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How to Tell If Your Opponents' Hands Are Weak
Poker is just not card games; it's also mind games. If you know how to "read" your opponents very well, even if you don't get to see them, it will be very easy for you to apply your online poker techniques and eventually win the games. One of the very first things that you need to check is how weak the hands of the players are.
Of course, we are talking about his cards—the possible combinations he can come up with them along with the community cards, as well as the value of the combination. The problem is that obviously you won't be able to see his cards, so you really cannot accurately tell if he's playing weak hands or not. But there are some tell-tale signs that may point you into that direction:
1. A delay and then a bet means that he doesn't have weak hands. We would often associate a delay to apprehension, a way of making an excuse over something. In this case, though, it's completely different. It's all about calculated risks. He wants you to think that his hands are weak, hoping that you're going to make a call. It's a bet that is just equal to the previous bet. Then, he can then raise and wait for you to fold.
2. A delay and a check is weakness. Both are actually very bad signs. As mentioned, when a player is having a delay about making a bet, it could mean that he's concerned about the performance of his hands. But what could possibly seal your belief is when he's going to make a check. This means that he's going to waive his right to make a bet, fearful that there's nothing going to be left to him if he does. He also prays that the rest will also check, and he will be given a free card. Hopefully, he will be able to improve his hand by then.
3. An all-in at the beginning of the game is often an indication of a weak hand. What is all-in? It's when a player bets everything he has into a pot. Yes, it sounds crazy, but there are really online poker players like that. It's their strategy of removing as many players as possible. It is also a way of hoping that there will be improved hands later on during the game, and they can then settle their techniques down. Usually, though, anyone who does this doesn't last for a very long time during the course of the game and will eventually fold.
4. A quick raise during the river may mean that he doesn't have weak hands. Again, it all boils down to perception. Most of the players who actually do this are those with strong hands, and it's a good way of eliminating other players before the showdown.
5. A quick check means a weak hand. If a player instantly checks on his hands, it could mean that he has weak set of cards. However, it could also be a tactic, so you need to watch out. If he has strong hands, what he would do is to make a check and then a raise.
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