There are probably more than eight ways to spot a player who is
a consistent bluff in the game of online poker but the easiest
to spot tells used with some frequency are described in this
article.
1. The person bluffing thinks he can uses the "chat option" to
his advantage. Keep a close eye on chatty players and what they
are doing. Do they raise pots and chat away about not catching
any cards only to showdown with an A-Q suited?
2. If a player raises before the flop, it shows for instance
3-3-9 and they quickly re-raise again, you may be up against a
bluff all the way to the river. Before you call, be sure you
feel confident you can take the pot with what you are holding.
3. If someone clicks their "sit-me out" button back "in" and
jumps in suddenly as the cards are being dealt , then quickly
calls or raises, the chances are they have run out of patience
and are not playing a killer hand.
4. When a player with the lowest stack on the table goes all-in
with absolutely nothing you can see as a relevant threat, you
may have someone bluffing a pot with a "now or never" viewpoint.
5. The player that bets on the flop and then checks on the turn
needs to put his money where his mouth is. If you have a good
hand, force them to bet.
6. If you are playing against someone who is an extremely loose
player and won't let one hand slip by without a bet, who does he
think he's fooling? One player doesn't get that many good
starting hands.
7. You will know to watch for a bluff if you pay close attention
to what he or she shows at the end of the hand. If the player
raised before the flop only to show a 4-5 off suit at the end of
the hand, they are almost dangerous. Act accordingly so that
there is no next time for that foolishness.
8. They play every hand too quickly to put any intelligent
thought into what their hand is capable of. The chances are they
hardly ever do and bluff most hands they hold.
In conclusion, try to eliminate bluffers out of the game as
quickly as possible as a good strong bluff can become a winning
hand on the river. Ensure they don't make it that far!
About the author:
David Walker runs
free bets and
UK poker
websites. A free email course: "Seven Days to Better Betting" is
available at both of these websites.
