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Poker Tells Part 2 - Using Check Boxes to Gain Information
Online poker rooms offer the use of check boxes for actions such as "Fold",
"Check/Fold", "Raise", or "Raise Any", etc. While
convenient for those of us who lack the patience to focus on the game for extended
periods of time, the use of checkboxes can be very damaging to your overall
winnings. You can tell when a player has used a check box, because their action
comes immediately after the player before them acts. You can use this knowledge
to your advantage if a player consistently uses checkboxes. When a player has
pre-selected "Check" or "Check/Fold", it should be obvious
that he doesn't have a strong hand that he cares much about, and is likely on
a draw or just waiting to fold, so you can determine the player likely has no
hand or a weak hand. If their hand is immediately folded after the prior player
acts, you know they are using checkboxes and can begin watching this more closely.
When they don't use a checkbox, then they're taking more time to consider how
to play a better hand...
Similarly, a player who uses the "Call Any" check box is likely to
be on a draw and not yet made a good enough hand to bet or raise with, but is
definitely not ready to fold at this point.
Tells are not 100% accurate, yet they provide us with enough additional information
to help us confirm what we may already suspect. Over time you can get a sense
for how these players use checkboxes and begin to draw conclusions about your
opponents hand strength and mode of operation as a result. If you detect that
someone is on a draw, for example, you can often bet or raise the pot a bit
and push them right out, since it'd be too expensive to continue with their
draw without free cards or calling minimum bets. However, check boxes may also
be useful in setting your opponent up for a bluff.
The fact that a player feels so strongly about a hand (good or bad)
to make a decision before even seeing the how other players will bet or act
is a tell about this person's inexperience with online play and often about
their hand strength.
If you use checkboxes, be highly self-aware of how they'll be perceived by the
other players and use them to your advantage. If you have a good hand that you're
wanting to slow-play, use a check-box to quickly "Check" or "Call"
with, feigning weakness. If you have a weaker hand, are on a draw, avoid using
the checkbox altogether and act like you're really thinking about how to play
that hand. If you're bluffing, make a raise quickly and confidently (using a
checkbox, if applicable), to signal confidence in your hand. Of course, it's
always best to mix things up a bit so players can't predict your actions. The
idea is to keep them guessing or throw them off in the wrong direction so you
can profit from their mistake - that's how winners operate, through carefully
orchestrated deception and mixing things up constantly.
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