The importance(?) of timing online

[Talking Poker]

I don't put TONS of stock in it, but I put more than you... especially with FAST actions.

Slow action can be the result of a number of things (multiple tables, bathroom, eating, distracted, stupid, whatever)... but you can't fake acting fast. If someone acts fast, they did so deliberately. What this tells you about their hand depends on the situation, of course...

With that said, I use timing to send the message I'm trying to send all the time... I can only assume others do this as well.

BTW... I am speaking about limit games here moreso than NL.

[GeoffM]

I try to give myself the same amount of time regardless of my hand. I will count to 5 before I place every bet. I don't put much stock into it but apparently according to Killer Poker Online other people can actually pick up on it.

[2Tone]

I tend to ignore this, just because I don't have a reliable way to gauging what acting fast/slow means. I figure a lot of players multitable, further clouding the picture. That said, I will occasionally mix up my own response time, just in case anyone is paying attention.

One other comment -- people who routinely take the maximum amount of time to fold pre-flop in early position annoy the hell out of me.

[ChipFish]

It's also "player dependent."
It's up to you to take notes, and figure out if there's a pattern.

[junYUN]

i really don't put much stock on it. online reads are one of the greyest areas of poker IMO. i really just use betting patterns, and how they played their hand to decipher what they're holding, or whether or not they're in love with their hand.

[Tony Cheval]

I haven't really done anything with this in ring games, but I have had some success at the end of tournaments in heads-up 'bullying' the opponent with fast decisions (not using the auto-buttons, just deciding what to do quickly), though statistically I can't say if I caused more mistakes, was playing better anyway, or just got better cards, just food for thought.