Reading Online Players

**pokerwhiz** · 10th April 2007 02:07 PM

Many devout brick and mortar players say you can't "read" online players. I feel there are many traits, especially if you make use of player notes that most sites offer. Some that I have found and made note of on a regular basis...

1 If a player, especially in a case where they have been betting a hand since before the flop, take an inordinate amount of time on the river, HE HAS THE NUTS AND IS DOING DRAMA, to drag in the not-so-attentive players.

2 Watch the pace of players and make note. Some are slow, some are fast. When you play with the same players, you can tell when "they have the nuts" by a distinct change in the pattern of betting.

3 Players that buy in with abnormally low buy ins will often try ramming and jamming a pot. I know many that will buy in as little as $5 in a 1/2 game, willing to lose it three or four times, figuring one good pot more than makes up for it.

4 Watch for players that always come into the pot raising and suddenly just call preflop. It is a good signal they have a weak piece of trash....or weaker than their normal piece of trash

5 A player that checks quickly, the majority of time it is signalling they have NOTHING and notice it immediately.

There are many, but you need to make notes on players. It is NOT a waste of time. I use shorthand notes....

DNB = Do not bluff....... this players will call with anything, but be sure and value bet them.
CTR = Calls to the River.... basically the same as above
NBS = No Board Sense... the player only sees what he has, bets/raises paying no attention
FISH= the obvious, bets, raises, calls, overcalls with garbage
CAPS= has to control the betting, always gets the last raise in even with weak draws
TILT= A player whose game totally changes with a single bad beat (his opinion of a bad beat)
TURTLE= He plays scared until he has the nuts, if he bets, throw it away

Short notes make it easy, I also make note of unusually high buyins or low buyins. If you know a player has been buying in big in a 2/4 game and now he is playing 1/2 or lower, he probably has little respect for raises, or money in general in a smaller game.

If a player always buys in low, more times than not, he plays timid until he has the nuts.

Hope this helps some of the newer players. Many of you long time players know a lot of this.

Good luck

**Mika Ollila** · 10th April 2007 03:19 PM

Originally Posted by pokerwhiz

1 If a player, especially in a case where they have been betting a hand since before the flop, take an inordinate amount of time on the river, HE HAS THE NUTS AND IS DOING DRAMA, to drag in the not-so-attentive players.

I just hate these players who wait a long time on the river with nuts before betting or raising. It's so obvious, and I'm just screaming GET ON WITH IT to the screen.

**TEJODIYO** · 10th April 2007 05:14 PM

thaks so much POKERWITH for your message, I think its very usefull, I'll pay more attention from now...

**pokerwhiz** · 11th April 2007 02:26 PM

Originally Posted by TEJODIYO

thaks so much POKERWITH for your message, I think its very usefull, I'll pay more attention from now...

I have come SO close to typing, "F..k the drama, just bet your nut hand and be done with it..."

**r8rpwr** · 21st April 2007 08:09 PM

Pokerwhiz, that is some great info. I have my own list of online tells and ways to read, but nothing that comprehensive. I like your thoughts on taking notes. I was never quite that formal, but I see that it would indeed be time well spent.

You are so right on all of these!

**tshugo** · 24th April 2007 10:03 PM

There are some new points for me there

Thanks Pokerwhiz.

#5 happens alot actually

**arnzer** · 29th May 2007 09:51 PM

Originally Posted by pokerwhiz

Many devout brick and mortar players say you can't "read" online players. I feel there are many traits, especially if you make use of player notes that most sites offer. Some that I have found and made note of on a regular basis...

1 If a player, especially in a case where they have been betting a hand since before the flop, take an inordinate amount of time on the river, HE HAS THE NUTS AND IS DOING DRAMA, to drag in the not-so-attentive players.

2 Watch the pace of players and make note. Some are slow, some are fast. When you play with the same players, you can tell when "they have the nuts" by a distinct change in the pattern of betting.

3 Players that buy in with abnormally low buy ins will often try ramming and jamming a pot. I know many that will buy in as little as $5 in a 1/2 game, willing to lose it three or four times, figuring one good pot more than makes up for it.

