Tells

[BalugaWhale]

Well, since I posted two hands tonight that got no responses [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

When i am back home (which I am currently not), I play in a lot of home games. These range from 25 to 100 dollar buy-in games, so theres plenty of money on the table and the action good. There is a typical gang of sharks, fish, wanna-be TAGs, actual TAGs, etc. Seeing as I've played 20k hands between the last time I played against them and now, I look forward to playing again.

however, I don't often play live, and when I do I feel that picking up tells is the weakest part of my game.

So here are my questions:
1) What tells do you use regularly?
2) How do you mask your own tells? (i.e. neck pulse, nervousness)
3) What kinds of tells have you found online?


I'll start it off with a good one a friend told me once. With the inexperienced player (or one who doesn't know this information), yes means no. So, if you ask him "how do you like your hand?" and he says "pretty good" , he is probably weak. If he says, "nah it's terrible" he is probably strong. I've found this to be effective.

What say ye, gentlemen?

[Khaos4k]

The most obvious and usually accurate one that I've found is the shaky hands. As your opponent is reaching down for his stack, and putting chips into the pot, watch his hands. If they're shaking, it's likely that he just hit a monster.

[Spade_K]

1) Mike Caro University explains the art of observing tells very well. I recommend that you consult this website, MCU.

2) I mask my tells by harnessing all of my emotions when I play.

3) As regards online tells, I have noticed that min-bets smack of drawing/weak hands. Also, odd bets, such as $1.63, smack of extreme strength or extreme weakness.

[Garon]

Hi BalugaWhale,

[ QUOTE ]
Well, since I posted two hands tonight that got no responses

[/ QUOTE ]

I just answered both, was busy watching TV earlier and just got here and had a multitude of posts to wade through!

Tells - for most people weak means strong and strong means weak so you're friends advice is usually good. Mike Caro's Book of Tells is excellent in showing via pictures a bunch of good tells. Some of the more obvious ones ... staring at the flop means they missed it. Quickly looking away means they hit it. Glancing down at either their chips or your chips means they hit it good and plan on betting. You have to be watching your opponents and not the flop to see these.

How I mask my own tells when in Vegas - I go with a long beard so they can't see my neck. I wear a thick leather jacket so they can't see my breathing rate (I'm a thin guy). I wear extremely dark sunglasses so they can't see my eyes or where I am really looking. I also wear a baseball type cap pulled low to further hide my eyes/face. I sit motionless and don't engage in any conversation when in a hand, and look like I am just staring at the pot the whole hand (though behind my sunglasses I am checking out villain).

Online tells - how fast or slow they check/bet/raise. Table talk. Of course betting patterns and bet sizes. Find out what street each villain likes to bet. Some will wait one street after they hit their hand to bet, others will bet when they hit it.

Garon

[andaval]

In my experience, betting patterns are the best tell by an order of magnitude. Look for people who vary preflop raises or flop bet sizes, see what gets showdown, remember. For example, one guy I know tends to bet weak (~1/2 pot)with a draw or sometimes with a monster, a pot-size bet typically means an ok hand (2nd pair, TPWK) where he wants to know where he is at, and overbets mean bluff or nuts, depending a little on board texture. So a pot-size bet on the flop means reraise big with any two as often as you think you can get away with it without him catching on.

Shaking hands often do mean a monster, beware the speech (lot of undecided talking followed by an all-in). If they really suck, then you can look for really weak player tells (none of these are at my home game) --
leans back in chair/away from table -- trying to appear non-threatening -- they are strong.
in your face/betting physically aggressively (slamming chips down, splashing the pot), even towards you at the table -- they are weak.
quick calls -- usually a draw.

[Pokey]

I've got to reiterate the Caro's Book of Tells as the bible on this subject. It's worth reading. A few key points:

1. Weak is strong, strong is weak. If someone is acting like they're a superpower, they're full of crap. If someone is acting like a mouse, fear them.

2. Hands are important -- that shaking thing is key. Related to this is how they handle their chips. Often, people will bet with force when they've got nothing and bet very gently when they're strong. Also, you can often find "telegraphs" of what a person will do by watching their hands before it is their turn. Some people pick up chips or start to touch their chips or reach towards their chips when they're planning to bet; others will fondle their chips very deliberately when they are looking to check/fold and would rather have a free card. If a player covers his mouth with his hand, he's more likely to be bluffing.

3. Eyes are important -- check where they are looking. Someone willing to stare at you while you're deciding if you should call a bet or not is weak; someone who looks away and pretends they are uninterested is usually quite strong.

4. People who stack their chips sloppily tend to be loose players; people who stack their chips meticulously tend to be tight players. People who (re)buy loudly and openly tend to be loose players; people who (re)buy quietly and subtly tend to be tight players. (People who don't HAVE to rebuy tend to be good players. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] )

5. Anybody who shrugs, sighs, *tsk*s, groans, or sags their shoulders before they bet/raise has an ungodly monster. Get out of the damned hand.

[Biesterfield]

See this thread from B&M

[quarkncover]

Betting speed is probably the most reliable tell online. Stay observant and pay attention. Fast bets usually tend to be very very weak or very strong. The long pause then check is tends to be weak. The long pause then bet tends to be a monster. This is not the case for many players though (particularly the multitabler.) In general look for inconsistencies in player's betting patterns and exploit that information.

Regarding live tells, I just stare into their souls and laugh. Seriously, I've found creating a friendly atmosphere at the table makes things much more profitable. I've found players having a good time are very easy to read.

[orentha]

[ QUOTE ]
If they're shaking, it's likely that he just hit a monster.

[/ QUOTE ]

I second that, the very first time i played at a B&M, i hit AA then flopped a boat, and my hands were shaking away, even though i tried to conceal them...

[Garon]

Hi Quarkncover,

[ QUOTE ]
Seriously, I've found creating a friendly atmosphere at the table makes things much more profitable. I've found players having a good time are very easy to read.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is very true. When I sit down at a table in Vegas I start gabbing it up in quite a friendly way. I'll get a quiet table laughing and having a good time in no time. It's only when I am in a hand (and I play fairly tight so I'm not in too many) do I sit there as I described.

Garon

P.S. - Anyone ever put on "acts" at the table?