While it’s tougher in online poker to get an opponent’s “tell,” it’s still possible. Obviously you can use body language in live poker but there are no bodies in online poker. Still, actions online can be enough to determine a “tell.” They are the act of inadvertently betraying information, and you don’t have to be seen to do that.
A “tell” can be any activity that that reveals useful information to your opponents.
One big one that’s still seen in online poker, although perhaps less so now with high-speed Internet connections, is a player just stalling when it’s time to make a big bet. Inexperienced players generally would stall before betting the river when they had a powerful hand, as if they were unsure of what to do. Now it’s used by many experienced players as a reverse “tell,” to try and pretend to have strength. So it can be unreliable. In addition, because some players are playing multiple tables at a time, the stall could just be because they are not paying attention as opposed to a betting pattern. That said, if someone has been playing fast and decisively but then takes their time on a certain hand, that generally tells you something.
On the other hand, if a player who has been playing slowly suddenly is making bets promptly as soon as it is his turn, this means something. It’s really up to you to decide what these mean and how these deviations from behavior affect a player’s strategy, but they should be warning signs.
A large amount of online players are now regulars, which means they do have rhythms or habits that you can capitalize on. Analyzing a player’s betting patterns is no less important in online poker than it is in live poker. Any deviations from the norm must be focused on. When playing online you can’t see your opponents, but you can see what they do. Just like in real life, what people actually do (as opposed to say, etc.) at the table is what matters. But that applies to you as well!
