[wyrd]

[ QUOTE ]
you, my friend, are very smart

he did hit the 5s full and I just wasn't smart enough to put 2+2 together (lol)

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not smart, I just play a lot of internet poker and I pay attention to general betting patterns (which is all you can do since you can't see your oppponenet). I watched that FullTilt show and the professionals had a suggestion on how to read people over the internet. Basically betting patterns during the hand tell a story. If you follow closely, it'll tell you exactly what your opponenet is holding, and by the end of the hand the story will be complete. That's probably the best advice I've ever gotten on how to read someones hand.

Basically speaking, the average joe internet player isn't very slick. They bet when they have something, call with mediocre hands (second pair or top pair w/ sucky kicker), and raise or go all-in when they hit the jackpot. I've learned the hard way that going all-in with a pair (even pocket AA or KK) isn't the brightest of moves when my opponent shoves his money in the pot on a dangerous looking board. I've also learned the hard way that when my opponent suddenly shoves his entire stack in the pot when he hasn't shown aggression the entire hand, he has a monster.

The funny thing is, you only learn your lesson when you lose your entire stack. The key is to pay attention as to why it happened, fix the leak in your game, and continue on. Then when the same situation happens again (and it will), you'll know to fold and not call.