The Art of Bluffing in the Digital Age: How Online Poker Players Perfect the Poker Face Emoji

The best poker sites have come a long way since their inception in the late 1990s. Participants can now communicate with each other through a variety of different means. Profile pictures and emojis are some of the ways that players can send messages. Not all of the messages will be sent with good intentions, with some trying to bluff their way in this digital age! The reality is that the best online poker sites for real money have understood that they need to offer more than just the game to stand out, and it’s led to some interesting consequences when it comes to bluffing.

Dishonest Bluff Emoji Usage

Whenever someone uses an emoji on an online poker table, the first instinct is to think that they are trying to deceive you with false information. One player might send out a frustrated or sad-looking emoji in order to make you think that they’ve got a poor hand which has made them upset. However, they might actually have a very good hand and are simply trying to lure you into a false sense of security. Or they could be double bluffing…and so on. It’s important to remember that whatever emoji your opponents send out at the online poker table, it is information they want to implant in you. They aren’t going to share anything they don’t want to.

Keyboard Warriors at the Poker Table

When people use a computer or device they get a sensation and urge to behave abnormally. They might say or do things that they wouldn’t when talking to the same people face-to-face. The same applies to online poker tables as people who might be silent in a casino card room might send thousands of emojis after every play.

Seem people when they have the chance to communicate online are just strange. They might make outrageous claims or use emojis that have no bearing on the game or situation. Whether it’s a succinct plan to confuse opponents is unknown but sometimes sending out emojis like road signs, a bear and multiple read exclamation points can make little sense.

Sending out Emojis, Authentically

While we have to be wary of all outward emotions it’s worth remembering that some people are sending them out with their intended use and meaning. If they’ve won a hand, when they send out the smiling face at that juncture, they are probably rather happy. If a player continually uses emojis that match up with their stature in the game (i.e. crying emoji when they’ve lost) it’s worth considering that they are using them with no untoward intention. However, be careful not to trust them completely they might be trying to make everyone think they are using the emojis accurately only to fool them. I.e. after an hour of using accurate emojis, they might then start posting erroneous emojis like a laughing crying face when they’ve got a weak hand or a face palm when they’re set for a royal flush.

You Should be Able to Mute Opponents

Any poker site that can send emojis and messages usually has the option of muting other players at the table so that you don’t have to read their messages or see their emojis. There are pros and cons to this. If you mute them, you won’t get distracted by them and will be less likely to overthink outward communications. However, you won’t get any additional information about how your opponents are playing the game. It could be worth keeping them on for the start of the game and then if there’s no benefit to receiving them you can always mute them later.

Profile Pictures Can Be More Effective than Emojis

As mentioned in the prior paragraph, emojis and text instant messaging can usually be turned off by users. This means that despite your best efforts to bluff with emojis, they might be falling on deaf ears. One attribute which usually can not be circumvented or turned off is a user’s profile picture.

While often seen as just a novel addition to poker site interfaces, the profile picture is a window into a player’s style, thinking and strategy. This is essentially a canvas where a user can put any image they want and make every other player at the table look at it. Users can imprint any impression they want on their fellow gamers. A picture of them reacting to a big win might be a sign of over-confidence. Or if they’ve got a picture of someone upset or depressed, they might be trying to trick you into thinking that they are terrible at poker or emotionally unstable and subject to tilt. Of course, a blank picture doesn’t say much at all – but will keep opponents guessing.