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Most common and identifiable tells...

Anton81Anton81
in Brick & Mortar Casino Talk
I was just wondering what everyone thought is the most common or the most seen tells at the casino. Personally i notice the vein in the neck often (something I picked up from caro's book of tells) and found this one to be extremely useful.

Anyone else?

Comments

  • ScottyZScottyZ
    Here are some of the most reliable tells I've found. All are well known.

    1. Player who has already folded becomes visibly upset when the flop comes down trips. Meaning: The player would have flopped trips.

    2. Player looks at hole cards during a hand when the board is 3-suited. Meaning: The player does not have suited hole cards. (Caro #13)

    3. Some form of a "What the heck?" motion, followed by a bet. Meaning: The player has a monster hand and wants a call. (Caro #23)

    My favorite to fake is Caro #13. :cool:

    Incidentally, I've always loved the photo that goes along with Caro #23 (Photo # 47). It's like the guy is saying, "I can still afford another haircut and nice suit like this one even if I lose this bet."

    ScottyZ
  • UnknownUnknown
    If someone looks at his chips, quickly, after he looks at his hole cards he usually likes his hand.

    If someone strikes up a conversation with his neighbour after making a bet he usually doesn't want to be called.

    If someone's hands are shaking he's probably a new player with a big hand, and his adrenaline response is giving him away. Or, he's had too much coffee or he suffers from some sort of condition.

    None of these are hard and fast 'rules'; rather, things I've noticed. There are other things but they're too player-specific to mention.
  • Soup66Soup66
    The checking hole cards when a 3 card flush flops is one I find is always true. People always remember if they have suited cards, but with a flop like that they are checking to see if they have a high card of that suit.
  • ChugsChugs
    http://www.fulltiltpoker.com/videos/ledqt.html
  • Phippo44Phippo44
    My favourite is the newbie showing his hand to someone during the hand...its usually a monster. Why would he risk someone smirking or laughing.....saw this at Fallsview 2 weeks ago...the guys hand was shaking too. I called out 'show me aces' this dumbass woman called his raise and he threw down his set. Way too funny. This is a Caro tell as well. Especially in limit poker. PLayers bluffing want as little attention as possible.
  • IronIron
    At the lower limit games (that's all I play live) the shaky hands tell has been the most reliable tell I can think of. You will also see not only the neck throbbing but their heart pounding right through their shirt sometimes, even sometimes their faces become red.
  • PsiPsi
    Alot of those tells I was showing for my first time sitting 10/20.
    I was shaky whenever I got a big hand (Ks, A/K soooooooted), both of course I lost, tho I played them right.
    I don't know what it is, chips are chips, I can sit 5/10 and not move, but when I sat that 10/20 game I went haywire again.
    Ah well, for someone like me who's still getting started in the mid limit games, I guess it's understandable.
  • magithighsmagithighs
    I haven't read Caro's book, although I've seen many of his suggestions online. One word of caution is to put the tell together with the story the betting action is telling you. Then you'll get a more rock solid tell.

    I had an earlier post, where I was shaking when I was on a semi-bluff because i was cold. I mentioned you should check my nipples when I'm shaking. Probably good advice, especially if you're playing Annie Duke. I could see that sending her over the edge. "Floor (whining voice), FLOOR (whining higher pitch voice), did you see him stare at my nipples (smug, I'm soooo beautiful, how could he not look demeanor) casual comment to someone willing to listen next to her, come on Floor (can't u see the travesty of his actions whining voice)..... I could go on.

