Poker Tells

 Poker Tells

Tells: How Important Are They?

Poker Tells

One of the most important things that distinguishes novice poker players from those who have a lot of experience is one's ability to read others and prevent them from reading you. Tells refer to the way that a person acts that reveal their feelings and thoughts, not only during a poker game. You can have some control over poker no matter what version you play. Tells are the best way. Many people believe that tells are only available in live poker games. But this is not true. There are many clues that can be used to decode actions of other players. Some of these clues are specific to particular games (community cards games for instance), while others are more general and require you to see the person in person. Online poker players have plenty of options to find out what's happening in their opponent's head.

Learn how to spot the tells of an opponent

While tells can vary from one person to another, there are certain indicators that are universal. This is unless someone has spent much time or energy trying to hide their natural reactions. You'll be able to recognize these signs and play poker better. You should also keep in mind that even experienced players can throw out fake tells to try to confuse you. Knowing the basics of tells will improve your poker skills.

The following are some of the most commonly used tells by players and people in general:

Checking one's card

When a player checks their cards, they are checking to see if they have drawn or have the potential for a strong hand. This is the most obvious tell. It means that someone has a poor hand and must verify if it's worthwhile to stay in this hand.

Checking one's chips

A player looking at their chips may be trying to determine how much money they can make betting. This is generally an indication of a strong hand.

Get your hands shaking

People's hands shake when they are nervous or excited. It is an effect of the adrenaline rush. Be on the lookout for players whose hands shake when they bet or wait to play. These players may have a great hand and could even be the one holding the nut.

Betting sizes/ Betting patterns

The size of a player's bets is one of the most important and overlooked indicators of how they are feeling. Most players place a narrow range of bets, so anything that is outside this norm should be flagged. Watching your opponents will help you to understand why they place certain bets. The majority of players stick to a very simple "If You have X, bet on Y" strategy. If they don’t change the pace or add new things, it is possible to crack this code.

Action taken quickly

The speed at which a rookie player executes their action determines the strength of the hand. The slower they take, the weaker the hand. However, this is not always true. Online players are more conscious of their tells. Some players will even time themselves to make sure they make a decision in the same time every time, regardless how strong the hand is. However, new players aren't as aware. If it takes someone a while to decide what they should do, they are probably trying to work out the pot odds in order to decide whether or not to keep their draw hand. If someone raises immediately it is likely that they are holding a strong hand, or they believe they have the nuts. How To Spot Poker Tells