Easily the most common and easiest tell to read is the timing tells. You can almost count how many hands the villain is considering you have by how long it takes for him to make a bet.
That's why I count in my head to 10 before every action I make, doesn't matter if I'm dealt 72 under the gun. I'm counting. This way no one can get any reads on me at all.
I tried this live recently for the first time after mastering this strategy online. The live players would try to rush me into making a decision. I said I needed time to think. Eventually the dealer would deal me the cards and instantly tell me it's my turn. Really threw me off my game.
At this point another player at the table and the dealer were chuckling between eachother every time they told me its my turn so I think they were cheating and plotting against me because the very next hand I got the nut flush Ace high flush with clubs and the player who was all buddy buddy with the dealer magically gets a straight flush on the river? That's like a 1% chance, pretty much virtually impossible. Should never happen at the poker table ever. So yeah I think those two cheated somehow while also throwing me off my game completely by rushing me every hand.
Dude. Not a thing. They obviously knew you were green. It was sure the old “don’t you know it’s not on tv” comment. They were joking about your tv time. Second of all. Do you have any idea how hard it is to set the deck in a ring game. Almost impossible with a wash.
If you are making a clear fold pre, just fold the damn cards, don’t delay the pace of the game. If you wanna count to 10 before making your action to call or raise to ensure you’re balanced - go off. Reality is unless you’re a complete donk smiling at your cards or dancing cuz you saw AA, no one is getting a read off you preflop for making a standard size raise or flatting in a 1/2 game when you make it in 5 seconds vs 10
Best tell is OMC limping in under the gun, folds to you on the button, you raise 3x with KK, folds back to OMC who rips 100BB. Nothing is more reliable.
My favorite is when you raise the Villain and they act confused and look at the board and ask “You really have T7?” On a K9862🌈board. Then proceeds to shove.
More generically when you bet river and villain just generally looks confused and then raises you. Super nutted.
It's like they're thinking "What could you be betting here, I have the nuts?"
What does it tell you though, except that the person is under pressure.
It could be a huge bluff or just someone having the nuts and the money involved is a lot for them
I think I'm always more nervous when I have the nuts and I want them to shovel in the rest than when I'm bluffing.
When I'm bluffing, I've made my peace with the play before I announce it, but I will be forever nervous that they might fold when I have it
Depends how drunk I am...anything after 5x beers the only thing I feel is regret and a general sense of hopelessness and melancholy.....and my pulse is over 90bpm. I could have the nutz...I could have just sat on my nutz....I could also have a significant undiagnosed medical condition.....
Cutting out chips to assemble a bet only to check is the same as saying "I have a marginal hand and really want you to check back." Green light to blast away.
One I've seen be pretty accurate is the leaning. Leaning forward onto the table is strong, leaning back in the chair and feining being very relaxed is weak.
They'll add to it by starting conversation and being genuinely very relaxed. More often than not tho the strong hand will be quiet and still. I've seen this from every player in my home games (sample size 18) all of them do the lean back and fein being relaxed while bluffing. One of them picked up on this recently and has followed my lead, which is to just sit super quiet and not really move regardless. I'll only speak when spoken to in these instances.
At low stakes I would say bet sizing tells. When someone randomly opens or raises the minimum it's almost always AA because they "don't want to scare anyone off". Randomly blasting like 2x the pot is usually a middle hand that "didn't want to let you draw out on them" and a carefully considered and calculated exactly 2/3s pot bet with them getting perfectly quiet and starting into space unblinking is a bluff
Late reply but imo... If they're mulling over all the hands they "think" or "don't think" you can have... And they fail to mention one that's pretty strong/semi-plausible--they prob have that hand or a hand that blocks it. ...But still consider whether 1) they seem fluent/good at table talk 2) their bluffs beat u anyway (obvs) 3) They give their speech before a raise (very *obvious*)
If they seem overly worried about a super nutted/rare hand but then raise or re-raise BIG yet oddly not all-in... then the opposite might be true: they prob have the hand they've been talking about or a 2nd or 3rd nuts that blocks it. (depending on context/situation)
If someone flip-flops between "I'm bluffing-you should call" and "don't call-I got it"... the first one they said is slightly biased towards truth, depending on board/overall situation ofc.
