In poker, players will often try to mislead others in order to claim the pot for themselves. This practice is known as bluffing and it’s because of this deception that sometimes you need to be able to read other players more than the current state of the game itself. However, it’s much harder to identify if someone is bending the truth in online poker than if they are bluffing in poker in an in-person game.
Join us as we take you through some of the ways you can tell if someone is bluffing in an online poker game.
Signs that someone is bluffing in an online poker game
Suspect someone is playing out of their league with their current poker hand? Here’s how to tell if someone is bluffing in online poker.
How quickly someone places a bet
It’s important to try and establish a baseline on how quickly your opponents bet since the speed at which they wager could be a vital clue as to whether they’re bluffing or not. For example, if someone bets quickly whenever they have a very strong hand but then suddenly stops to think before they raise or go all-in, it’s entirely possible that they have doubts that they will succeed. Similarly, if a player usually takes their time to make a decision before they bet, they may try to fake the excitement of a strong hand in order to trick their opponents into folding.
If they have a loose and aggressive playstyle
While it may seem like a bad idea to go toe-to-toe with a player with an aggressive playstyle, it’s precisely the opposite. A player with a loose and aggressive playstyle will make bets regardless of the strength of their hand, which means that, unless they have unbelievable luck, more often than not they will be trying to use what is at best a mediocre hand, to force you to fold. These are players who often pretend to have the nuts when they in fact have nothing, so if you have a strong hand, it is likely worth your while to call their bluff.
They are emotional or tilted
An opponent who is upset because they are having a bad run will likely start to make more aggressive plays to make up for their losses instead of keeping a cool head. Keep an eye on a player who’s having bad luck and seems to be unwilling to call it quits or keep their emotions in check since they are more likely to bluff to try and recoup their losses.
They make very large bets from the late position
It’s well known that the person to act last will have the most information since they will have been able to watch all their opponents make their moves before having to make their own. Being such a strong position in the game, it’s where most players are likely to bluff because others will assume that, based on their large wager, they have a strong hand and fold. However, if they are repeatedly doing this from the late position, it’s possible that they are exploiting their position to force players out of the game with a weak or mediocre hand.
Check/raising on a paired flop
A player who checks pre-flop and then suddenly makes a big wager when a pair lands on the flop is trying to communicate to other players that they have at least a three of a kind. However, this may turn out to be a mind game to try and catch unsuspecting players off guard.
Keep an eye out for a “big mouth”
Yes, online poker doesn’t take place in person, but many virtual poker platforms still have text chat. Be sure to check it out to see who likes to type a lot, particularly if they’re trying to make it seem like they have an incredibly strong hand. Just like in-person poker, it’s very likely that an individual with a bad hand will try to brag to make up for the fact that they are playing from a weak position.
Put your new skills to the test at BetMGM
If someone knows how to bluff in poker, either if they’re playing online or in-person, it can give them an edge over their opponents. But now that you know some of the ways in which to spot people who are trying to manipulate your understanding of the game, it’s time to play poker online and put those skills to the test at one of the world’s best online poker sites, BetMGM.
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