If you want to make money playing online Texas Holdem poker you should master different skills and accumulate knowledge about various aspects of the game. Many of these skills are related to mathematics. First of all, I mean range of pocket cards you can start with, size of bets, evaluation of odds etc. But there are other skills that do not require mathematical abilities. I am talking about course of the game, your image at the table and time your opponents spend to make decisions. And today we are going to talk about the importance of the last characteristic I have mentioned.

The time your opponents spend to make decisions is a very important hint for you. Always keep in mind this factor when you are playing online Texas Holdem. The time your opponent spends to make a decision can help you to predict his cards. There is a clear correlation between cards and the time which is spent to make a decision. And some Texas Holdem players can be easily read because of this.

One of the classic examples is immediate call at the flop. Such call usually shows that the player has got weak pair or a draw. Moreover, immediate 4bet before the flop is a sign of bluff or weak all-in cards, like AK or QQ. Immediate 4bet is very common when a game just starts and limits are small. When Texas Holdem players bluff they usually try to finish the hand as fast as possible. In contrast to such situations players with strong cards take their time and are not hurry up with the decisions. And the size of raise would be as big as 2/3 of the pot.

If you want to master ability to read signs that are shown by the time which your opponents spend to make decisions, first of all switch off animation. Animation doesn’t let you to check how much time your Texas Holdem opponents spend to make decisions. Let’s say that you have not switched off the animation. You call pre-flop bet of your opponent and he has to make the next decision. Three cards from the flop appear slowly one by one and if your opponent has switched off animation he will see cards much earlier than you. And it means that he will have more time to make a decision. At the same time you will be waiting for the appearing cards. Then your opponent places a bet. You think that it took him 5 seconds, but he had maybe 10 seconds. Basically, the animation makes reading opponents more complicated.

You should not rely on your observations of statistics of your opponents. You just need to focus on the time your opponents spend to make decisions. Just analyze their current actions. Of course I am not saying that knowing and keeping in mind some statistical information about your opponents is useless. You should definitely know Texas Holdem style of your opponents. At least, if they are aggressive or tight players. But still remember about the importance of the time factor I described above. It can be really helpful.

Also recommended:

1. The importance of position in Poker
2. Importance of ability to read cards in Texas Holdem
3. Do not give any free cards to your opponents!
4. The Importance of Implied Odds in Texas Holdem
5. Knowing opponents in Texas Holdem