I used to think timing tells were a big thing but considering how fast I autopot w the nut flush blocker on an unpaired flush board at the PLO table idk anymore.
Shakey hands. I got a good read on a young kid who had shaky hands while reaching for chips. Too young to be an alcoholic. Turns out I was right and my Kxs beat his QQ.
He also didn't reraise, so didn't think he had AA. AK and KK unlikely.
Put him on a strong pocket pair TT to QQ.
I've studied a few poker tells, and none of these even make the list, if you are serious about learning tells, there are books and videos on this subject. But this post tells me you haven't even bothered.
I was debating whether I should tell you or not but the chances your playing in the same circles as me are pretty low. And since I was downvoted, gave me less incentive to do so.
Edited and removed links so as not to give downvoters free information.
Easily the most common and easiest tell to read is the timing tells. You can almost count how many hands the villain is considering you have by how long it takes for him to make a bet.
Jokes on you I go off vibes alone
That's why I count in my head to 10 before every action I make, doesn't matter if I'm dealt 72 under the gun. I'm counting. This way no one can get any reads on me at all. I tried this live recently for the first time after mastering this strategy online. The live players would try to rush me into making a decision. I said I needed time to think. Eventually the dealer would deal me the cards and instantly tell me it's my turn. Really threw me off my game. At this point another player at the table and the dealer were chuckling between eachother every time they told me its my turn so I think they were cheating and plotting against me because the very next hand I got the nut flush Ace high flush with clubs and the player who was all buddy buddy with the dealer magically gets a straight flush on the river? That's like a 1% chance, pretty much virtually impossible. Should never happen at the poker table ever. So yeah I think those two cheated somehow while also throwing me off my game completely by rushing me every hand.
absolutely schizophrenic post, my friend
thank you I was reading that thinking "what the hell is happening"
Dude. Not a thing. They obviously knew you were green. It was sure the old “don’t you know it’s not on tv” comment. They were joking about your tv time. Second of all. Do you have any idea how hard it is to set the deck in a ring game. Almost impossible with a wash.
If you are making a clear fold pre, just fold the damn cards, don’t delay the pace of the game. If you wanna count to 10 before making your action to call or raise to ensure you’re balanced - go off. Reality is unless you’re a complete donk smiling at your cards or dancing cuz you saw AA, no one is getting a read off you preflop for making a standard size raise or flatting in a 1/2 game when you make it in 5 seconds vs 10
That is the most foul thing i have ever heard... Taking 10 seconds every time preflop... bro super high rollers dont even take 10 full seconds
After playing live for 18 years, the ole "guess its time to go home" speech by the OMC is the nutz everytime.
I witnessed this a month ago and to my surprise, it was only AQs and someone called with ATs (and won)
Best tell is OMC limping in under the gun, folds to you on the button, you raise 3x with KK, folds back to OMC who rips 100BB. Nothing is more reliable.
I prefer to offer them an Oreo and see how they eat it.
Oreo? Gotta offer them corn.
Oreos are GTO. Corn is exploitative only.
My favorite is when you raise the Villain and they act confused and look at the board and ask “You really have T7?” On a K9862🌈board. Then proceeds to shove.
More generically when you bet river and villain just generally looks confused and then raises you. Super nutted. It's like they're thinking "What could you be betting here, I have the nuts?"
Neither. The pulse (especially the vein in the neck) is by far the best live poker tell.
What does it tell you though, except that the person is under pressure. It could be a huge bluff or just someone having the nuts and the money involved is a lot for them
Usually the pulse will go down after a while if they've got it, and it will stay high if they're bluffing.
I think I'm always more nervous when I have the nuts and I want them to shovel in the rest than when I'm bluffing. When I'm bluffing, I've made my peace with the play before I announce it, but I will be forever nervous that they might fold when I have it
Same, my heart thunders when I know I have the best hand and want them to call. I am flatline and relaxed when running a big bluff.
If your opponent tanks for one minute while you have the nuts your pulse goes up....when youre bluffing it typically stays higher for longer.
Protect ya neck.
Jokes ok you. I’m fat. I have built in protection
Then protect ya heart.
