When you take a seat at the poker table, the dealer will reveal some of the cards, but the other players could reveal a lot more. Tells are body language and actions a player makes when they have a good or bad hand. If you can identify tells that give away another player’s hand, it will give you an edge at the table. As the saying goes, if you look around the poker table and don't see the sucker, you're probably it.
Here are five of the most common tells to look for when you’re playing in a poker tournament or having fun during a poker night with friends.
Poker Tell #1: Hesitation Before a Bet
When a player hesitates before a bet it’s a good indicator they have a good hand. Hesitation shows that the player is considering their odds. They have something in their hand that could get better.
Another reason for the hesitation is players with a strong hand often want to seem weaker so that more players continue contributing to the pot. Look out for this when a player makes a “difficult” decision before raising.
Poker Tell #2: Quick Calls
The opposite is true for weak hands. Players that are trying to pull off a bluff tend to bet quickly. They do so for two reasons. First and foremost, they want to appear confident. Second, they want to give away as little as possible because pulling off a bluff isn’t easy.
Immediate calls also indicate a player has a weak hand or one that isn’t necessarily strong. They know they want to stay in the game, but they don’t want to put much on the line.
Poker Tell #3: Eye Contact . . . or Lack Thereof
When a player stares down the other people at the table they are trying to intimidate. Often this translates into someone that’s trying to win with a weak hand. A rule of thumb in poker is that a show of strength is usually a tell for weakness.
However, novice players will often avoid eye contact in an effort to conceal their thoughts and emotions. When this is the case it could mean they have a really good hand or they’re trying to pull off a bluff and don’t want to give anything away.
Poker Tell #4: Sitting Up Straighter
Perking up when something good happens is a natural reaction for most people. If a player sits up a little straighter after seeing the cards they were dealt, the flop or the river it’s a sign that they like what they see.
However, there is an exception. If a player is rigid throughout play, but then suddenly sits back before or just after a bet it shows a release of tension. The bigger the pot is the more likely they are to have a strong hand they think is sure to win.
Poker Tell #5: Impatience
Players that are suddenly eager to get the game moving usually have a strong hand and want to get their hands on the pot. This is particularly true if a player has been folding and hasn’t won many hands. Some people will even get irate if things aren’t moving along fast enough or other players are folding.
At a Casino Knights Inc. casino party you don’t have to worry about costly tells because it’s all about having fun! We can help companies, non-profits and individuals throw epic poker nights that encourage everyone to get in on the action.
Original Source: https://casinoknightsinc.com/casino-101/top-5-tells-poker/
