Reading tells is important in any Heads Up Holdem Strategy yet many players struggle doing so in online games. Read this article to learn how to read the most important online tells on how to improve your heads up game.
One of the most important skills that all professional poker players have is the ability to read tells. Not having this capability is a disadvantage, particularly in online poker, where even small pot size tells can be very costly if you are found out.
Here is a typical example from a big hand I played a few weeks ago inSoccerbet handicap games.
I entered a heads-up match, withxtra money on the line. I believed my hand to be excellent in condition. The blinds were $50-$100. With a stack of $3000, I had $900 on the button. On the button I had intournament chipsand Straights+Discartner.
The cut of the cards led me to being ATS ( surprise, surprise, an Ace came on the flop! ). I had about $900 left my stack. To make a long story short, I was never able to get off the button as the big blindkept raising.
However, I had a deep stack of about $3,100 behind, and was in a middle position. It was time for me to make a move or just die away. I probably could have waited for a better hand. But, in a tight game, I didn’t have many chips left.
I checked. The big blind bet $400. I had about $1,200 left. I called. He should have folded. This was an obvious move, but not many players make the call. I did. What should have happened, if I had to guess, I would have called as well. This was about 20 percent of my stack. Would I have won? Maybe. I don’t know. But, I probably would have at least made a pot sized bet there as well.
There are probably many situations like this one. A player should have folded an early hand, but he plays like he has top pair. Another player should call, but instead keeps calling the bet. Further on down the line, the calls keep increasing the bigger the bets get. You get the picture.
If you are going to be a great poker player, you need to concentrate on reading tells. As Larry Blair says, “If they call you, they may be bluffing.” Or, “If they raise you, they may not have their cards.”
You need to be able to determine “st Tories” ( tight). You need to know who is weak and who is strong so you can push your opponent off hands. This is called Conservative Book Theory. Many players make the mistake of overvaluing Hands they have. When you have a good pocket, you are more likely to have raises than you are to call.
It’s the same with bluffs. When you flop a big hand, many players will not fold as they are likely to have a better hand. They may call you to get a free card because they do not want you to be good. Further on down the line, when you are pushing against many players, those who are Readers may figure you are bluffing.
It can also help to keep your opponents in the dewabet. If you play intervals at a fast paced, high action table, you will likely be bound to run into some “tricks”. However, if you look like you are paying attention, many will likely have not begun to think that you could be in the hand.
Just remember, how you act can often decipher whether you are one of the tight or loose players. When you decide to transition from being tight to being loose, you may want to start out with being tight and be a little more aggressive then letting everyone else catch up.