not giving away tells

[Blink20 0]

So I'm sitting here at my computer five tabling my 100NL games on pokerstars and I realize I would be the biggest fish at a live no limit game, in a serious game where people can pick off tells.I just had QQ on the button, someone made it 4 to go with a caller, so i make it 12 to go and they both call. They both check an AJX flop and I feel myself tense up, probably face turns flush, but I fire out my 12 dollar continuation bet and they both fold. My point is, I'm sure anyone live could tell that I hated that flop with a passion, not to mention how i would pick up the chips and fire them into the pot. Any suggestions on how to practice not giving away tells, because that's what i want to do while i'm playing on the internet even though no one can see me.

[custom36 4]

It takes a lot of experience to get rid of tells that you can't control. The best method I have to minimize my tells is to keep my mind occupied with all of my odds, thinking back to what my opponent has had and how I can take the most chips off of him (or how I can give away the least). If my mind's really busy, I don't have the time to think, "Oh man, I've got a boat, I hope they don't know." Just thinking about your hand and all the money you could win off of it (or lose) is likely to give away the most tells.

[Blink20 0]

That's a really good idea, I'm sure if i was sitting there thinking about my bet, and what I would do on the other streets if I was called or how i would react to a raise, etc etc, instead of thinking, shit, i have two queens on an ace high board, my face would probably give away less... ty for the response.

[newmonkey 0]

So I'm sitting here at my computer five tabling my 100NL games on pokerstars and I realize I would be the biggest fish at a live no limit game, in a serious game where people can pick off tells.I just had QQ on the button, someone made it 4 to go with a caller, so i make it 12 to go and they both call. They both check an AJX flop and I feel myself tense up, probably face turns flush, but I fire out my 12 dollar continuation bet and they both fold. My point is, I'm sure anyone live could tell that I hated that flop with a passion, not to mention how i would pick up the chips and fire them into the pot. Any suggestions on how to practice not giving away tells, because that's what i want to do while i'm playing on the internet even though no one can see me.

I too started out playing on the internet. EVery time I got AA, KK, my whole body started shaking uncontrollably. When i started playing life, same thing happened. My first session, I lost $600 bucks. Everyone knew whether i had AA/KK or not. So I seeked advice from a friend. He told me to visualise all my hands as AQ, regardless of whatever I actually had. It helped. You tell yourself you have AQ, you're not that excited, but not weak either. So you have the same confident look.

[TheIceman05 0]

I used to be terrible with this. If I were weak, everyone knew. I was the best player in the game, but I'd lose half the money I made to A-high call downs and shit when I missed a flush. Basically, I had to start confusing myself. "I have the best hand. Try to get a call. You want a call." If I missed a flush draw, I'd just keep repeating in my head "top set top set please call you ****ing shitface assclown." Of course, this is not optimal. Sooner or later I just started thinking, "I don't care if you call or fold" in every situation. Sooner or later, my body adjusted, and instead of masking my nervousness, I just wasn't nervous anymore. Who cares? It'll all even out in the end if I'm making the right play. That really helped.Ice

[dna4ever 2]

EVery time I got AA, KK, my whole body started shaking uncontrollably. When i started playing life, same thing happened.

OMG the visual of that just made me laugh out loud

[custom36 4]

EVery time I got AA, KK, my whole body started shaking uncontrollably. When i started playing life, same thing happened.

OMG the visual of that just made me laugh out loud

Give me a second to wipe off my monitor...

[Blink20 0]

I too started out playing on the internet. EVery time I got AA, KK, my whole body started shaking uncontrollably. When i started playing life, same thing happened. My first session, I lost $600 bucks. Everyone knew whether i had AA/KK or not. So I seeked advice from a friend. He told me to visualise all my hands as AQ, regardless of whatever I actually had. It helped. You tell yourself you have AQ, you're not that excited, but not weak either. So you have the same confident look.

That's a really good idea, every time I think about AQ, i'm neither confident nor weak ;-) What a silly hand. Thanks again for the responses, very helpful.

[gadjet 11]

These answers are pretty funny... I think the only solution is to gain experience... play low limits and get used to the live action. In low limits, people won't even notice your reactions cause most people don't pay attention... then you can get used to it and move up. The other thing is once you've played enough hands, and big limits... the money and the hands are nothing new... You get Aces a hundred times and the 101st time isn't that exciting... even flopping quads... you do it 3 or 4 times and you react less... granted you're going to react when you flop quads cause htat's extreme... but each time it happens you will react less...Same thing with bad beats... the more you see them over time the less painful they are.

