Online Poker Tips: Lurk Before You Sit

Observing Opponents, Online Poker
September 27 2008

One great advantage that online poker offers a poker player that live action casino play does not is the ability to lurk and watch tables for as long as you want before sitting down. How well would it go over in a casino if you went from table to table and watched a dozen hands or so before finally choosing one at which to play? Not very well, considering they probably make you choose a table or give you the boot long before you’ve finished making your rounds.

But with online poker it’s different. You can open as many tables as you want and watch the action without having to take a seat. The players at the table won’t even know you’re there, watching how they play and taking notes.

If you’re good at reading players and picking up betting patterns or other online tells, you’d be a fool not to lurk at a table before choosing to play there or not. Even if you’re horrible at picking up vital information from your opponents, watching a table for a few hands before sitting down can still give you some easy-to-find information. Who are the more aggressive players. The more passive players? Who likes to bluff? Who can be bluffed? Who’s a maniac, a call-box or a fish?

The next time you sit down for an online poker session, take an extra 10 minutes or so and scope out a few tables before making your choice. It may help you make better bets, and if you’re a true beginner it could save you from getting eaten by the real sharks.

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