    Cheers
    Magi
  • sincsinc
    The shaky hands thing isnt 100 percent i dont think. I have naturally shaky hands because i beat the crap out of my hands/wrists playing 15 years of hockey/football and my hands shake quite often when playing, so hopefully people are picking up false tells off this lol.
  • Flint BonesFlint Bones
    My hands shake either way if I am bluffing or if I have a monster. It actually worked for me the other day (mostly because I was really cold). I went all in on a stone cold bluff (10 4o) with a flop of (K Q 7)and bought the pot. The other players said, "Look at him shake! I'm out!" I just smiled and took my pot.
  • TilterTilter
    I look for the heavy breathing. Ie chest is going IN and OUT, IN and OUT, its like they're gasping for breath. For those, usually expect a big hand, either overpair ot better. I saw this a lot when people hads Kings, Sets, straights, works great.
  • YorkpokerYorkpoker
    The more you play, the less big hands and exciting situations affect you. I may be pointing out the obvious, but long time pros have seen it all, won with it all and lost with it all. That's why they are so hard to read.

    If you REALLY want to learn something, check this out. I took a second city improve course (it was a blast) and I learned about self image and how portraying something specific will alter people's reactions to you (ie, saying the same thing to various people will mean different things depending on who sees you one way or another). I am talking about body language - how you sit or stand, whether or not you fold your arms, chin tucked or chin out. Do you swallow alot - are you a loud breather. If you get bored and look off into space while waiting for something. This type of stuff.

    I found it a huge help in both my professional and personal life, as I like to keep careful control of how I am seen by others. This applies ESPECIALLY to a poker game. If you want to control yourself, find a reason to study yourself and your manners very closely. Then practise practise and keep it up.
  • Dan808Dan808
    there's a guy at our game who has shakey hands when he has a good hand. he's a decent player for sure, but since most of the guys are starting to figure this out, i'm afraid he may start coming out less. was handy (pun) to spot a tell, but i wouldn't want to lose him...any of you shakers found a way to handle it?
  • YorkpokerYorkpoker
    Don't hold your cards or play with chips. Sit with hands in lap and declare bets and raises, that way if you're a shakey playre people see less of it. I always keep cards and chips flat on the table so less people look at hands and wrists and all that.

    Just a thought.
  • ConfusedONEConfusedONE
    Tilter wrote:
    I look for the heavy breathing. Ie chest is going IN and OUT, IN and OUT, its like they're gasping for breath.
    can you tell if they're faking it :confused::tongue:
  • ConfusedONEConfusedONE
    Dan808 wrote:
    there's a guy at our game who has shakey hands when he has a good hand. he's a decent player for sure, but since most of the guys are starting to figure this out, i'm afraid he may start coming out less. was handy (pun) to spot a tell, but i wouldn't want to lose him...any of you shakers found a way to handle it?

    what about constantly playing with the chips? :confused: :eek:
  • RiverRatJoshRiverRatJosh
    I'm RiverRat Josh and I thought I would add to this thread.

    I am a Private investigator by day, an dconsider myself to be a superior profilist. That helps at a poker table. My powers of observation are keen. I look for everyting like when a player bets, is he proud to bet.......is he looking into his competition, or is he looking at his chips as if to count what he has already counted a million times. If he can't look you in the eye, or chooses to stare at one spot and ignore possible callers it can mean one of two vey bad things. either he has a hand and is tryin gto play scared an wants callers, or he is on a weak hand that needs help, an dis bettign out his ass. In both cases you are left wanting to chase. This is bad. I would try to verbally confront him as a potential caller. Force him to address you and improvise. Most people can not remain a lifeless stone for too long. At a table of fish, you need to identify those who shake because they are nervous people, and those who are shaking like that guy who flutters at the higher limit table. Eye contact is key.

    Also (hoping none of us meet heads up) When I am on a made hand I will try and act nervous to pu tforth weakness. Coversely when I am on a draw and need help with alot of chips in the middle I will play it off as nothing. I will even try to engage someone else in an unrelated discussion while someone is trying to put the read on. Laughing about yesterdays news while someone is staring you in the face will go a long way to portraying a level of confidence and disregard for a potential caller. This will send a message that callers without the nuts need not pay up.

