Perhaps the greatest asset of a good poker player is their ability to "read" their opponents and work out what they have in their hands. Most people have heard of poker "tells" - mannerisms that people have that give them away. In internet games, of course, you can't see your opponents. However, the good news is that even in live games, the importance of physical twitches and mannerisms can easily be overrated. There are, in fact, many clues that you can use to work out what your opponents are likely to have, even on the internet.
Tips on reading your opponents.
Betting Patterns
By far the most important clue to your opponent's hand is his betting behaviour. His betting behaviour will inevitably follow a certain pattern. Even if he bets at random, this itself is a type of pattern. He would be an idiot to bet this way in any case, since all you would have to do is wait for a good hand and call or raise yourself.
Most people's betting will, most of the time, follow the simple pattern that a big bet indicates a big hand. Occasionally a big bet may be a bluff, but most of the time it will not be. An even better indication of a big hand is the check-raise (i.e. when a player checks, waiting for another player to bet, and then re-raises when it is his turn again). This almost always indicates a very big hand. A check-raise bluff is very rare.
Each player will also usually have a preference for playing certain hands a particular way. Some players only bet with a big hand. Others bet with a good hand, but will check-raise with a great hand. A common tactic is for players who are on a draw (e.g. to a straight or flush) to make a small bet. The idea behind this is to disuade others from making a big raise and also to provide some sort of deception for if they do make their hand. Each player will have their own betting patterns. Each time they show a hand, you may learn a little more about the way they operate.
When a player bets, it is important to think: Does he want you to stay in the hand or is he hoping that you will fold? With a good hand he will probably bet, but won't want to bet so much that everyone else folds their hand. If, on the other hand, he is bluffing, he will want to bet just enough to convince everyone else to fold.
To read an opponent well you need to look not just at each individual bet, but at the pattern of their betting over an entire hand.
Suppose a player make a biggish bet before the flop and calls when you re-raise. The flop comes as follows:
3
ª 4¨ 6§
This player then bets biggish again. We can suppose it is unlikely he has a straight since he would be unlikely to have bet preflop with 2 5 or 5 7. He might have a set, but, again, is it likely that he bet big preflop with only a pair of threes, fours or sixes? He is unlikely to have two pairs, since he would have had to have bet and called pre-flop with 3 4, 3 6 or 4 6. Clearly, the most likely possibility seems to be that he has a large pocket pair.
Suppose the turn is as follows:
A¨
Your opponent now checks. It now looks like your opponent does have a pocket pair, such as KK or QQ, but is now worried by the Ace, since anyone with an ace in their hand will now be beating him. So you can see that, with each betting round, you can build up a picture of what your opponent's likely hand is.
Suppose the river is as follows:
9¨
Your opponent makes a huge bet and goes all-in. Let's suppose that you have three aces. You now have a decision to make. The huge bet suggests your opponent might have a flush. However, you have to ask whether this "story" is believable given the way your opponent has bet in the previous betting rounds. Would he have bet and called pre-flop merely with two suited cards? Would he have bet on the flop when only one of his suit came up? Or is he merely making a desperate bluff? The decision is yours!
Pre-selection buttons
There is one indication of a player's strength that is only available on the internet. Most internet poker rooms have pre-selection buttons. For example, if you preselect the "fold" button, your computer will fold you when you have your turn.
There is another pre-select button labelled, "check/fold." If a player selects this, his computer will check if no-one bets and fold if someone does bet. The problem with using this button is that if the computer checks for a player, it will do so very quickly, so quickly in fact that you can be pretty sure he must have used the preselect button. His weakness is clear to see and tells you that a small bet may perhaps see him fold and enable you to win the hand even if you have a rubbish hand too!
The timing of a bet
Some internet players may give themselves away through the timing of their bets. On the internet, players are usually given between 18 and 30 seconds to take their turn. Whilst it is difficult to make generalisations, particular players may follow certain clear patterns.
Some players, for example, will often delay before making a big bet or big call when they have a monster hand. Often they are trying to act like a reluctant bettor or caller in order to conceal their strength. Conversely, some players will bet very quickly when they are making a bluff. They are trying to act strong to conceal their weakness. Also, they are worried that a delayed bet may look like a bluff.
Players will often check or call a small bet quickly when they are on a draw. They want to see the next card cheaply and as quickly as possible. On the other hand, a player who is intending to check-raise may delay slightly before checking, just while he decides whether to bet or not.
As you gain experience at playing internet poker, you may find that you often get almost a sixth sense about exactly what hands your opponents are holding. It may sometimes seem almost magical, but really it is due to your accumulated skill at picking up on clues and spotting patterns of behaviour. Hopefully, the tips given above will start you off on the right track.
