While physical tells don't exist online, digital behavioral patterns provide valuable information. Observant players exploit timing, sizing, and action patterns.
Timing Tell Basics: Significant delays or instant actions reveal information about hand strength and decision difficulty. Build timing profiles on opponents to identify deviations from their norms.
Instant Checks: Quick checks typically indicate weak hands or drawing hands. Players with strong hands usually pause to consider raising. This pattern is highly reliable across player pools.
Instant Calls: Immediate calls often signal drawing hands—opponents decided preemptively to see another card if you bet. Strong hands and bluff-catchers typically require deliberation.
Delayed Calls: Hesitation before calling suggests marginal hands and difficult decisions. This timing indicates opponent considered folding, meaning your hand likely has them beat.
Instant Raises: Quick raises frequently indicate very strong hands. Opponents decided preemptively to raise regardless of your action. This pattern is less reliable as skilled players disguise timing.
Delayed Raises: Pausing before raising suggests either strong hands (considering how to extract maximum value) or bluffs (building courage). Context and opponent type determine which.
Auto-Fold Detection: When opponents fold instantly to your bet, they likely used the auto-fold feature, indicating complete air. Against these opponents, bet frequently.
Auto-Check Detection: Instant checks to you suggest auto-check/fold or auto-check/call. Against auto-check/fold, bluff relentlessly. Against auto-check/call, value bet thinly.
Bet Sizing Patterns: Many players settle into sizing habits—small bets with marginal hands, large bets with premium hands or bluffs. Track individuals' patterns to exploit them.
Consistent Sizing: Good players use consistent sizing across their range to avoid giving information. If an opponent suddenly deviates, pay attention—it's often strength-related.
Chat Behavior: Excessive chat during hands often indicates nervousness with bluffs or attempting to induce folds. Silence suggests concentration on strong hands or complex spots.
Time Bank Usage: Reserving time bank for critical decisions is normal. Using full time bank on routine decisions suggests tanking for deception or multi-tabling difficulties.
Lobby Tells: Screen names, avatars, and statistics visible in lobbies provide pre-game information. Recreational names (sports teams, casual words) often indicate weak players.
Multi-Table Timing: Players on many tables have less time per decision. Unexpected delays from multi-tablers suggest genuine tough decisions rather than timing manipulation.
Controlling Your Tells: Maintain consistent timing whether strong or weak. Use same thought process for all decisions. Don't auto-action unless you're indifferent to giving information.
Verification Before Adjusting: As with physical tells, verify patterns over many observations before making significant adjustments. Random variance in timing is common.
Responsible Gaming: If you're using tells to justify marginal plays or chasing losses, you're rationalizing poor decisions. Tells should supplement sound strategy, not replace it.