Online Poker Tells – Delayed Action
In this post I will be discussing two online poker tells that involve a players delayed time to act.
A Delay Followed by a Check
When it’s your opponents turn to act and the player takes longer than usual to ‘check’, that is usually a sign of weakness. The player is trying to convey strength by pretending to think about his strong hand and hoping to get a free card by getting you to check.
It doesn’t matter what you have in your hand, you’ll want to bet if you see this play. Make the bet large enough for your opponent to fold. You’ll scoop the pot the majority of the time if you see this play.
Be aware though, your opponents ’slowed reaction’ may be a result of the player multi-tabling and has not gotten to your table yet to act or is simply distracted at his or her’s computer.
One way of knowing if your opponent is multi-tabling is to do a search of the player. Most online poker rooms will display all the tables that the searched player is currently playing. Note: PokerStars has an option in their software where you can ‘hide’ from the search feature.
If I come across this play I almost always bet, regardless of what I have in my hand. Of course if I have notes on a player that tells me that they trap a lot then I may not make a move there.
A Delay Followed by a Bet
When a player seems to take a long time to make a bet then you better watch out. This usually means a sign of strength. They act slowly to convey the perception that they are weak and are trying to take a stab at the pot. It’s pretty much a value bet and they hope that you come back with a raise.
If you come across this play then you better have a good hand to call or raise with, if not, fold.
Ask yourself how many times you’ve done these plays? Maybe it’s time to mix up your game play? If you are playing a weak player than these plays will work most of the time. If you are playing a good poker player then try the opposite of these moves; try a delayed check when you have the goods and try a delayed bet when you have nothing.
It’s always important to adjust your game to your opponents skill level. Remember, good poker players play against their opponents, not their hands.
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