Do you think timing tells are reliable?

N

Nesehorn156

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Jan 22, 2026
Total posts
99
NO
Poker Chips
89
Casino Coins
0
  • #1
In live poker, I’ve heard people talk about timing tells, like quick calls or long pauses meaning certain things.

Sometimes it feels useful, but other times it can be misleading.

Do you pay attention to timing tells, or do you think they’re not very reliable?
 
rsparente

rsparente

Rock Star
Platinum Level
Joined
Dec 4, 2022
Total posts
441
Awards
1
BR
Poker Chips
689
Casino Coins
0
  • #2
They are accurate, the point is, if you know how to mimmic them to exploit your opponents' reading on you, you have an advantage, thus it will seem misleading to the person trying to read.
 
Goggelheimer

Goggelheimer

Legend
Platinum Level
Joined
Feb 14, 2023
Total posts
1,645
Awards
3
Poker Chips
1,024
Casino Coins
0
  • #3
Timing tells can be helpful, but only if you treat them as one piece of a much bigger puzzle.
Some players act quickly or tank forever because they’re genuinely unsure, but aware players often use timing deliberately to shape your perception.
A snap-check might be designed to look weak, and a long pause before a call can be pure theatre.
That’s why timing reads can feel useful one moment and completely misleading the next.
I pay attention to them, but I never rely on them without considering the player type and the overall situation.
Used carefully, they can add texture to your decisions without steering you into traps set by experienced opponents.
 
Happy Bobi

Happy Bobi

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Oct 27, 2025
Total posts
191
UA
Poker Chips
229
Casino Coins
0
  • #4
Nesehorn156 said:
In live poker, I’ve heard people talk about timing tells, like quick calls or long pauses meaning certain things.

Sometimes it feels useful, but other times it can be misleading.

Do you pay attention to timing tells, or do you think they’re not very reliable?
When it comes to online gaming, 'timing' is essentially irrelevant. You don’t know why your opponent is taking so long to think – whether it’s because they’re frying an egg, or perhaps just vacuuming the house or watching a TV series. At the same time, you don't know why your opponent makes decisions so quickly - whether it's because they're cycling at that very moment, or worse still, driving, or perhaps they're simply working as a bun seller.
 
GarotoMaroto

GarotoMaroto

Visionary
Platinum Level
Joined
Aug 22, 2022
Total posts
656
Awards
1
BR
Poker Chips
603
Casino Coins
0
  • #5
NO.
Waiting to shove aces is good tactic XD
God bless
 
Stringy

Stringy

Legend
Loyaler
Joined
Dec 25, 2021
Total posts
1,652
Awards
1
GB
Poker Chips
951
Casino Coins
0
  • #6
online the only thing you may be able to tell is if they keep clicking check/fold
 
hardongear

hardongear

Legend
Loyaler
Joined
Nov 20, 2022
Total posts
1,386
CA
Poker Chips
1,005
Casino Coins
5
  • #7
Not anymore as majority have known about timing tells for years now and maybe more then a decade.....or at least the info was out there about timing tells. I heard and read about them 20+ years ago before I even played my first hand online. I take roughly the same amount of time on each decision no matter what it is and I'm always thinking 1-2 steps ahead and know what I'm going to do whether villain calls, raises or re-raises. I usually count 4-5 mississippi's in my head and then make my action.

Cheers!!!
 
TeUnit

TeUnit

Legend
Loyaler
Joined
Jan 20, 2009
Total posts
6,119
Awards
21
Poker Chips
468
Casino Coins
205
  • #8
I think it depends on the villan and the stakes.

The lower you go in stakes the more meaningful.
 
Poker Tells
Top