Basic Tells

Okay, so I've decided to give away a few of the tells I've discovered frequently pop up at the tables. Some of these are pretty obvious, and most of you may know them already, but for those of you that don't... well here they are. In order to get a good read on someone, many people believe that you first have to see said player show their hand at a showdown; this isn't always the case. Having them show their holdings is a good way to be SURE of a tell you may have discovered, but often times your gut instinct is right - go with it. If someone looks weak, they probably are... that being said if they look REALLY weak, they're probably putting on an act and are in fact really strong. The same can be said for the opposite - if they're acting strong, tough, and talking a lot, chances are they're bluffing (which is a characteristic of a donkey, mentioned in my 1st and 2nd posts). Anyhow, here's a short/basic list of tells that work well when you're first starting out.

1. Watch a player look at their cards. Often times, when they're rather happy or excited about a potentially big hand (AA, KK, AK, AQ, etc.) they, subconsciously, lift their left hand and touch the left side of their head (their neck, the back or their head, etc.) This can be a scratching motion, pushing their hair back, whatever.

2. If you're unsure of your whether an opponent has you beat or not, ask them if they'll show you their cards if you fold to them. If they instantly respond "yes", chances are they're on a bluff. If they say no, they usually have a good hand. If they don't respond, chances are, again, that they're bluffing. This can be tricky with more experienced players, as many of them will either try to disguise their hand by getting into a discussion, or by not speaking - either of which can mean any number of things about their hands. Use this one at your own discretion.

3. Watch your opponents when the flop, turn, and river come down. If they lean in, ever so slightly, chances are they flopped, turned, or rivered some sort of draw. When a player is looking for another card to come down, they're drawing. Getting them off their hands can be tricky, because many players seem to like chasing their draws nowadays, but it can be done with the correct level of aggression.

Okay, I went on for a bit longer than I had expected to, so I'll continue this post next time. More tells/tips to come!

Nick