Tells

F

froghump

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Dec 29, 2009
Total posts
41
Chips
0
ok, so far i feel like when a player makes a big bet or all in, and he starts squirming or looking around or moves in an awkward manner, he's bluffing.

but then again there is a thin line here because players are usually shaky or scared like if they have a monster. in fact i am guilty of mimicing these tells when i am bluffing to trick other players.

does anyone else notice this, or have any tells they have noticed they want to share?
 
moeraj

moeraj

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
May 15, 2009
Total posts
181
Chips
0
One obvious tell is when a player is looking at his own chip stack before it is his/her turn to speak, This usually means he is planning on betting his hand so if you speak ahead of him you should watch for this.Also if a player goes through a routine of counting his chips he us usually trying to decide how much of his stack he can afford to lose. Most players who are confident they have the best hand are not concerned about how many chips they put in the pot and will often overbet their stack.
 
B

BM0529

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Feb 6, 2008
Total posts
66
Chips
0
ok, so far i feel like when a player makes a big bet or all in, and he starts squirming or looking around or moves in an awkward manner, he's bluffing.

but then again there is a thin line here because players are usually shaky or scared like if they have a monster. in fact i am guilty of mimicing these tells when i am bluffing to trick other players.

does anyone else notice this, or have any tells they have noticed they want to share?

First off, you usually need to sit with another player for a good 30 minutes to an hour to get a really good feel for any sort of tells so be careful about risking an entire stack in the first 5 minutes on what might be a tell. One thing I always look for with bluffs or weakness and works very often is the player grabbing his food or drink as he awaits your decision, this almost always indicates weakness and I have even caught myself doing it before....beware it does not mean he has 5 high, he may very well have top pair on a scary board, the strength of your hand is a big factor on whether you feel you are ahead. The other one I look for is a sudden powerful nature or stern nature to their voice as they make their bet...a player with a stronger hand is more likely to speak softer, higher pitched than normal, or not at all when placing their bet. The stare down factor is badly overrated...I have found a stare down on the flop or turn indicates weakness, but after the river I find more often than not it indicates strength, I haven't a clue as to why this is the case but I'm not a psychologist. The player "sitting stiff" or not moving much is not a very reliable one either since I find many players who are holding the nuts often do this trying to get a call, it seems to be the one fake move many players try and pull...the hands or arms not moving is usually more reliable than the body itself being stiff.
As for trying to fool players with these tells you'd better be sure he/she is a good player, I know since I play with the same 25-50 guys/girls on a regular basis which ones I can pull out fake tells on/who will notice and which ones will either not see it or not understand the significance. If you can use these well and not overdo them they can be very helpful if say you play in a wsop or WPT event and get a couple of pros at your table, if you establish an amateur image as someone who would not be smart enough to use fake tells you can certainly pull a few pots away.
 
L

Lonsdaleite

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Sep 1, 2009
Total posts
112
Chips
0
One obvious tell is when a player is looking at his own chip stack before it is his/her turn to speak, This usually means he is planning on betting his hand so if you speak ahead of him you should watch for this.Also if a player goes through a routine of counting his chips he us usually trying to decide how much of his stack he can afford to lose. Most players who are confident they have the best hand are not concerned about how many chips they put in the pot and will often overbet their stack.

On the flop, if one of the blinds looks at their stack when its their turn, I usually give them credit unless they raised preflop and are a habitual c better. If they look at me, I assume they are weak or hit a middle pair.

I think betting patterns are the most important thing to pay attention to. What do they make 1/2, 3/4, pot, and all in bets with. Most lower level players don't change up their bets. Once you figure out what they do, they might as well be playing with their hands face up.
 
dwolfg

dwolfg

Visionary
Silver Level
Joined
Feb 23, 2007
Total posts
583
Chips
0
Timing of the tell is very important. A tell that occurs right after opponent looks at his/her cards/flop/etc. can mean the complete opposite if that player has already made a a bet and is awaiting your decision, even if it is the exact same tell.
 
dd_decker

dd_decker

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Feb 24, 2009
Total posts
454
Chips
0
ok, so far i feel like when a player makes a big bet or all in, and he starts squirming or looking around or moves in an awkward manner, he's bluffing.

but then again there is a thin line here because players are usually shaky or scared like if they have a monster. in fact i am guilty of mimicing these tells when i am bluffing to trick other players.

does anyone else notice this, or have any tells they have noticed they want to share?



I disagree. Usually, if a player is bluffing, he doesn't want to rock the boat so he says pretty much neutral or motionless. Maybe the behavior you describe is a player acting weak because he is in fact strong. :cool:
 
robert_wrath

robert_wrath

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Jul 22, 2007
Total posts
419
Chips
0
ok, so far i feel like when a player makes a big bet or all in, and he starts squirming or looking around or moves in an awkward manner, he's bluffing.

but then again there is a thin line here because players are usually shaky or scared like if they have a monster. in fact i am guilty of mimicing these tells when i am bluffing to trick other players.

does anyone else notice this, or have any tells they have noticed they want to share?

You may want to start observing your peers at the table more often while playing. The act of doing so is Profiling. Various Books/Videos address body language thru the years. Find them and study hard. If live action play is your specialty, this material should be a high priority added to your arsenal.
 
5TR8 FLUSH

5TR8 FLUSH

Legend
Platinum Level
Joined
May 26, 2009
Total posts
1,681
Awards
4
US
Chips
181
When ever I start playing live poker i'll do my best to spot these things and hopefully i'll get good at reading people. :)
 
Poker Orifice

Poker Orifice

Fully Tilted
Platinum Level
Joined
Jan 19, 2008
Total posts
25,600
Awards
6
CA
Chips
968
There's a bunch of places online where you can find all kinds of info. on 'tells'. (Joe Navarro has excellent articles,... the best I've ever read). You can also check out Mike Caro's University.
 
bazerk

bazerk

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Nov 18, 2009
Total posts
1,091
Chips
0
You may want to start observing your peers at the table more often while playing. The act of doing so is Profiling. Various Books/Videos address body language thru the years. Find them and study hard. If live action play is your specialty, this material should be a high priority added to your arsenal.

I highly recommend Read 'em & Reap by Joe Navarro (presented by Phil Helmuth).
 
Poker Tells
Top