Being able to read your opponent can seriously improve your game. This ability could help you win hands normally you would just fold. If a player realizes that you are good at reading tells he will not be able to play at his best against you. These are tips that any serious poker player should learn and master.
First a tell is just a physical reaction or behavior an opponent unconsciously displays. These are very common tells and you might be guilty of some of them yourself. You really should start paying attention to some of your own behavior while playing. It won’t help to spot other players tells if you can’t control your own.
Something you should start practicing is to look at and memorize your hole cards as soon as their dealt to you. This will give you a great opportunity to watch your opponents look at their cards and gage their reactions. This is when alot of tells are evident. You will be looking for facial expressions as they look at their cards. One way to practice this is by watching Poker After Dark with the sound turned off. Watch the players reaction to the cards they are dealt. Even the pros can’t hide tells all the time.
Acting uninterested in a hand they are still involved in is a very common tell. This is a sign of a strong hand. If they continue betting and raising with their hand, pay attention to this.
If someone has very strong hole cards or has made the nuts later in the hand, you are likely to see their chest moving up and down rapidly. Watch their hands, trembling hands are tell most people aren’t aware of.
There are just as many tells when players have weak hands. Players with a weak hand trying to bluff will stare you down to represent strength. Inexperienced players will often times hold their breath when they don’t have the goods.
When taking a long time calling a bet a player usually is calculating the pots odds. They have a drawing hand and need the right pot odds to try and make their hand. Checking hole cards after the flop is a big tip off that they don’t have a flush but they are trying to draw to one.
It can take a long time to master these tells.Once you have you will be able to better read opponents and even use reverse tells against them.
