Poker Tells

A Poker Tell is any physical reaction, behavior, or habit that gives you information about your opponent’s hand.   There are some very common poker tells that you should be aware of.  Being able to spot these tells will help you make good decisions at the poker table and put yourself in position to win more money. 

Also, by knowing what these common poker tells are, you can avoid giving them off yourself!  

The majority of players give off tells in the following manner – they act as if they have a strong hand when they actually have a weak hand.  They act as if they have a weak hand when they actually have a strong hand.

Online Poker Tells

A quick bet is a sign of weakness.

A delayed action is a sign of strength.  When an opponent thinks for a long time and then bets, they will usually be holding a strong hand.

If you have played in an online casino before, you may have noticed how they make it easy to act when it is your turn.  This is done through the use of check boxes – “check” “fold” “raise”, or “call”.

You can tell when a player has used a check box, because they act almost immediately after the player in front of them has acted.  

Use this to your advantage.

When a player has checked “raise” it should be obvious to you that they have a strong hand.

If a player uses the check box to “check” then you can probably conclude that your opponents hand is weak.

If a player uses the check box to “call”, a good assumption is that your opponent has a drawing hand.

The use of a checkbox is a good poker tell because the player has already made a decision on what they are going to do before even seeing what the other have done.

Remember to pay close attention to how your opponents act and you will be able to spot their own individual poker tells.

Poker Tells 

When you first sit down at a table, study the way the players stack their chips. Although it is a generalization, loose aggressive players typically maintain sloppy stacks, while tight conservative players keep neat stacks. 

Poker Tells your opponent gives off when they have a good hand. 

• They act disinterested in a hand that they are playing in.
  Here they are trying to trick you into thinking they are not happy about their cards.

• Shaking Hands when placing a bet
  Oftentimes players’ hands shake when they have an excellent hand.

• Sighing and Shrugging
  This is typically a sure sign that your opponent is putting on an act of weakness when they have a strong hand.

• Glancing at Chips After Looking at Hole Cards
  This is a sign that your opponent is planning a bet.

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Poker Tells your opponent gives off when they have a weak or a drawing hand 

• Staring
  If an opponent tries to stare you down they are trying to act as if they have a strong hand.

• Holding Breath
  Often, inexperienced players will hold their breath if they are bluffing.

• They Check Their Hole Cards After the Flop
  If the flop shows a possible flush or straight, an opponent that checks or re-checks their hole cards is looking to see if they have hit a flush or straight.  If they did hit a flush or straight they would know it and not need to check.

• Taking a Long Time Before Calling a Bet
  If a player looks into the pot and seems to be running through some calculations they are most likely figuring out the pot odds to see if it’s worth trying to complete their hand.

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Remember, by knowing what these common poker tells are, you can avoid giving them off yourself!