Tells

To Tell The Truth

In the today’s world of poker, players analyze myriad situations and determine what is the optimal play in each position on the table. By utilizing mathematical ranges and game theory, players make critical decisions throughout a tournament.

However, sometimes players who began their careers behind a computer screen or focus solely on the mathematics of poker do not instinctively think to observe their opponents for any physical tells. These players do not take into account valuable information given off by their opponents.

In no-limit hold’em, the majority of the action is preflop and on the flop, as many hands never see the turn or river. Thus, if you are able to gather crucial information via tells, it can be extremely helpful in your decision-making process.

One of the current masters of poker tells is Joe Navarro. (If you don’t have his classic book, Read ‘Em and Reap, you must buy it for your poker library.) In the past, I have taught with Navarro during WSOP Academy poker camps and listened intently during every one of his talks. Over the years, I have focused on and used my reading ability to make a difficult call or two.

Here are some basic preflop and post-flop tells to watch out for the next time you play. Not all players have all these tells, in fact, some may not have any at all. However, if you can just recognize one, this information could be the difference between a critical call or fold during the tournament.

Preflop

Although no community cards are revealed, preflop is a crucial stage of any no-limit hold’em hand. Deep in poker tournaments, it is imperative to steal blinds at the perfect time to maintain or even increase your stack. Additionally, if you are dealt a monster hand, you want to get as much value as possible, especially if your opponents have a tendency of overplaying their hands.

Thus, any information gathered by carefully observing your opponents is very important. If your opponents intend to fold, especially if they are in the blinds, this data provides the optimal time to try to steal the blinds and antes. If they look like they are going to bet, you may want to induce a raise if you are dealt pocket aces or kings.

Many players look at their cards before it is their turn to act. In this instance, the players often give away their intentions. Since many online players hit the fold button after they see rags, these players often do the same in live poker. After seeing their cards, they mentally fold or prepare to bet without even realizing it. As for your own game, I would recommend not looking at your hand until it is your turn to act, especially against experienced players.

Here are some specific tells that I have often seen preflop:

• Right Hand Fold, Left Hand Play: I have seen this numerous times over the years, where a player will fold if they are holding their cards in their right hand (usually their dominant hand). However, the player will play if they are holding the cards in the their left hand. The reason for this difference is that the player will often grab chips to bet with his or her dominant hand. Incidentally, I have seen twice in my career a left-handed person perform this tell in the opposite manner. I actually asked them if they were left-handed, and they were both surprised that I knew.

• Capping or Folding: After they look at their cards, players will quickly cap them with a chip or card protector if they are interested in playing their hand. Additionally, they often become very attentive during the preflop action. If they are preparing to fold, the players often just hold the cards in their hand, preparing to muck. Most commonly, they become disinterested in the hand, putting the cards in between their fingers, ready to flick the cards back to the dealer.

• Gathering Chips Before It Is Their Turn To Act: Some players will look at their cards and determine that they will play when the betting comes around to them. Usually, the player is willing to limp or just call a reasonable raise. Thus, they often gather calling chips in their hand, even before it is their turn to act. However, if they hold a monster hand, he or she would want to get as many chips as possible and wait for others to act.

• Lose Interest: If players don’t have a good starting hand, they will become disinterested and begin looking for the waitress or watching television. Whatever the specific action, the end result is that they stop paying attention, as they have already mentally folded their hand.

Post-Flop

After the preflop betting is complete, the dealer burns a card, then reveals the three community cards. Every player remaining in the hand is fixated on the middle of the felt to determine if this trio of cards has helped their hand.

However, players may have missed valuable information if they focus solely on the flop. I recommend watching one of your opponents, especially one that may have position on you. The flop will not be turned over until the end of the hand. The cards will remain there so you can see them at anytime. However, a split-second reaction by your opponent cannot be reproduced.

As a side note, here is an advantage of wearing sunglasses. If you position your head toward the flop, then shift your eyes toward the player, you may be able to pick up a tell without your opponents realizing you are watching them.

Here are a few tells that you can watch out for as the dealer spreads out the flop:

• Smirk or Head Shake: A player who performs these acts is often disappointed, and it usually means that the flop missed his or her hand.

• Look Down At Their Chips: This action, which can sometimes be very quick, often means that the flop helped their hand and they are looking down at their chip stack to figure out how many chips to bet.

• Eyes Darting Back And Forth: The reason for this reaction is often the players has some kind of draw (such as a flush or straight draw), and they are confirming the draw.

• Nervous: Although this is not fool-proof, often a player who is nervous (and displaying nerves in tells like their hands shaking) has just flopped a monster and is very strong.

• Lose Interest: Similar to preflop action, the player stops paying attention to the hand after the flop completely misses them.

Other Considerations

Over the years, I have worked tirelessly to recognizing my opponents’ tells. However, you cannot force yourself to find a tell in an opponent. Sometimes, a person is able to reproduce the exact same action and maintain full attentiveness whether they are going to play or fold. Therefore, before you make a decision based upon a potential opponent’s tell, you should consider these few things before you act.

1. Three Times Rule: I won’t trust a tell to be certain until I see the pattern occur three times. My general rule of thumb is, “One time could be an accident, two times may be a coincidence, but three times is a pattern.”

2. Observe When Not In The Hand: The best time to test your theory is when you are not in the hand. This observational vantage point is a non-risk play, as you do not have to put any chips into the pot. However, you are able to gather critical information about your opponents and their possible tells.

3. Reverse Tell: Of course, there are many professionals who have played poker for years. These players recognize tells, are very observant, and can manipulate their opponents. Be wary of the possibility that your opponent is giving off a reverse tell, which is purposely trying to throw you off.

Now that I have pointed out some specific tells, you just may recognize one of them the next time you sit down at the tables. Good luck during the WSOP and I hope to see you at a final table. ♠

Bernard Lee is a poker columnist for ESPN.com, author of “The Final Table, Volume I and II” and radio host of “The Bernard Lee Poker Show,” which can be found on RoundersRadio.com or iTunes. Lee has over $2 million in career earnings, winning six titles. Lee is a team member of RunGoodGear.com and also spokesperson for specialty travel company, Blaycation. Follow Bernard Lee on Twitter: @BernardLeePoker or visit him at www.BernardLeePoker.com