    Finally, and most key in my initial read of players, along the lines of playign with your cards. I have found that even the most seasoned of poker players will "Take ownership of a good hand". Before cards are even completed being delt out, players will look at their hands, and treat them accordingly. It is SUPER RARE to see someone take in thier cards, plan on folding them, and still line them up, lay a chip on top and protect them untill thier turn to fold. What I mean is that a player who does not liek his hand at first sight will NOT try and protect it. He will not place a chip on top, he will NOT line them up neat. IN most cases he will intimate his fold right away in some way, by leaving the cards strewn awry on the table, in no particular pattern, as if he does not care for them. he will put them down and you can tell if he is discarding them by the way he moves on from his look at the cards. He will nto "TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THEM"

    Conversly when a player does like his cards "he will take ownership". he will protect the cards, move them closer, look several times not once, keep them neat, and yes put a chip on top sometimes. That being said it is not an exact science.

    For the most part we sit and play with a large percentage of casual players that have not honed thier conduct to this degree, so it should be easy to spot, before a play is even made.

    Just a few thoughts from me.
    RiverRatJosh
  • BBC ZBBC Z
    I am a Private investigator by day,

    What's it like living in a film noir? Investigator by day, gambling in the speakeasys by nite..
  • Anton81Anton81
    another one ive noticed...(which i belive was also in caros book..no kiddin eh)..is when I was in this tourney not too long ago. This fellow directly across from me would always have both cards in his hand and shuffle the bottom card over the top one repeatedly. whenever he did this, i bet and he folded, I couldnt belive it, this tell worked like clockwork and I dont think he even relaized what he was doing....
  • arkosearkose
    from my experience playing NL at river rock....one of the biggest tells that i see day in and day out is when someone bluffs their missed draw in a heads-up situation...

    it usually occurs when the pot is still fairly small ($100-150)...whether they are first to act or last, as soon as the river card is dealt or as soon as its checked to them, they immediately grab one stack ($100) and bet it...

    i often try to mimic this tactic on the river when I indeed have something...the big draws all miss, i'll bet one stack quickly, and i'll try to look just slightly uncomfortable doing it....you'd be surprised how many times people have called thinking i had a busted draw (or even raised with not much of anything because they were sure)

    actually, i think i have read somewhere that quickness in and of itself can often be a tell.....people who raise preflop and make a continuation bet on the flop in a quick motion probably missed.....people who actually have something really good take a little time to act weak, and people who have an average hand will also take a little time to decide whether or not they are winning.......quickness looks like confidence, and showing a lot of confidence often means weakness
  • UglyJimStudlyUglyJimStudly
    arkose wrote:
    actually, i think i have read somewhere that quickness in and of itself can often be a tell.....people who raise preflop and make a continuation bet on the flop in a quick motion probably missed.....people who actually have something really good take a little time to act weak, and people who have an average hand will also take a little time to decide whether or not they are winning.......quickness looks like confidence, and showing a lot of confidence often means weakness

    That's actually Gary Carson's (and probably a lot of other authors, but his book is the first place I saw it) basic rule of beginner tells - acting strong almost always means a weak hand, and acting weak means a strong hand. It's a symptom of fancy play syndrome - players who believe that they have to be deceptive every time they do something, and become predictable as a result. A good tell to know, though it can get you in trouble against more experienced players. It can also hurt against relatively straightforward players, like me - I'm of the school that believes a little deception goes a long way, so most of the time I bet my hand according to its true strength, and make money off of people who think I'm bluffing. It's a lot easier to be sneaky if everybody has you pegged as the easy read who never bluffs...
  • FrogKingFrogKing
    One good one i have at my table:

    Since whe started to watch the WSOP some of my opponents have picked up the habits of putting a token on there cards. when waiting there turn.

    I do it too.... but not just if i get a good hand or a monster. :)

    A major tell is when i guy dont wait is turn to look at is cards and then he doesnt put is token on the cards. This usually means that i have one less oponent to worrie about in this hand. (he will fold).

    Sometime that guy will try and steel the blinds when everyone fold in front of him. This makes for some good and easy steel on my part.
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