Jump to content

top 5 tells - easy tells???


Recommended Posts

I'm playing in a game next week where most of the players only know what they know from TV. I play a decent amount, online and B & M. What tells do you all think that amateurs show the most? Thanks for the input.Reacting to the flop.Checking cards multiple times.Raising too fast, too slow......Counting chips - ready to raise out of turn...etc.....

Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest Anonymous
I'm playing in a game next week where most of the players only know what they know from TV.  I play a decent amount, online and B & M.  What tells do you all think that amateurs show the most?  Thanks for the input.Reacting to the flop.Checking cards multiple times.Raising too fast, too slow......Counting chips - ready to raise out of turn...etc.....
Glancing down at their chips after the flop,turn or river seems to be a big one.Also, if a talkative person suddenly shuts up....
Link to post
Share on other sites

Theres this fat ass kid in a home game I play, and whenever he gets a big hand, I can see his pulse going crazy in his neck. Don't ask me how I can see it through all his jibba jabble neck fat, but its saved me a few times :club:

Link to post
Share on other sites
Physical tells are overrated, pay more attention to their betting patterns.
I disagree when playing newbies. Alot of time you can't pick out a pattern, because there IS no pattern. A newb will not be aware of shaking hands, where hes looking, his demeanor... I find that when playing people without a clue... physical tells >>>>>> trying to pick out any pattern from their all-over bets.
Link to post
Share on other sites
I've seen hands shake even when they have a monster.  Don't put too much credence into hands shaking.
That's what hand shaking is supposed to mean: a big hand.However, I saw some guy at a 1/2 game whose hands shook four hands in a row. I figured he just wasn't used to playing with real money.
Link to post
Share on other sites

As DC mentioned, the shaking hands can be a strong sign of a monster hand . . .A few more I can think of (these assume relatively inexperienced players that don't know how to 'fake' these tells):1. Posture - someone that make a big bet, then leans back relaxed has the goods2. Strong is weak - someone that leans forward, maintains eye contact trying to intimidate you out of the pot. If he has the goods, he WANTS you in the hand and wouldn't be trying to intimidate.3. When three to a flush hits the board, someone that immediately glances again at their cards are checking the suit - this usually indicates that they do not have the made flush yet, but may have a draw to a four flush. http://www.playwinningpoker.com/articles/03/10.htmlDev

Link to post
Share on other sites

usually if they slam their chips when the bet its a tell that they are weak. theyre trying to intimidate you. where as if they slide their chips into the middle their trying not to catch your attention. they usually have a monster when they do this.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I like asking people questions to see how they respond."Wow, did you really make your flush?"If they look straight at me and don't move they are bluffing. If they look down, to the side, anything but at me then I usually take that as strength. I also watch how people put their chips in the pot. You would be surprised that some people will put their chips in the pot differently when they are strong/weak/drawing etc. Usually people that throws their chips forcefully into the pot or at somebody means weakness. My favorite tell is when somebody stacks their chips very "quietly" and then slowly inches their chips into the pot. That shows major strength and I get out of dodge.Some people also will do different things with their cards depending on the strength of their hand. I notice a lot of amatuers will shuffle their cards back and forth on top of each other when on a drawing hand but when they hold a solid starting hand they either cap their cards or hold them in their hand.You have to pick up on the subtle things.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I've seen hand shaking on a bluff before, too...so I don't trust it too much.If they are new players, watch which chips they bet with. If they make a bet with the big chips (100) they most likely have a hand. If they stack a bunch of small chips (5, 10) they are probably drawing.

Link to post
Share on other sites
I've seen hands shake even when they have a monster.  Don't put too much credence into hands shaking.
That's what hand shaking is supposed to mean: a big hand.However, I saw some guy at a 1/2 game whose hands shook four hands in a row. I figured he just wasn't used to playing with real money.
That's more what I meant. The hand could be shaking b/c of a bluff. Don't put stock in that stuff. Use known knowledge. Hands shown and how they bet them. Sometimes, if I know someone is watching, I'll do little stuff to give away tells. Reach for chips, but have no intention of betting. Counting out raise amounts. Mixing it up in general. If someone has obvious tells, they could be setting you up. I do all of this when I'm not drinking and playing. Usually, I'm just looking for a waitress.
Link to post
Share on other sites
Physical tells are overrated, pay more attention to their betting patterns.
No, no, no.Ignore this advice. Big, no offense but this is one of the worst statements I've ever heard.Watch how they bet. If they are new, they probably don't pay attention to the way the bet. Sometimes they will TOSS their chips into the middle and splash the pot, other times they will carefully count their chips out in front of them in neat stacks. Pay attention to what each of those mean.Looking at the board and their cards. If they stare at them, they are weak. When they divert their attention they are strong.They won't try to do ANYTHING intimidating when they have a big hand. No staring, no forward posture, no aggressiveness in their demeanor.Reach for your chips a few times when it is your turn and count them out beside you, but watch them while you do it. They will never look you straight in the eye, so don't worry about being caught. They will either be staring at your hand and the chips (weakness) or looking in another direction (strength). This is a very reliable tell.Get them talking. Comfortable talkers like their hands. That doesn't necessarily mean that they have monsters, it just means that they like their hands.The same goes for weakness. Just because they are weak doesn't mean they have NOTHING, they might have a hand that is still better than yours.Pay attention to the hands they like and dislike. Some people LOVE top pair, any top pair, and they will show it. So don't be afraid if you have bottom two and they are getting excited, they don't HAVE to have a set in that spot.
Link to post
Share on other sites

If they get a really big smile and push their chips in and pull the neck of their shirt up around their face and can't control their excitement, they probably have Aces. Don't laugh, I saw this happen twice in a 1/2NL cash game at the WSOP. The kid said he even played in the $1500 event. Its amazing how horrible poker play has gotten for 90% of the population.

Link to post
Share on other sites

i like to watch the hands. esp to see what people do with thier cards when the look at em preflop. ive noticed that some players will protect strong hole cards by pulling them close to themselves. also, some very weak players will immediately look away from the action/table when they hit a monster flop, or when the have great hole cards.

Link to post
Share on other sites
hand to face / mouth when bluffing
can or cannot mean bluffing. there is scientific evidence to both support and desupport this. the thing is lots of good players do this all the time. so beware of this one as a bluff.
Link to post
Share on other sites

No tell is a sure thing, whether its physical or betting pattern or what not, it's just added information.You can be sure though, if an experienced player's hand is shaking, he either has a monster or is faking a shake. I'm a very calm guy, and don't get excited at the table by much, but if I've flopped the immortal nuts, my hand will start to shake and it takes some effort to stop it from doing so.I agree that betting patterns are an important part of the reading process, but only if the bettor has a clue (even a small clue) as to what they are supposed to be doing. A completely clueless player will generally not have a pattern, and will be betting if they feel like it and not betting if they don't feel like it.Without observing their physical mannerisms, you'll have no idea whether they feel like betting and are betting, feel like betting and are not betting, do not feel like betting and are betting or do not feel like betting and are not betting -- then they have effectively, though inadvertantly randomized their actions to the point where it neutralizes some of your skill.Monty

Link to post
Share on other sites

One I learned from on here that is true 90% of the time in the games I play...When a noob has a big hand, they will bet with their high denomination chips. When they are weak and/or bluffing, they will splash around a bunch of their lower denom. chips.

Link to post
Share on other sites

if you're looking for physical tells and how to exploit them, buy Caro's book, plain and simple. Most useful tell I picked up from it is if someone bets into you, and gives a kind of smirk then looks away when you're staring them down, they're usually weak.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...