Read Poker Betting Patterns To Win Big At The Table

The ability to read poker betting patterns is an important skill for any poker master. Many people have physical tells, such as averting the eyes or tapping the fingers. While these visible tells can hint at the strength or weakness in a hand, they cannot be used in the cases of online betting. For online games, the most powerful predictor of a person's hand is his or her actions. By learning to read poker betting patterns of opponents, one can begin to predict the cards in hand and possibly the next moves in the game.

Reading Players

When playing online, it is likely that users are not familiar with others at the table and their betting strategies. When faced with unknown adversaries, it is always wise to sit out of the first hand to see if anything can be learned. In many cases, it is ideal to wait until everyone else at the table has completed at least one hand. Take notes on others, highlighting any patterns that are identified, such as habits of betting in early, middle or late positions. If they fold early, they may be players who take little risk. Those who raise the stakes in late positions are likely holding moderate hands so confronting them is a safer bet.

The Beginner's Flaw

Beginner players are prone to raising, checking and then folding. This shows a lack of experience as an opponent begins to push their luck, but backs out before they hit their Ace. Taking this opponent on aggressively in the beginning of a round with a solid hand is a sure way to dominate the round. Likewise, a check, call, raise might signify an inexperienced participant who is unsure of the strength of his or her hand. On the other hand, the user who bumps the pot, bumps it again and then checks is likely to have initially raised due to a strong hand, but is unlikely to have received the desired cards in the flop. Re-raising this player on the flop will force commitment or folding.

The Slow Method

The successional "call, check, raise" is used by many different types of players. It can be indicative of a person who is less confident of the hand in the beginning, but through the flop has become more self-assured. Alternatively, this pattern could signify a person who enjoys laying strong hands slowly, to lure others into higher betting. Seasoned players may also use this act to mask bluffs, so being wary around such patterns is wise.

When to Raise the Pot

A variation on the above is when a challenger calls prior to the flop, checks on the flop, and then calls a bet, waiting their turn to bump the pot. The best response is to go high on the flop, forcing the opponent to fold or commit. Though it is important to read poker betting patterns of opponents, analyzing one's own faults through this perspective can help to stop others from reading unconscious tells. Alternating them can confuse others and prevent them from predicting card strength, making it difficult to predict next moves.