To the uninitiated the world of poker may seem like a sprawling entanglement of jargon and people with ‘dark’, ‘mysterious’ powers who are endowed with the ability to take the novice player’s money.
However, there is light at the end of this daunting tunnel, even a novice player’s performance can be improved ten-fold by the ability to recognise simple ‘tells’.
Tells are a physical reaction, or an involuntary habit which can give you some bearing of another players hand, if you are only willing become a little more observant.
Essentially pokers tells can be simplified into those which hint at a player having a good or bad hand.
Typical tells for a good hand might include:
Faking disinterest: If a player is acting peculiarly nonchalant about a hand, yet is still staying in, in could be a sign they are in possession of a good hand.
Sighing: This is example of a classic tell, an attempt on the player’s behalf to employ some acting into their arsenal, in theatric attempt to throw you off the trail.
Rapid breathing or shaking: Some people can’t contain their excitement when faced with the oddity of a great hand. If you notice an opponent looking rather more excited than usual, this is a classic indication of a good hand.
Conversely people’s actions can be a tell-tale of a bad hand, such tells might include:
Holding of breath: Some people can be so anxious over the twists and turns of a hand that they can literally forget to exhale, it is not unheard of for novices to hold their breath when attempting to bluff.
Staring down players: This is classic psychological warfare employed in many sports, but such a display is more a shallow intimidation tactic than a show of genuine strength in the realms of poker, an attempt to stare down another player could be the indication of a bad hand.
You don’t have to be Sigmund Freud but with the employment of a small amount of psychology and a little observation, you can up quickly start to improve your poker.
And remember, none of the above are steadfast rules, the key to becoming a great poker player is learning to make judgement calls on people’s tells based on individual merit.
