7/25/2022

Body Language Poker Tells

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Body Language Poker Tells The Most

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More examples

Poker tells - hidden body language To bluff or not to bluff? Who doesn't wish they had X-ray glasses, not just to allow them to spy on nearby colleagues, but also to see the cards at the poker table? Science isn't expected to provide any help in the next few years, but we can, in fact, get an indication from players as to what they might have.

  • Standing straight, with shoulders back – this posture shows that one is feeling confident and it is often accompanied by walking with brisk strides.

  • One-sided head tilt – tilting the head suggests that one is listening with interest in what others are saying.

  • Overly tilted head – this may be a sign of sympathy, playfulness or flirtation, when accompanied by a smile. However, depending on your eye, brow or mouth gestures, a tilted head may mean that you are confused or maybe challenging someone.

  • Looking down, away from the body – this may indicate guilt or shame. To validate this feeling, revert back to the discussion and see if the body language meaning is the same.

  • Standing, hands on hips – can mean readiness or aggression

  • Shifting of weight or foot movement – suggests that one is impatient, nervous, excited, scared, or even intimidated.

  • Sitting, legs crossed, slight kicking of foot - can mean boredom

  • Sitting, with legs apart – a relaxed posture

  • Walking, hands in pocket, hunched shoulders – can mean dejection

  • Eye rubbing – can mean doubt or disbelief

  • Hands clasped behind back – can mean frustration, anger, or apprehension

  • Pinching the nose bridge, eyes closed – shows negative evaluation

  • Patting or fondling hair – shows insecurity or lack of self-confidence

  • Quick tilting of head – shows interest

  • Prolonged tilting of head – shows boredom

Body Language Poker Tells

Body Language Poker Tells The Best

  • A poker tell is an action, either physical or verbal in live poker, that gives away the strength of a player’s hand. There are typically 9 or 10 players at a full Hold’em poker table, so if you are observant at reading poker tells, it is not hard to pick up on them for future use. You can find extensive literature on the art of reading tells.
  • If you want to increase the odds of victory drastically in your favor, learning body language just might be your ace in the hole. I know some of you are saying, “Well if I have a non-suited 7-2 and they have 4 of a kind they will almost definitely win! I doubt knowing body language and poker tells would help me then”.
  • Two Plus Two Poker Forums General Poker Strategy Poker Tells/Behavior, hosted by: Zachary Elwood: Speech play/body language to induce calls.

When you enjoy playing Poker or are learning how to master the game, not only do you have to have a very good mathematical understanding of the value of each hand you have been dealt out, you also need to be aware that your fellow opponents will be watching you very closely as you play each hand dealt out to you.

There is often a unique set of skills many Poker players need to adopt to ensure that they do not give away any “tells” when playing Poker.

A tell is a body movement or some form of facial expression that can give more experienced poker players, who are closely watching you, an idea of whether you do in fact have a very strong Poker hand or are trying to bluff them with a low valued hand!

Below is a complete overview of the top 10 Poker player tells. Make sure that when you are next practising your Poker playing skills at home you put in front of you a mirror and watch how you play each hand, it may often surprise a novice player just how much information they can give away via body movements of facial expressions!

Body Language Poker Tells Someone

  1. Playing with Jewellery – You really do need to look out for the players who are playing with a ring or necklace that they are wearing. Also you need to be alert to the fact that when you have a strong Poker hand you may find yourself suddenly rubbing your ring or fingering a necklace you are wearing.

    Playing with any type of jewellery they are wearing is one of the most basic give away tells a player can perform at a Poker table, so always be on the lookout for this tell and try and not wear any type of jewellery if you have noticed you start to play with it when playing Poker!

  2. Nervous Laugh – A fake of nervous laugh when a player is interacting with other players is usually a giveaway that something is not right with that player’s hand. The social nature of Poker is one where interaction, humour and Mickey taking of other players is to be expected, however an obvious tell is one whereby a player is unusually nervous or suddenly changes their mannerisms. So always be alert to these changes in a player you are playing against!
  3. Impatience – You often need the patience of a saint when sat around a Poker table. Poker players are never in a rush to take their turn and as such any player who seems impatient or very eager to play their hand is usually a player with a very strong hand. The impatience of a Poker player can often be that player’s downfall, so always be aware of such a player and monitor the hands they are playing when showing any kind of impatience at the Poker table!
  4. Counting Up Chips – Going all in with your chips is often an indicator that you think you have the hand required to win the pot on any round of Poker you are involved in. However some Poker players will try and intimidate another player into thinking they have a very strong Poker hand by looking at that opponents chip stack and then counting up their chips, as if they intend to go all in on their next turn!
  5. Staring at Other Players – Gawping at another player with a blank facial expression is often very off-putting for the other player, so if you notice one player is indeed looking at you, then be aware they may be trying to intimidate you and give you the impression their hand is much stronger than it actually is!
  6. Getting Angry – One very obvious Poker player tell you may come across of even suffer from is becoming angry. When a player has been folding their hand repeatedly and finally gets a playable hand they will become angry if several players on the trot fold their hand, and this will often give those players left in that game an indication that you have finally being dealt a strong hand and those players may also opt to fold their hands!
  7. Twitching – Any type of nervous twitch is going to be jumped upon and noticed by other more experienced poker players. So if you twitch your nose or any other body part you will have to control that twitch or you are likely to give away your playing strategy and will always be at the mercy of those more experienced Poker players!
  8. Looking Away from Other Players – When a novice Poker players knows they will not be able to control their facial expressions when they have a strong hand or they are bluffing, they tend to look into space and will never make eye contact with other players, and this is an obvious tell for more experienced players sat around the table!
  9. Trying to be Funny – One of the more obvious tells which to an inexperienced play can often go unnoticed, is when a player is trying to be funny or is teasing another player. Distracting any Poker player when they are deciding how to play there hand is often a vital part of bluffing or playing a strong hand, so always be on the lookout for a player who suddenly cracks a witty one liner or starts to tease one or more players sat around the Poker table you are playing at!
  10. Obscure Ramblings – You will often find lots of light hearted banter between players sat around a Poker table, however if one player starts rambling on about something unusual that is often a tell that they are trying to distract other players and not alert them to the way they are playing or just what type of hand they are holding!