The one skill a poker player should continually improve is recognizing when they’re being deceived by another player known in the poker world as a “tell”. Mastering this skill will greatly improve your success in any poker game; tournament or cash. An opponent’s gestures will reveal the strength of their hand whether consciously or subconsciously. Recognizing whether or not a player is deliberately acting will be very important. There are tricky players who give off false signals meant to persuade you to either bet, call or fold. Poker tells is not an exact science. No one will be able to tell you that if a player does “x” it means “x”. In other words you’ll have to pay close attention and keep track of your opponents’ consistencies.
Here's an awesome video that illustrates poker tells.
I CANT STRESS THIS ENOUGH. LEARN THE ART OF TELLS. IT WILL EITHER SAVE OR MAKE YOU A LOT OF MONEY.
When facing an opponent your judgment of the strength of his/her hand will come from a variety of factors as discussed in the bluffing post. However it’s a player tell that will confirm your suspicion. Look for these top 10 tells when calculating the strength of your opponents hand.
1. Weak means strong/Strong means weak. (conscious) This is actually a move that beginners will do more than pros. Analyze the situation. If your opponent is “overdoing” an emotion, verbal or none verbal, there’s a good chance the opposite of that emotion is true.
2. A quick glance at chips. (subconscious) If a player is wearing glasses then this tell will be of no help. However, if you notice a player glance at his/her chip after looking at the cards available this usually means they are ready to bet because they like the cards.
3. Trembling hands. This can be a deliberate or subconscious movement. Be cautious, it likely means a very good hand.
4. Facial expression. Also an expression that may be controlled. If a player makes a movement that appears to be very disappointing read # 1 above. A roll of the eyes or a quick sigh may not necessarily mean weakness. Look for patterns when analyzing facial expressions.
5. Peaking at hole cards. If your opponent peaks at their two cards after an initial flop; look to see if there is a flush draw. If there are two or 3 of the same suits on the flop then they are checking to see what suits they have. If the same suit hits the turn analyze after they act again.
6. Chip Stacking. Study the way a player stacks their chips. Loose aggressive players tend to maintain unorganized/sloppy stacks, while conservative players will keep organized stacks. Take into consideration which type of player a bet is coming from.
7. Anxiety. When a player is confronted or will be confronted the body can’t help but to react. Whether it’s from a vain that fills with blood on the top of ones forehead or the contraction of the chest with heavy breathing. After recognizing a players body reaction check their hand strength at the end of the hand. What made their body react this way? It will be repeated. Use the information to your advantage.
8. Body posture. There are players who will illustrate obvious hand strength from how they position themselves. Analyze their posture and associate it to the hand they reveal. Posture tends to be an unconscious act representing the truth.
9. Repetitive betting patters. Players who do not change their game are fixed on a specific strategy. For example they may always check after a flop when they miss or always bet regardless. Be aware of consistent betting patters and what they mean for that player.
10. Watch the eyes. A player who can’t look you straight in the eyes will usually mean they can’t lie. Try and ask them a question when facing a bet. If they can’t look you in the eyes and answer it usually means the hand they have is weak.
There are many tells that will help you make the correct decision during a hand. The most important thing to remember is to recognize patterns and try to associate those patters to an opponent’s cards. I love being at a table where players don’t pay attention to other players throughout a hand. Being able to associate a hand to a person’s actions is practically like playing a player who reveals their hole cards during the hand. You’ll be extremely successful as you develop the art of poker tells.
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