[Shakey90 0]

I got the natural shakes. When I started playing poker a couple months ago. The guys in my homegame picked up on me shakin whether i had a hand or not.Hince the nickname Shakey. It's a great thing to have.Playing a 3-6 game in a local casino for the first time i made a buncha money with this.Course the table was filled with a buncha fish(old guys that wanted to gamble),calling EVERY bet to the river.No matter what, it was great. :wink:

[MoLeafsMo 0]

While we're on the subject, a friend of mine brought up an interesting idea the last time we played our usual home game. Since top pros get to see themselves on television so much do you think they scout their own tells and then, once conscious of them, use them as decoys?Imagine I'm a top poker pro (wild imagination required) and I pick up on the fact that I take a very short and barely perceptible breath when I have a high pocket pair. Now that I'm conscious of it, wouldn't it be to my advantage to practice doing that in situations when I don't have a high pocket pair?I don't know how interesting this really is, but I am curious to know what others think. To me it's no different than changing speeds and playing hands differently than normal to keep people off balance, and it's infinitely more subtle than the common "I'm going to pretend to agonize over this decision when I really have the nuts and will definitely raise you" acting job.Again, any thoughts would be appreciated, except flames. This is a flame-retardant post.Mo

[custom36 4]

The guys in my homegame picked up on me shakin whether i had a hand or not... It's a great thing to have.

I have that too. My hands shake all the time. They're shaking now. It's a nice asset at the poker table.

[Blink20 0]

While we're on the subject, a friend of mine brought up an interesting idea the last time we played our usual home game. Since top pros get to see themselves on television so much do you think they scout their own tells and then, once conscious of them, use them as decoys?Imagine I'm a top poker pro (wild imagination required) and I pick up on the fact that I take a very short and barely perceptible breath when I have a high pocket pair. Now that I'm conscious of it, wouldn't it be to my advantage to practice doing that in situations when I don't have a high pocket pair?I don't know how interesting this really is, but I am curious to know what others think. To me it's no different than changing speeds and playing hands differently than normal to keep people off balance, and it's infinitely more subtle than the common "I'm going to pretend to agonize over this decision when I really have the nuts and will definitely raise you" acting job.Again, any thoughts would be appreciated, except flames. This is a flame-retardant post.Mo

Kind of on the subject, DN talked about how he would go through and watch old WPT's and that he would find tells on certain players before he woudl go play in an event they were in.

[Royal_Tour 0]

So I'm sitting here at my computer five tabling my 100NL games on pokerstars and I realize I would be the biggest fish at a live no limit game, in a serious game where people can pick off tells.I just had QQ on the button, someone made it 4 to go with a caller, so i make it 12 to go and they both call. They both check an AJX flop and I feel myself tense up, probably face turns flush, but I fire out my 12 dollar continuation bet and they both fold. My point is, I'm sure anyone live could tell that I hated that flop with a passion, not to mention how i would pick up the chips and fire them into the pot. Any suggestions on how to practice not giving away tells, because that's what i want to do while i'm playing on the internet even though no one can see me.

I've never had a problem with tells., I smile a lot, but i do it when i'm bluffing or when i have a strong hand. Throws people off., not a happy smile.., but a "I got you motha F_ _ _..." type of smile.Anyways. Long story short. BLINK.. the best way you can avoid giving off tells is DO NOT LOOK AT THE FLOP.. look at the players still in the hand. and judge their reaction to the flop., once they start reaching for chips, or when they look back at their pocket. then you should glance at the flop.Another way to make it not soo noticeable is to push your nervousness down through your legs., Just take all the jitters and shakes you got. and try to run them down through your feet .. (No one can see whats goin on under table)just my own advice. thanks

[Blink20 0]

TY again for all the responses, I'll let you know how it goes when I get my bankroll high enough to play the 1/2 at the local casino. Right now i'm at the 100 NL on Stars, and even though the 1/2 is a 100 max buy in at the casino, I don't want to risk my bankroll, but i'm getting close ;-) ..... I will do my best to make the FCPr's proud, a follow up story will come in a couple months if anyone can remember that long down the road.

[mbreon 0]

Good piece of advice there Royal Tour....it is very advantageous to look at the other player's reactions to the flop as opposed to looking at the flop. Judging their reaction will give you a much better idea what to do with your hand, if you can pick it up with a bet, etc....when I play NLHE live, I look bored no matter what comes down. I always try to appear uninterested even though I am really trying to watch the table. It's not too hard to look like you are bored, so try keeping that expression when you bluff and bet with the nuts.

[MoLeafsMo 0]

While we're on the subject, a friend of mine brought up an interesting idea the last time we played our usual home game. Since top pros get to see themselves on television so much do you think they scout their own tells and then, once conscious of them, use them as decoys?Imagine I'm a top poker pro (wild imagination required) and I pick up on the fact that I take a very short and barely perceptible breath when I have a high pocket pair. Now that I'm conscious of it, wouldn't it be to my advantage to practice doing that in situations when I don't have a high pocket pair?I don't know how interesting this really is, but I am curious to know what others think. To me it's no different than changing speeds and playing hands differently than normal to keep people off balance, and it's infinitely more subtle than the common "I'm going to pretend to agonize over this decision when I really have the nuts and will definitely raise you" acting job.Again, any thoughts would be appreciated, except flames. This is a flame-retardant post.Mo

Kind of on the subject, DN talked about how he would go through and watch old WPT's and that he would find tells on certain players before he woudl go play in an event they were in.

