As is the case in tournament play, cash game players on the internet give off certain tells. Some of the tells surround their betting patterns, while others revolve around how they enter the game. Additionally, players often give off information based on the screen name they choose, as well as the avatar they have uploaded. Poker players additionally provide insight to their play when listing their city or country of residence. Serious online poker players are wise in utilizing this type of information in making judgments on the kind of player they may be up against. When players make prejudice observations of this nature, they are best served believing in their prejudice until the player proves them wrong.
Tells Surrounding Entry to a Cash Game
Most highly skilled UB.com poker players wait until the big blind hits them before they will begin cash game play. When a player first sits at the cash table, they have the option of posting behind or sitting out until they are in the big blind. By sitting out, they save themselves the cost of posting behind. It makes little sense to post a small blind and a big blind when one does not have to. Additionally, the player will be required to play out of position. For these reasons, one can conclude that strong players do not enter the game by posting behind.
Another thing to take note of is how a player buys into the cash game. A poker player who buys in at an irregular amount of cash like $42.80 plays over his head. This often means that that player is wagering his entire bankroll in the game. Additionally, players who come in at the table minimum are often looking to play a fast game. More specifically, they are looking to get all-in by the flop in an effort to double or triple through.
Tells by way of Player Information
An AbsolutePoker.net player who displays a name like Mike1990 is probably named Mike and born in 1990. This suggests he is a younger player who is likely an aggressive player, as many younger players are quite aggressive. A player with the screen name of something along the lines of GusHansen17 id probably a poker player who watches a lot of poker on television and is not nearly as good as he would like to believe. The same would also stand true of poker players uploading avatars that picture their favorite professional players.
Just as telling a player’s screen name or avatar is their listed country of residence. Typically, a Club WPT player residing somewhere such as Romania or a Scandinavian country likely uses a wider range of hands than a player from the USA or the UK does.