Poker tells are the main resources to use when it comes to predicting the relative strength of your hands. When playing poker at brick and mortar casinos, you can read tells by observing body language and voice pattern as well as other interesting details. With online poker, the number of tells to be read is not that much. You only have chats and betting pattern as the sources of information. Still, when used properly, these sources of information are more than enough to help you read your opponents perfectly.

Whenever you play poker online, make sure you pay close attention to the chat window; most gaming platforms place the chat window on the bottom right side of the screen. It may sound incredibly silly, but many online poker players do emit tells through their text chats. Observe how they convey messages and see if you can catch a certain pattern. Combine the information you have with the current community cards to predict your opponents’ positions.

With betting pattern, the information is not always free. You can still observe passively and use the information you obtain to make general assessments, but you may need to place probe bets – bets placed only to see opponents’ reactions – in order to get a more detailed understanding on just how strong your opponents’ hands are.

Use these two sources of information wisely, and you will certainly be much more profitable playing poker online. Practice makes perfect; make sure you pay close attention to details every time you play poker at your favorite online poker site.