to flash their cards before mucking. Suppose you begin your session and notice a player opening the action repeatedly from any position. Even if you aren’t allowed to see their cards, they may have a good run of cards, but it’s more likely they are aggressive. Keep in mind the advice: Fold tighter, and call down lighter if you encounter one of these opponents at your table.
Look at their playing style
Right before the flop, you can start reading your opponent’s hands. There are several things you might think over before deciding. Once a few hands have been played, you will understand how your opponents play poker online. At that point, you should be able to classify them as either tight or loose players. As you can limit the range of probable hands each player could have, you should be better able to read your opponents.
Size of stacks and auto-rebuy
Players that play poker games online frequently reveal their stack size and whether or not they use the auto-rebuy tool. Most regulars at an online poker table often buy-in for the maximum amount.
The explanation is relatively straightforward: if you are one of the top players and are adequately bankrolled for the game, then having the most money in front of you will allow you to win the most.
On the other hand, recreational players are typically not well-funded and frequently merely buy-in for some arbitrary amount that is less than the limit. Unlike regulars, they won’t use the auto-rebuy option when their stack size falls below a specific threshold.
One of the many pieces of information professionals use to identify and categorize the players at the table is the amount of your stack. Buy in as much as possible if you don’t want to reveal your lack of experience.
Bet sizes
The size of your opponent’s bets can reveal much information about that game. However, it is one of the most subtle parts of real poker online betting. Some players use their bet amounts to show the strength of their hands; generally speaking, large bets can indicate aggression, while small bets (particularly min-bets) are frequently indicative of weakness in poker. To further conceal betting intentions, look for these opponents as much as possible while employing consistent or balanced bet sizes.
You can even combine your position knowledge and bet size to improve your ability to read your opponents. A player who frequently places huge bets out of position or in multi-way pots is likely an aggressive player who can be exploited because larger bet sizes are more successful when you’re in a position in a heads-up game. Especially when it’s a heads-up, you can also do it to weaker opponents who place too many modest bets when in position.
Look at the chat box
There may be some advantages to occasionally turning the chat box on so you can quickly assess your rivals. Most regulars have the chat box turned off. Thus, they never say anything. However, casual players are considerably more likely to use it. They’ll also be more likely to complain about their “bad luck” in the chat box.
Send out a few messages and watch which players attempt to discuss.
Timing
Unknowingly, online poker players often exhibit various timing tells while playing. The best regulars will take the same amount of time for each action, whether betting for value or bluffing to cover timing tells.
Casual players frequently make irrational hasty judgments that reveal their hand’s power. Consider the traditional immediate call on the flop as an example. When someone calls at the speed of sound, you know they didn’t have time to consider other options before making contact (such as raising or folding). It suggests that the player likely holds a weak hand, such as middle pair or a draw. You can be considerably more inclined to exert pressure on subsequent streets to get the player off the hand.
Pro tip: If you are playing online and don’t want your opponents to easily read you, no matter how strong your poker hand is, try to take about the same amount of time for each of your actions. You will only divulge a little information in this way.
Conclusion
Knowing how to read your opponents can help you understand your next move. It gives you an idea of your opponent’s hand strength and allows you to continue or fold to save your chips. Additionally, knowing how to read tells online will help you to conceal yours so others will not see the strength of your hand. However, it is essential to remember that not all tell, online or live, are 100% true. Some players can be good enough to bluff or hide them.