Do anyone ever pay attention to the way people change their breathing during hands? I always look for them for some reason lol. I look towards their neck and chest area. Some people are aware that their breathing gives tells so they might try to mask it by covering their necks by hunching down and placing arms in front of their chest while their hands arm in front of their mouths. If you see someone behave like that, it's because they give tells and are trying hard to hide them. Pay attention to them and watch their breathing. You see what I mean.

Originally Posted by Rico Calde

Do anyone ever pay attention to the way people change their breathing during hands? I always look for them for some reason lol. I look towards their neck and chest area. Some people are aware that their breathing gives tells so they might try to mask it by covering their necks by hunching down and placing arms in front of their chest while their hands arm in front of their mouths. If you see someone behave like that, it's because they give tells and are trying hard to hide them. Pay attention to them and watch their breathing. You see what I mean.

This is one of my favorite tells because after the body releases a big jolt of adrenalin one can not mask heavy breathing.

I watch for upper body movement - mostly the chest. This is indicative of excitement but sometimes I am not sure if they are excited because they have the nuts or they are excited because they just pulled a bluff by shoving on me.


Most of the time - a random player will have a very strong hand (or even more confusing - they THINK they have a very strong hand).
I usually tank and let them calm down after 1-2 minutes. And then I look for my secondary tell - like their facial expression. I might try to talk to them.

If a player is skilled enough to mask that kind of heavy breathing then I have bigger problems because I will not get a reliable read on their tell.

Good luck !

Originally Posted by Poker_Mike

This is one of my favorite tells because after the body releases a big jolt of adrenalin one can not mask heavy breathing.

I watch for upper body movement - mostly the chest. This is indicative of excitement but sometimes I am not sure if they are excited because they have the nuts or they are excited because they just pulled a bluff by shoving on me.


Most of the time - a random player will have a very strong hand (or even more confusing - they THINK they have a very strong hand).
I usually tank and let them calm down after 1-2 minutes. And then I look for my secondary tell - like their facial expression. I might try to talk to them.

If a player is skilled enough to mask that kind of heavy breathing then I have bigger problems because I will not get a reliable read on their tell.

Good luck !

Right on! Good luck as well. Thx.

Originally Posted by Poker_Mike

This is one of my favorite tells because after the body releases a big jolt of adrenalin one can not mask heavy breathing.

I watch for upper body movement - mostly the chest. This is indicative of excitement but sometimes I am not sure if they are excited because they have the nuts or they are excited because they just pulled a bluff by shoving on me.


Most of the time - a random player will have a very strong hand (or even more confusing - they THINK they have a very strong hand).
I usually tank and let them calm down after 1-2 minutes. And then I look for my secondary tell - like their facial expression. I might try to talk to them.

If a player is skilled enough to mask that kind of heavy breathing then I have bigger problems because I will not get a reliable read on their tell.

Good luck !

I know that my reactions would probably be identical for AA shove or 7,2 os bluff shove.

Originally Posted by SPANKYSN

I know that my reactions would probably be identical for AA shove or 7,2 os bluff shove.

Spanky - if I fold - would you show the 72 ? lol

Always...trying to get my opponents to curl up in the fetal position on the floor, a la Phil.

that's why i always hyperventilate with every hand i'm dealt.

The breath of the opponents and its variations is one of the many pieces of information that we can obtain through observation. The great players differ from the rest, in many aspects ..... one of them is knowing how to read the opponent and hide information from their own hands from them. Regards

Originally Posted by ohshootmybad

that's why i always hyperventilate with every hand i'm dealt.

lol This is high-level mind games; you are concealing your tells. Hey, at least you are aware of your tells; the ones that get players into trouble are the tells they don't know they are giving off.

(pretty sure the hyperventilating every hand was a joke, but I like the humor)

Serious response though: heavy breathing is just like any other tell-based piece of information. We have to figure out what heavy breathing means for that specific player. From my experience, heavy breathing usually indicates they believe they have a strong hand; but some players I know just get anxious when the pot gets big or some crucial card hits the board - regardless of their hand strength, they start to breath heavier. It just depends on the person.

I suppose some players might breath heavier when they bluff, but most beginning players don't bluff in the exact way that regs do. If someone raises me big in a bluffy-looking way, I will usually give them credit for the hand because they usually don't have the ability to bluff and make moves like this without giving off other tells. If someone does this say three times against me: all right, now I suspect they are making moves and I need to adapt by testing them more often.

Reading and studying players is the part of my game that I put precedence over all other aspects. I study players whether I'm in a pot or not. I also study players body language whether they are still in the pot or also if they have already folded. Basically I try to study everyone I can at all times.

I have found out very difficult to detect changes in breathing patterns of other players.

Tells I have noticed are:
The variation in time it takes a player to act.
If a player glances at their chips immediately after seeing their cards or a new community card. Means they are usually planning to bet subconsciously.
Glancing at other players immediately after new cards.
They variation I which players move their chips or place bets.
Slumped or upright posture is a more recognizable tell than breathing patterns.

Whenever the pot gets big I get nervous. Doesn't matter whether I have the nuts or a naked bluff. When I flop a nut flush for example I'm worried about being too aggressive and losing a good opportunity by making you fold. I also worry about the board pairing on the turn or river.