Tells?

In my few years of playing I can honestly say the only tells i play off of are betting patterns.

I play live games quite often and the people who play, play every hand alike. Their hands don't shake, they dont laugh, they dont smile, they dont breath. Just look.

Now i have read Mike Caro's book which i think is shit and it cost me a lot of money trying to use those bs tells but anyway, the way a person bets is the only surefire tell i know of.

If you did have a crazy tell on somoene beside their betting pattern, post it here and tell us how you found it out.

This one guy rubbed his face everytime he bluffed which was often. A guy next to me told me at the outset of the game. It was pretty funny.

if my mate has the nuts he always hesitates with his bet in an attempt to show weakness.. picks up some chips, fiddles with them for a moment then puts them back down.. thinks then bets.

It's easier to pick up tells when u play with the same people on a consistant basis. but one tell i find pretty universal is on an all in, if they stare at the table, and refuse to look at you, they're bluffing.

I've only seen 1 tell except betting patterns...it was so obvious it was funny. I told him, and it just made it worse. His eye would twitch when he had a good pf hand. Like a little muscle spasm that would go through his face. It was fascinating. And when I told him (it was a friendly home game) it got even worse. Poor guy.

I personally can't make tells worth sh*t... I also do play with the same people everyday, but I just can't do it haha... then again I am only 17... any hope for me?

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Originally Posted by AcesInTheHole

I personally can't make tells worth sh*t... I also do play with the same people everyday, but I just can't do it haha... then again I am only 17... any hope for me?

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Yes, there is. I have a difficult time reading other players as well. However, I believe that if you continue to gain experience in live games (and focus intently on what is going on - when in the hand OR out), you will learn a great deal about the psychology of the game. From here you will start to notice all kinds of behavioral patterns in the other players - eventually leading to valuable tells. Basically what I'm saying is that I think it comes with experience.

If you are playing in a game where people are just sitting silent, staring straight ahead and not saying anything, than I'm sure betting patterns are your best bet.

The best games to pick up these kinds of tells are games that are friendly, loose games where people are talking and there just to play and have a good time.


Finding tells takes awhile, experience is definitely what one needs. Like with everything in poker, books help but you need to be there. No tell is sure fire. You really just have to note actions and go off of your gut. Don't try to change your mind. Go off of the first instinct you have, its usually the best.




One friend of mine used to always accuse his opponent of having the hand he had if it was good.

Hesitating is a HUGE tell. Just note when someone hesitated to bet, or if they almost bet but decided not to. Also make sure they aren't doing that just to screw with you. This is why paying attention when you aren't playing is important.

Caros book has given me a few good tells to look for in inexperienced players. Good players don't tend to have those tells.

One good one is somebody acting intimidating. A friend of mine put me all-in, leaned forward and stared straight into my eyes as I agonized over the decision. As soon as I realized this, I called with middle pair and of course he was bluffing.

Some tells are incredibly obvious. Once I was at a Casino playing limit 2/4 with an entire table full of VERY lose players. One young guy was just relaxing as the flop came 4c 4s As. Suddenly he straightened up, leaned forward comfortably on the table and "calmly" checked. I put him on A4 with a full house, I was wrong. He ended up with quad 4's.

I would say don't worry to much about it, becuase it definitely comes with experience and even some form of god given talent I suppose. Tells like this aren't THAT important to the game. Just be sure to hide your own tells again experienced players.

good luck!