Basic Poker Tells – Read Your Opponents in No Time
The easiest way to become a good Texas Hold’em poker player quickly doesn’t involve playing hundreds of hands or becoming a master at calculating odds. All you have to do is become familiar with some of the most basic tells. A tell is a largely subconscious act of body language committed by the majority of poker players (particularly newer ones) that will let you know whether or not they have a strong hand. Once you get a good read on someone you’ll know whether you should lay down your hand and cut your losses or play aggressively and take the pot.
The great thing about tells are that most people have no idea that they are committing them. By trying to keep their outward emotions in check, players often will release their feelings about their hand in many nonverbal gestures. There are also simple strategies that new players naturally pick up that are easy to see through once you’re aware of them. While many seasoned veteran players are aware of these tells and will take pains to avoid them, when you sit down with your buddies on poker night you’ll be amazed by how easily you’ll be able to accurately read them.
Here are the some of the most common poker tells:
1. Coming on strong with a weak hand and vice versa. A poker’s first instinct when they see the strength of their hand is to play it off as the opposite of what it is. If they have a strong hand they want you to stay in and bet so they pretend to have a weak hand by seeming disinterested in the action and avoiding eye contact. Similarly, if they have a weak hand they will try to get you to fold by acting strong and staring you straight in the eye and trying to intimidate. This is the most common one and you can use it against a player hand after hand until they finally prove to you that they’ve wised up.
2. Facial response. When you are dealt your hand don’t even look at it right away. Instead watch the eyes of the other players when they first glance at their cards. All players will try to remain stoic during this point but if you look closely most won’t be able to help hiding their elation or disappointment in the first second or so.
3. Change in behavior. If a person who is normally very talkative at the table suddenly becomes quiet then watch out. If a person who normally sits back in their seat a little bit is now sitting fully upright then watch out. When people are dealt really good hands their behavior suddenly shifts. If you ever encounter someone acting differently for a hand then don’t challenge them unless you’ve got an amazing hand as well.
4. Eying the chip stack. This is one of those subconscious ones people don’t even realize they are doing, but when someone sees a flop they really like they will tend to glance at their chip stack, planning their attack. Again, watch the eyes carefully and you will learn much.
5. Protecting the hand. The more valuable something is to a person the more they want to protect it. If someone is holding their hands over their hand, seeming to be guarding it, they are unconsciously telling you they have a good hand.
6. Covering up the face. When a player is bluffing they are going to be uncomfortable with any scrutiny any of the other players appear to be giving them. In an attempt to avoid close examination many players will cover their mouth or part of their face with their hand. This is an unconscious act, so even if it appears to be casual you know they are likely trying to hide the fact that they don’t have a great hand.
Knowing how to read even just a few simple tells such these will allow you to win a lot more pots and have other poker players marveling at your skill in no time. Just remember that these are widespread behaviors but not every player will make it so easy for you, so don’t completely rely on a tell if a certain player isn’t giving you consistent reads.
