Tells in live games

[AnArkhos]

I am a keen reader of poker players tells and I'm intrested to see what kind of tells do people know to exist.

Is there any clear signs of a bluff, for example? Or maybe a tell of a nut hand that you have noticed at some point?

How about Internet tells?

[liladypokerpro]

In live games I've always watched betting patterns and body language or other movements which they normally only make in certain situations. Some players just don't care if they win or lose - they are just in it to play, so they are usually the hardest ones to read...
The players that are really serious about the game most times have the easiest tells to spot.

For example, one guy I play with pretty regularly has an easy tell that I don't think he even realizes he's making so apparent...

After playing with him on numerous occasions, I've figured out that anytime he has two big overs or a pocket pair of any kind, he will cap his cards using a larger denomination chip...I guess it's his way of reminding himself what he has, so he doesn't have to look at his cards more than once. If he hits his hand, he'll put another large denom chip on his already capped cards. Unfortunately for him, he doesn't realize that people catch on to this and probably costs him more money than if he just looked at his cards again.

Another guy who is pretty obvious is this one...When he looks at his cards he always puts them neatly together and turns them sideways. I've noticed that if he doesn't like his hand by the time the turn comes off, he'll turn his cards vertically on the table, as if to signify that he's ready to fold, and in most cases when I bet into him in this situation, he does. When he likes his hand though, his cards remain in the original position he put them.

Online reads are not too hard if you stay at one table long enough to figure them out. Usually the main thing I look for is betting patterns, and players who show a lot of cards, because they are the easiest information givers. I always try to get into pots with the players I've gotten a good read on, because most times I can get them out of the pot without a showdown at the river.

There is an article on Rakeback that I read that says online players who bet quickly generally don't like their hand, but I have to disagree with that one. So far, the people I've noticed who normally play at a regular pace and then bet quickly suddenly, have liked their hand very much.

Personally it has seemed to me that in the majority of cases when a player bets quickly, it has been a tell that he doesn't have to think too much or too long on the odds of his hand winning, because at that time, it appears to him/her that they have the nuts.

Every situation and player is different. It takes a lot of patience and will power to really sit, watch and analyze the players either online or off. But with time it can come as second nature and really help a good player progress in their game.

[AnArkhos]

I wrote an article about getting tells off people to a finnish poker site and got a nice response. This thread is about getting a list of tells ppl know of and to list them just to see different type of tells. I know plenty but it's more about getting a sense of strenght or weakness and also about that bbetting pattern.

I also lke to apply pressure by reraising to evoke a reaktion off the person. Better yet, to make mental notes any time someone is in this situation. Lots of facial expressions which are difficult to describe, but which tell me about the players alot.

The basics, in my opinion, is that u take a while to see how this person acts when in a normal, relaxed situation, like just before the game starts. It gives me a lot of info when this body language changes and even more, when I can put a clear situation/hand type on the type of body language at hand.

Anything else, anyone?

[Mika Ollila]

I bought the Caro's book of poker tells, but have only browsed it through. Pictures are funny at least, being from the 70's from the looks of it. I remember one tell about a man blowing cigarette smoke towards the other who he had bet in to, and that being a tell about bluffing. I guess its the factor of trying to look strong so the other might fold.

One live tell like the above is looking your opponent directly in the eyes when you make a bluff bet or raise. Again trying to look intimidating and strong. I have actually tried this as reverse psychology and looked my opponent directly in the eyes when betting with nuts and hoping for a call

I am bad at controlling myself playing live, and can still have my hands shaking with exitement when holding a strong hand. Would need a lot more live experience to be able to control my body.

And I'm sure my pupils get extra wide when I peek at AA hole cards. Don't know if anyone is actually able to notice that though, unless Clark Kent is sitting with you.

[TheyNeverLearn]

i drink a lot of caffeine so i shake anyway even when i first sit down to play so its funny people dont know what to think haha. i cant read people very good yet im still learning but i am getting good at not making any faces or blinking too much so thats a start i guess.

[AnArkhos]

I think one of the lovely tells is the one where PPL shove their money in the middle with two hands on every street. It smells like a weak hand a far far away. Of course this depends on the person at hand but this one, once it's certain, is the one that I make the most money of. I've seen these with hands like 22, K high etc. Some players do this just to buy the pot, some do that with the nuts just to get someone draw against their hand but once I know the player, I am fairly happy to see these.

I know players that do this when their hand is pretty weak, like lowest pair in a flop that looks dangerous enough to be the flopped nuts. Usually these same people try to play ppl in with flopped nuts in every case so it's pretty easy to tell the difference.

I never do this if I don't know about the persons betting habits.

[BUILDMO]

when a person get out of their rhythum
i tend to notice
and other people will notice that in you

[AnArkhos]

Tells are a vast area of poker.

It's not just the expressions and betting rhythm, it's also about wether the person is bluffing, playing a strong hand or looking like a bluffer as u play your strong hands.

And the most fun part is that when u try to read peoples tells, u have to know if this person knows how to imitate their own tells. I know some who can, me included.

It's just the matter of how well and how often.

In my opinion, one should change the way that one plays their strong hands and vary them between 'totally bluffing-look' and 'strong as ever-look'

When bluffing, I tend to use the strong play look, but if a person is able to read tells, I might use the conterbluff-bluff, where I bluff, but the person is getting my usual 'totally bluffing with a strong hand-look'.

Its fun, as more than once I've gotten a strong reader lay down their hand with this counter bluff bluff. Sometimes, if I misjudge the situation, I of course end up losing bit bigger, as the person calls instead of folding. In these cases, they have either smelled my counter maneuvre, or didnt even think about it, as I looked like a cleaar bluff..

It's difficult, I know.

[liladypokerpro]

Tells are a vast area of poker.

It's not just the expressions and betting rhythm, it's also about wether the person is bluffing, playing a strong hand or looking like a bluffer as u play your strong hands.

And the most fun part is that when u try to read peoples tells, u have to know if this person knows how to imitate their own tells. I know some who can, me included.

It's just the matter of how well and how often.

In my opinion, one should change the way that one plays their strong hands and vary them between 'totally bluffing-look' and 'strong as ever-look'

When bluffing, I tend to use the strong play look, but if a person is able to read tells, I might use the conterbluff-bluff, where I bluff, but the person is getting my usual 'totally bluffing with a strong hand-look'.

Its fun, as more than once I've gotten a strong reader lay down their hand with this counter bluff bluff. Sometimes, if I misjudge the situation, I of course end up losing bit bigger, as the person calls instead of folding. In these cases, they have either smelled my counter maneuvre, or didnt even think about it, as I looked like a cleaar bluff..

It's difficult, I know.

I've got it.....I am going to start calling you Mister Bluffinstuff! LOL

Personally, I like the old: "Do I really wanna call this?" look when I know I've got the nuts....you know, the old raised eyebrow, pursed lips and chin rub? LOL I usually only do this when trapping, but it's been verrrry effective.

[AnArkhos]

I know that one, yea. If it's combined with a bit suffering -look as u make the call, u might get an aggressive player pushing their whole stack in as a response.

Happened to me a few times. Not too often though..

[AnArkhos]

Then again, I usually play hands like they're supposed to be played. It's just that my usual co-players are LAG and TAG so I tend to keep in the TAG corner.