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The Art of Reading Poker Tells – I

Much is written about how to play the game of poker, and that is all well and good. But the game of poker is not just the table, the cards, the chips and enough players (and enough money) to make it interesting. If we really want to define the game, it is one of, yes, odds and probabilities, but more so the psychological counter-play between players. In fact, most professional players give great weight to this aspect of the game. In my next few blogs I would like to talk a little about poker tells – both live and online.

In my opinion, it is crucial to be able to assess your opponents for indications of what cards they may be holding; and body language (called “tells” in poker) is as important as the mathematical calculation involved in a poker hand. By the same measure, it is important to identify not only your opponents’ tells but your own, and to be able to subdue or use your own tells to confuse your opponents.

In this picture you can see me covering my face to hide any tells in the neck area, a very vulnerable place for tells which I will cover in a future blog. Reading tells is one weapon among the many in your poker game arsenal that you will use against your opponents.

According to former FBI agent Joe Navarro, who now often teaches poker seminars on body language based on his book, What Every Body Is Saying, the non-verbal tells that you gather from watching players can be vital to your game.

In one of his interviews, Navarro gives this example of using body language to make a decision at the table: A player in a cash game pushed all his chips into the center of the table. His opponent had to make a big decision. The first player reclined in his chair after making the move. “I’m thinking it’s clear this guy’s got the nuts,” says Navarro. “He’s all in and he’s all spread out. His legs are open. His arm is splayed across two chairs. It’s what we call a ‘territorial display.’ It’s what we do when we’re strong. And still, the other guy is struggling whether to call (the all-in bet). I can’t believe I’m watching this. Why would you call? All the information is right there in front of you.”

Clearly Navarro puts much stock in reading the body language of other players. “I’ve had many professional players in my classes, and they sit there with an interest you would not normally expect to see,” Navarro said. “They are pros, so you think they would already know everything they need to know. But they are aware that any small edge to a poker player can be invaluable.”

But remember, watching for poker tells is not a one-time gambit. It is a process of learning how to use information that you gather from playing with a certain player along with assessing the circumstances in which you detect the tells. You must be able to pick up on this player’s type of play, his personality, his mood, and all of the other variables and be able to process this information to your advantage. Poker tells are not the be-all and end-all of your poker career, but to ignore them would be sheer foolishness.

It is advisable (if you want to get as much information as possible from your opponents) to look at each player as his turn comes up before looking at your own cards. Look at your cards when it is your turn or you may lose some valuable information about the other players.

So, knowing how important a poker tell is, it is essential to define what it entails. The simple definition is that a tell is essentially anything that gives away the strength (or weakness) of an opponent’s hand.  But because the definition is simple does not mean that it doesn’t deserve some extensive examination. Tells can take on a myriad of forms. It is not just the obvious facial tick or rubbing of the chin. Poker tells involve a great deal more.

The seasoned poker player will begin to notice tells even before he sits down at the table. For instance, what is the posture of the players? How are there chips stacked? Are they eating and drinking at the table? Are they loud, quiet, defiant, submissive, etc.? By the time this player takes his seat at the table, he will have already begun to assess the play of his opponents. The more information he gathers, the more tools he has in his toolbox.

Poker tells will involve more than just body language, although this aspect of poker tells is probably the most evident. Tells can be revealed by silence, or incessant chatter; quick play or slow play; big bets or small bets; calling or raising; and more. Coincidentally, it is these last types of tells that give you an advantage over your opponent in online play.

Check back for future blogs which will outline for you some physical tells, betting tells, chip-handling tells and more.