O ne of the advantages of live poker is the ability to gauge your opponent’s hand from their conversation and facial expressions. With online poker you lose part of that experience. The chat feature, however, can help recreate the live environment. Here are three strategies on how to use it to your advantage:
1. Spot Poker Tells
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A good online poker player can still spot a bluff or a good hand based on playing habits and changes in speed and conversation. Much of this comes from paying attention to the chat conversation. Here are two things to watch out for.
Speed: If a player moves through his turn very quickly, it could be a sign that he has a weak hand. A more moderate speed, however, demonstrates better evaluation of risk, meaning you could be dealing with a more experienced player. Changes in speed from fast to slow can mean your opponent has a strong hand.
Silence: If a talkative player suddenly leaves the chat box alone, it could mean that they are concentrating on a good hand. Similarly, a suddenly confident response can mean your opponent is bluffing. When you play poker in USA online groups, keep an eye out for changes in tone, speed of conversation, and speed of play.
2. Create an Image
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Remember that your opponents can read you just as you can read them. Be careful to keep your conversation and speed consistent. You can also tailor your conversation to give your opponents the image you want.
Some sources recommend creating an image of a recreational or inexperienced poker player to catch opponents off-guard. While this is certainly an interesting strategy, it is more important to remember that you don’t want to give away your hand through your speed of play or chat conversations.
3. Remember Online Poker Etiquette
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Sitting behind a computer does not mean you can forget common courtesy and etiquette. Not only could you create an unpleasant playing environment with unwelcome comments, you could also be banned from using the chat feature of a game. The following are three things to remember when using chat:
Don’t berate bad plays: First, it educates your opponent (a bad strategy if you plan on winning). Second, it creates an unpleasant playing environment. You can even be banned from using the chat feature if you continually berate other players.
Don’t talk about a hand you are not in: It is common to talk about a hand you are participating in, and many consider this to be a good way to influence your opponent’s decision. You shouldn’t, however, give your opinion when it is between other players and not yourself.
Don’t use abusive or profane language: This is another example of creating an unpleasant environment. To prevent this, many chat boxes have profanity filters. Trying to circumvent those filters could shut down your chat feature.
By following these three strategies, you can learn to read your opponents while keeping them in the dark about your hand. What other chat strategies do you recommend?
