In tournament online poker , the players have to beat the clock as well as the other poker online players. The blinds continually go up at fixed intervals and if a player doesn’t get involved in and win some hands, then the blinds will simple chip away the player’s stack. Tournament players are all sensitive to time. When a poker online player has to make a tough decision, and takes a long time to do it, that player is said to go into “the tank.” This is often a difficult situation both for the player making the decision, and the other players at the table who are watching the clock tick.
Some players use the element of time to manipulate the game. For example, a player who bluffs and is called, then stalls before betting may just be grandstanding. By taking a long time, the player knows it could put other players on tilt. It could also use up all the time at the current blind level, forcing the next set of blind positions to have to pay more on the next hand. Delayed action holds up the game. It is unacceptable when repeated too often. When faced with a player who continually delays their decisions, then another player can call for the clock. If the clock is called, the dealer will then announce that the decision must be made within a limited time, often 30 seconds or one minute, or else the hand is folded. Going into the tank is a legitimate practice in tournament poker as long as players don’t abuse it.
