Online Poker Tells

Many poker players prefer to play face to face games over internet online poker play. One of the reasons professional poker players prefer face to face poker is because they like the added advantage of trying to read the facial expressions, words, and body movements of their opponents. They are hoping their opponents unknowingly signal some kind of tell as to how strong or weak their hand may be. Players who are able to read tells from other players during a hand, have a great advantage.

Although in online poker you cannot actually see the expressions and body movements of your opposing players, there are actually some things they may do that could help you in playing against them. There are actually some things that can be observed, some online poker tells, they may be demonstrating, that can tell you something about them and/or their playing hand. What are some online poker tells?

Use of check boxes/autoplays: Most poker sites have auto play options that can be used. A player can choose in advance their 1st move and subsequent moves in a hand, by checking the fold box, check box, call any bet box, or raise box, so that when their turn arrives the action will automatically take place. If a checkbox is used by a player, when the play turns to them, very swiftly the action occurs. So you can often tell when a player has checked a box command. This can be used to your advantage. For example, many of the times that a player has checked auto-check, it is because they have a weak hand. (But not always, they could be slow playing trying to trap you.) A player that appears to of clicked the auto call any bet box, often has something or has a pretty good drawing hand.

Fold/Flop Percentage: You can determine if a player is a loose or tight player by how often, on average, they fold their hands or stay in the hands. If you find yourself in a hand with a player that is folding the majority of their hands. Yet they are staying strong and betting in a hand against you, they probably have a pretty strong hand. A hand against a player that is playing the majority of hands can often be won by making a nice bet after the flop.

Waiting for the big blind: Players that come to a cash table and post an auto big blind instead of waiting until the big blind is on them, is often a tell that they are impatient players. Players like this can often be caught playing mediocre hands. A simple raise can often win these pots.

Chat box: Ranting over a bad beat is usually a sign of a player that is on tilt. This is a player that you have a chance of winning a big hand against.

Long wait and then a check: In most cases this is a sign of a weak hand.

Long wait and then a bet/raise: Is usually a sign of a strong hand.

Things the player says: "How can you play that crap" signals that they are a tight player and usually are staying in the hands only if they have something.... "I'm all in it's bedtime" is usually a trick to get someone to play them because they have a very strong hand. "You are all donkeys" can be a signal that a player is going on tilt and can be caught in a big losing hand.

Position raising: A player in late position that bets when it their turn in the hand are often just using their late position to bluff bet to steal the pot. A re-raise in this situation could call their bluff and win the hand.


An important thing to remember when trying to spot online tells is that they aren't going to work every single time. Experienced players can use information like this to try and fool other players. Regardless, you should pick up everything you think will help you gain an advantage over your online poker opponents. If you want to win at oline poker, it is helpful to study the actions of the players at the table.