Online timing tells

[roy_miami]

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But I called the turn specifically because of the timing tell and it got me to thinking that I probably do this sort of thing all the time.

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I would be shocked if this was the first time you got thinking about online tells. I remember using the oldest tell in the book, the ole' pause with the nuts on the river for 5 seconds move my first month playing.

The check instacall on the flop is usually weakness, always bet the turn if you pick up on this.

One I'm guilty of is the insta-check when you hit your draw. I tend to do everything fast as to not give any tells, and I realize this is a tell because i pick up on it from others but when I hit that nut straight on the river I don't even have time to register it before my finger has squeezed the check with the intention of raising trigger. I'm sure lots of players pick up on timing tells, even if its at a subconscious level.

[MicroBob]

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I remember using the oldest tell in the book, the ole' pause with the nuts on the river for 5 seconds move my first month playing.

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Yup. Been there, done that.

When I first came to 2+2 I had been playing on Stars for a few weeks maybe (first couple weeks I never could remember if a flush beat a full-house or vice-versa).

When I read people here mention 'slow-playing' I thought it meant "delaying one's action while holding a big hand."

Seriously. I probably thought this for quite awhile around here.


I also thought that to 'limp' was kind of "to bet while showing general weakness" which would be picked up on more in a live game...but could also be detected in an online game if it was just a slightly delayed call perhaps that seemed to be hesitant.


Oh the memories of those days when i REALLY REALLY sucked (as opposed to my current status of 'not sucking as much as I used to')

[diebitter]

With online tells, you just need to watch for patterns, and act accordingly. Someone who always pauses before raising when they have a good hand/bad hand, and otherwise calls fast is one easy one.

More useful is watching/noting the pattern when there's an instant (and I mean instant, not fast - indicating the decision was made before the previous caller did anything) call or raise - it means they made their decision before the play needed to get to them - and noting/using patterns for this can have some value.

Remember also, multitablers don't have much time, so they will often decide when the cards land rather than when play gets to them. If you see someone doing this consistently, you can do a search for him, and see if he's multitabling. If he is, then you can use this info productively! Instant calls/raises are an easy pattern to reduce what hands he may be playing, and conversely delays are meaningless for tells on hium.

[pfkaok]

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Remember also, multitablers don't have much time, so they will often decide when the cards land rather than when play gets to them. If you see someone doing this consistently, you can do a search for him, and see if he's multitabling. If he is, then you can use this info productively! Instant calls/raises are an easy pattern to reduce what hands he may be playing, and conversely delays are meaningless for tells on hium.

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I don't know... i play 6-8 games, and the only time that I check a box before the action gets to me is my PF fold. I don't know if others who multitable often click the bet/raise button alot, but I don't think that I ever have. maybe its common, but i would think that most solid players would realize that this gives info away, and won't do it. Oh yeah, also i sometimes click the call button after I've 3bet, and somebody else caps and there are others left to act.

[Bluffoon]

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One thing I see a lot that I think can be used to factor in your decision is the hesitaion when a person is calling. I usually only see this with fishier or laggier players that hesiate for a real long time on a call on a somewhat scary board. More often than not, I've noticed this to be a sign that the player often has a strong hand. I wouldn't ditch a decent holding, but I might not go crazy either.

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Generally speaking, I think a long, deliberate pause is likely to be a sign of strength, whereas a shorter "thoughtful" pause can indicate weakness.

The exception to the above IMO is when you're in position and were the aggressor on the previous street, and the opponent pauses deliberately before checking it to you. Very often this is a sign that an opponent wants a free card/showdown and you should bet somewhat more liberally than usual.

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I have come to the opposite conclusion. From what I can see a short pause is often a decision between a raise or call and a longer pause is often a decision between a fold and a call.

In general I agree with the camp that thinks that online tells are generally useless but I occasionally see a good timing tell like you are describing.

[GuyOnTilt]

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Generally speaking, I think a long, deliberate pause is likely to be a sign of strength, whereas a shorter "thoughtful" pause can indicate weakness.

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Against solid or semi-solid players, I time my clicks purposefully because most people I talk to think exactly the same as you.

GoT

[Catch of the Day]

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Generally speaking, I think a long, deliberate pause is likely to be a sign of strength, whereas a shorter "thoughtful" pause can indicate weakness.

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Against solid or semi-solid players, I time my clicks purposefully because most people I talk to think exactly the same as you.
GoT

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When playing against an opponent who I feel views me as a solid or semi-solid player, I pay close attention to seemingly purposeful clicks as indication of a reverse tell that I construe accurately represents their 'true' hand. I do this because I know that most people think that most the people GoT talks to, think like Nate.


Catch-

[cain06]

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When I first came to 2+2 I had been playing on Stars for a few weeks maybe (first couple weeks I never could remember if a flush beat a full-house or vice-versa).


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I had the same problem, only I couldn't remember whether a straight beat a flush...

...now I know it does.

[crunchy1]

I'm not aggreeing or disagreeing with the value/validity of timing tells. I just want to through this out there...

Online poker is played across a network of many, many different computers and networking software/equipment. In terms of timing - what is to say that either you or your opponents pauses/auto-bets are effectively being interpreted at the other end of the network the way they were intended when they were initiated?

[B Dids]

IMO it's all about patterns.

If you're paying attention you know how people typically act. Some are slow, some are fast. When you see a break in that pattern, it's just a little more info.

It's the kind of thing that's a lot easier to pick up if you're playing less tables, because you'll get a better feel for the pace of somebody's play (which also helps you figure out who is a multitabler, which gives you a little info as well).