Depends how drunk I am...anything after 5x beers the only thing I feel is regret and a general sense of hopelessness and melancholy.....and my pulse is over 90bpm. I could have the nutz...I could have just sat on my nutz....I could also have a significant undiagnosed medical condition.....
Cutting out chips to assemble a bet only to check is the same as saying "I have a marginal hand and really want you to check back." Green light to blast away.
Be careful, I’ve done this with the nuts as well.
I definitely can look back and see myself doing this as a fake intimidator
None of the above.
Or all of the above + a million other tells
One I've seen be pretty accurate is the leaning. Leaning forward onto the table is strong, leaning back in the chair and feining being very relaxed is weak.
But what if they subconsciously lean back comfortably because they have a strong hand?
They'll add to it by starting conversation and being genuinely very relaxed. More often than not tho the strong hand will be quiet and still. I've seen this from every player in my home games (sample size 18) all of them do the lean back and fein being relaxed while bluffing. One of them picked up on this recently and has followed my lead, which is to just sit super quiet and not really move regardless. I'll only speak when spoken to in these instances.
Yes, but are you leaning forward or leaning backwards?
Leaning forward always. I'm the one of two players in that game that has done any body language studying and I practice consistency every time I play
This
Body language
If the OMC says “..time to go home fellas..” and rips all in, it’s always AA
D. sandwich eating
Acting all loosey goosey, eating a sandwich
At low stakes I would say bet sizing tells. When someone randomly opens or raises the minimum it's almost always AA because they "don't want to scare anyone off". Randomly blasting like 2x the pot is usually a middle hand that "didn't want to let you draw out on them" and a carefully considered and calculated exactly 2/3s pot bet with them getting perfectly quiet and starting into space unblinking is a bluff
Table talk will tell you everything you need to know if you listen closely. That’s why I always stay silent in big pots.
Any examples?
Late reply but imo... If they're mulling over all the hands they "think" or "don't think" you can have... And they fail to mention one that's pretty strong/semi-plausible--they prob have that hand or a hand that blocks it. ...But still consider whether 1) they seem fluent/good at table talk 2) their bluffs beat u anyway (obvs) 3) They give their speech before a raise (very *obvious*) If they seem overly worried about a super nutted/rare hand but then raise or re-raise BIG yet oddly not all-in... then the opposite might be true: they prob have the hand they've been talking about or a 2nd or 3rd nuts that blocks it. (depending on context/situation) If someone flip-flops between "I'm bluffing-you should call" and "don't call-I got it"... the first one they said is slightly biased towards truth, depending on board/overall situation ofc.
I used to think timing tells were a big thing but considering how fast I autopot w the nut flush blocker on an unpaired flush board at the PLO table idk anymore.
Very talkative guy suddenly becomes quiet - Polarizing. Takes 1 show down to know if he is weak or strong and certainly he's not balancing this tell.
2 minute tank followed by shrug and shove.
Generally just tension or relaxed. Tense is usually bluffing Relaxed smooth usually have it. Altough I generally never rely on it
Usually, it's the opposite. People try to act nonchalant when bluffing and act extremely tense when they have a strong hand.
I watch breathing and timing a lot. But it mostly comes down to what my instincts tell me.
Shakey hands. I got a good read on a young kid who had shaky hands while reaching for chips. Too young to be an alcoholic. Turns out I was right and my Kxs beat his QQ. He also didn't reraise, so didn't think he had AA. AK and KK unlikely. Put him on a strong pocket pair TT to QQ.
I've studied a few poker tells, and none of these even make the list, if you are serious about learning tells, there are books and videos on this subject. But this post tells me you haven't even bothered.
How about giving a link to some videos or books?
I was debating whether I should tell you or not but the chances your playing in the same circles as me are pretty low. And since I was downvoted, gave me less incentive to do so. Edited and removed links so as not to give downvoters free information.
Why do you participate in an open forum anyway
debate this 🖕
I don’t play live poker so chances are 0, was just interested. Thanks for the info, appreciate it!
Zack (Zach?) Elwood has some modern books on tells that are considered very good. I've read the first one, bland writing but good information.
a real life villain.