Do "Tells" Exist? (2 Viewers)

[acezag]

There's no universal tells. Unless you're a dog.

They may be rare, but there are a handful of "near universal" tells in low stakes casino poker:

• The quiet, still guy who suddenly starts shaking as he bets: always a nit, and always with a strong but beatable hand
• "looks like it's time for me to go home" followed by an all-in: always an OMR with a monster

 

[trigs]

I unfortunately have a bad physical tell that is very difficult to control. My hands shake when I make big bets with big (made) hands. No anxiety or shakes when I'm bluffing. It's the nuts that gets me all jittery. I've definitely been called out on it by other observant players.

Just my two cents:

Announce your bet amount verbally. Pause for a second. Throw out one high denom chip.

Less time touching the chips = less time for hand shakes.

Obviously have to do this for non-nut hands occasionally as well so it doesn't also become a tell

 

[XBobdog]

Just talking hand shakes. It was my second day of a Vegas trip with a brutal hangover and decide to play in the Aria Tournament. I was alternating beer/ Coke (the drink) trying to get an handle on my headache. The first hand after I got moved to the final table, the small blind raises my big blind and I reraised with KQ. He tanks and eventually folds KQ because, "your hands were shaking so much, I knew you had a monster".

Context matters.

 

[ChipOnMyShoulder]

I unfortunately have a bad physical tell that is very difficult to control. My hands shake when I make big bets with big (made) hands. No anxiety or shakes when I'm bluffing. It's the nuts that gets me all jittery. I've definitely been called out on it by other observant players.

I struggle with whole body shakes when making big moves/bluffs or with monster made hands.

The silver lining here is that once I win a few pots then I'm wired and the shakes are there to stay so it's impossible to get a read off of me based on that. I could have anything.

The other night a guy OOP 4bet me to $88 preflop. I definitely heard a sigh escape his lips when I called and that was all the encouragement I needed to see my A5c through to the river and stack him with the nut flush.

 

[allforcharity]

Someone here who I trust and has seen me evolve as a poker player over the last 8 years told me I have a tell.

 

[Munchies11]

I play at frequent home games with usually the same players! They do exist but I still can’t figure them out. I guess that’s why I’m not a pro but I feel like me it isn’t an easy thing to always spot. I usually make big calls on bet sizes and gut instinct

 

[Mangatang]

I’ve been in a home game for years with a truly terrible player who literally looks back and forth at the board while counting out his fingers to verify whether he’s made a straight.

If he did, he bets. If he didn’t, he makes a disgusted face.

Could be a tell?

Similar situation. We used to play with a poker noob who required a hand chart. Every time he looked at his cheat sheet, we knew he either had a straight or a flush. He couldn’t remember which beat which.

 

[horseshoez]

Here’s a small tip I try to use as often as possible, though distractions can sometimes get in the way. When you’re heads-up and waiting for the turn or river, focus on your opponent’s eyes and facial expressions rather than the card itself. Many amateur or recreational players reveal a lot of information through their reactions—whether it’s the card they’re fixated on, how quickly they glance back at their hole cards, or other subtle cues.

One other thing: you’d be surprised how much a little alcohol can affect a player. That small sigh or subtle huff when the card doesn’t go their way is a dead giveaway. When I catch those tells, regardless of whether their action is passive or aggressive, I almost always come over the top to apply maximum pressure.