on line tells

[aslowjoe]

A short time back somebody made a post about the check fold box as being a tell. I thought it was a good point but I can't remember what is was. Does anybody remember the post or have any idea what I am talking about

[AndysDaddy]

There may have been others, but I posed this question a little while back in this thread. (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=singletable&Number=503930& Forum=All_Forums&Words=4138&Match=Username&Searchp age=0&Limit=25&Old=allposts&Main=503930&Search=tru e#Post503930)

[CountDuckula]

IIRC, the post said something to the effect that if you see an instant check, it probably means the player had the check/fold box on, and was therefore advertising weakness. In my case, it could be the check/call box or the plain check box just as easily; I do the former if I don't feel I want to be aggressive at this point, but I want to stick around long enough to see the flop or the next card. I do the latter if I'm happy to check just then, but want to think about what to do if someone bets/raises/re-raises.

Most of the time, I wait for the buttons to appear and then pause for a few seconds so they know I didn't check an action box, but it depends on how I've read the table, and whether I think they're smart enough to pick up on timing as a possible tell (or whether I think I can trick them by mixing up using the check boxes or not).

I sort of tend to think that someone who has a bet/raise box checked might be bluffing, especially if I have a read on the player that he's a bit on the loose-aggressive side. Someone who takes an inordinately long time to bet or raise often has the goods, but is trying to get you to think that he was hesitant to be aggressive about it.

All of the above can be wiped out by someone who is multi-tabling, as they might be using check boxes to keep the flow going, or taking too long because they're busy on another table.

Bottom line: It depends. /images/graemlins/wink.gif I tend to be suspcious of any tells I pick up online, because they're so easy to fake or simply be misread. If in doubt, I just play my cards and base my decisions on what I think the odds are.

-Mike