Thanks for the prompt reply. I certainly believe all the pros would do that kind of thing, but I guess what I'm suggesting is a kind of "second-level" way of thinking. It's one thing to investigate your opponents' tells, but to your own better than they do, I think, would be a pretty dangerous weapon to have in your bag of tricks.Does anyone know if pros actually do this? Does anyone else think this is a good idea? In all honesty, I'm new to the site, and I'm just looking forward to having my hand in a solid discussion for the first time, so any thoughts are welcome.Mo

[Blink20 0]

I have no idea if pros do that, but wanting to be a part of that discussion b/c i don't continue discussion in threads much, i'm more of a hit and run person, but since I started this one, I'll try and give my input....Ok, actually I have no idea if pro's try to give out false tells, but I think I have noticed this.... It seems they do a lot of acting when they have a really big hand, like they really act like they have nothing. I have the WPT Season 2, and sometimes it seems reallly obvious they have a big hand, even the pros, but then again they are playing against amateurs, but I just always notice that they do the classic, I have nothing attitude when they are holding a monster. Has anyone else noticed this?

[gadzooks64 0]

So I'm sitting here at my computer five tabling my 100NL games on pokerstars and I realize I would be the biggest fish at a live no limit game, in a serious game where people can pick off tells.I just had QQ on the button, someone made it 4 to go with a caller, so i make it 12 to go and they both call. They both check an AJX flop and I feel myself tense up, probably face turns flush, but I fire out my 12 dollar continuation bet and they both fold. My point is, I'm sure anyone live could tell that I hated that flop with a passion, not to mention how i would pick up the chips and fire them into the pot. Any suggestions on how to practice not giving away tells, because that's what i want to do while i'm playing on the internet even though no one can see me.

This is so me. I call it doing the happy dance when you flop a monster and are soooo glad that the people on the other end of my cable line can't see or hear what I'm doing. The more I play the more I try to keep my composure cool but I find that my hands shake (cold?) sometimes and my heart races like crazy. I think more experience is probably the best solution. Once you seen it all it's easier to not get worked up.I also started playing SNGs. The tension is short lived. The first few rounds of betting are tough when you're trying to figure out all the players but once I settle in I'm in control. It's the best feeling knowing that you've reached that place. It's amazing how calm I feel playing short handed - 2 or 3 people. I'm most nervous when the table is full. Just keep playing, nothing beats experience.

[MoLeafsMo 0]

I definitely notice that players mix up how they respond to their hands. Sometimes a player acts meek when he's strong, sometimes he acts strong when he's really strong, sometimes he acts really strong when he's got a marginal hand, and sometimes he plays his hand straight up. When I act out of character for a given hand, I try to be conscious not to overact because that may create new tells that others will pick up on before I'm aware of them. By extension, I'm implying that the more subtle the gesture, the harder it is for someone to know if it's real or scripted.I play a regular home game with the same group of guys every time, so we've all gotten pretty decent at reading each other, and I have tried to fake tells, or even create them, during our games. I've had some luck with it, but of course that's only against my friends. I'm hesitant to try out that kind of a ploy against people I've never seen before.

[newmonkey 0]

Yes, I think pros should watch themselves on WPT. apparently, Ron Rose doesn't, because he still gives away the same tells. if he has a strong hand, he takes his time, stretch his neck. if his bluffing, he check raises almost instantly. quite sure most of the other ppl at the final table picked it up. Julha helppi made all the correct laydowns and calls when sparring with Ron.

[wrto4556 0]

Practice in front of the mirror."You talkin' to me?""YOU talkin' to ME?"

[Blink20 0]

Practice in front of the mirror."You talkin' to me?""YOU talkin' to ME?"

LOL. ... nice, enough said.

[legbuh 0]

If you watch close enough you'll catch tells from the pros. The one I see most often is the hand to the mouth. Watch for it, then determine if it normlly means strong or bluff. :)Shaky hands are awesome... unless they shake all the time... easy folds there.. lol.. Playing with a buddy we were down to heads up, I raise preflop, he calls. flop comes KK8 or something... he goes:"oh.. I dunno.. I'll bet $200" and reached for chips, hands shaking like crazy! Before the chips were even on the table I folded... he goes "what?"I said.. "look at your hands man! you have (insert hand here)". He was dumbfounded for 2 reaons.. I read the tell and I called his hand. :)I tried bluffling him later with bluffing shakey hands but he called me hard on it... "I'm not THAT stupid".. lol...

[MoLeafsMo 0]

haha, yeah, i've tried that too. one of my friends has very shaky hands all the time, so some guys try to bluff with a shaky hand and get busted everytime. we call it the "surgeon's bluff".but one thing i've started doing is taking advantage of my eyes. i have a good staredown, so a couple times early on if i'm deciding a call and i know i have him, i'll stare for a second, then look down, but arch my eyebrow just as i glance away. then they see that i have it, and that tell is established. i can then use that same eyebrow arch four or five times in a night and get away with a decent bluff.