4 Watch for players that always come into the pot raising and suddenly just call preflop. It is a good signal they have a weak piece of trash....or weaker than their normal piece of trash

5 A player that checks quickly, the majority of time it is signalling they have NOTHING and notice it immediately.

There are many, but you need to make notes on players. It is NOT a waste of time. I use shorthand notes....

DNB = Do not bluff....... this players will call with anything, but be sure and value bet them.
CTR = Calls to the River.... basically the same as above
NBS = No Board Sense... the player only sees what he has, bets/raises paying no attention
FISH= the obvious, bets, raises, calls, overcalls with garbage
CAPS= has to control the betting, always gets the last raise in even with weak draws
TILT= A player whose game totally changes with a single bad beat (his opinion of a bad beat)
TURTLE= He plays scared until he has the nuts, if he bets, throw it away

Short notes make it easy, I also make note of unusually high buyins or low buyins. If you know a player has been buying in big in a 2/4 game and now he is playing 1/2 or lower, he probably has little respect for raises, or money in general in a smaller game.

If a player always buys in low, more times than not, he plays timid until he has the nuts.

Hope this helps some of the newer players. Many of you long time players know a lot of this.

Good luck

what up boys

**CardChick** · 31st May 2007 03:44 AM

That's great advice on the note taking. I have never done that, but I can see a lot of value in it.

While I have never formally taken notes this way, I do tend to notice some players' tells, but it's usually the more obvious ones, like the FISH mentioned above. One thing I want to improve about my skills is better reading of the table.

**Jonathank** · 31st May 2007 10:59 AM

it took me 4 yrs of daily online play to devise a system of short hand player notes.
thx for giving it all away in 22 seconds,
you jerk.

**CardChick** · 2nd June 2007 07:11 PM

WTF? is the note taking system your proprietary insider knowledge?

That was out of line. Aren't we about talking about poker here, and sharing useful help and tips? Sheesh. I do appreciate pokerwiz starting this thread so we can chat about it. It's been very interesting to me.

**Mika Ollila** · 5th June 2007 01:45 PM

Originally Posted by CardChick

Aren't we about talking about poker here, and sharing useful help and tips?

Yes. Let information be free.

We have seen many pros share their thoughts in books through time, but that has not caused them to become losers. You still have to know how to apply the knowledge in your game.

**CRUDEFINDER** · 6th June 2007 03:00 AM

[QUOTE=
2 Watch the pace of players and make note. Some are slow, some are fast. When you play with the same players, you can tell when "they have the nuts" by a distinct change in the pattern of betting.

5 A player that checks quickly, the majority of time it is signalling they have NOTHING and notice it immediately.

[/QUOTE]
Very Very good comments, but sometimes the connection status can fool you. I have been bitten by that bug a few times due to a mis-read...lol

**CRUDEFINDER** · 6th June 2007 03:07 AM

Originally Posted by Jonathank

it took me 4 yrs of daily online play to devise a system of short hand player notes.
thx for giving it all away in 22 seconds,
you jerk.

I really think that comment was made in jest. Some peeps have a wry sense of humor and I and Gabe Kaplan can appreciate it.

At least I hope that was the case, since it was very, very astute advice and I have thanked him!!

**MLitteer** · 10th April 2008 05:16 AM

but dont people do some of these things so that you THINK you know what they have?

**liladypokerpro** · 10th April 2008 01:59 PM

WHIZ.......right on, man!!! Online reads and notes are a MUST for anyone if they're going to be profitable on a consistent basis. The only thing I would add to this is to make sure and update your notes anytime a particular player changes his/her style. Contrary to popular belief, a select few of the donks really do learn to play better over time. LOL

**Vito_Nuccio** · 10th April 2008 04:32 PM

Yes, you can get plenty of information from online play. You can not see the players neck pulsating or body trembling, but there are plenty of tendencies to take note of to use to your advantage. So you can not see the player, you can still pay attention to action and peg them for a given situation. Keep up the good play and note taking. As for the notation, use what is comfy to you, if someone has a different way, try it, you may like it.

On the other hand, when playing live, unless you remember all faces that cross your path, you may or may not know or remember who is sitting accross from you, and where are your notes on that player. Online the system tells you, hey you have notes on this player and here they are.

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