Poker Articles
That's Why They Call It, Acting!
I'm here today to tell you about, well, "Tells."
Those physical reactions that are voluntary or involuntary, and
given off in reaction to the cards in your hand, or on the board.
An involuntary Tell shows up in a physical reaction, either a facial
tick, a jittery hand, an arched brow, or a sly smile, to name a
few.
Voluntary Tells are more frequent, and where the acting comes in.
Acting is one of the few professions around where you're actually
paid to lie. The same could be said of poker. The art of deception
occurs more frequently on your way to winning No Limit Hold 'Em
tournaments.
So, how can you know when your opponent is bluffing? Most acting
Tells can be boiled down to the following statement: Weak is Strong,
and Strong is Weak. If he slams his chips into the pot, his hand
is probably not that great. If he acts disinterested or relaxed,
he may have the nuts. A stare down may occur when your opponent
is attempting to psyche you out, as he doesn't believe his cards
are good enough. If he looks away after he bets, chances are he
likes his holdings.
Verbal cues are important as well. A chatty person that suddenly
clams up after the flop, likes what he sees. Conversely, a quiet
player that starts talking is attempting to cover something, most
likely, a bluff. It may also be important to listen to what he or
she is saying, as an abrupt subject change could be another indication
of either a strong hand, or a cover up.
One should remember that not only he who hesitates is lost, but
he who is lost, hesitates. Watch for betting patterns, and when
they break. The way that someone stacks their chips may be significant.
Do they keep nice even stacks? Or, are their chips stacked randomly,
and without purpose? This would be an indication of a tight or loose
player, respectively. Sometimes, a player will be nervous when they
bet, and knock over a chip stack. This usually shows a surge of
adrenaline in the body, indicating what they believe to be a strong
hand. Be wary. Also, watch for players that fidget with their chips.
Some will do the one handed chip stacking they just learned on tv.
Although, this may be part of a routine the player has. Be observant
of this tendency, and react accordingly.
Another type of betting Tell comes after a player loses a big pot.
He may not be on tilt, however, he may be steaming; which is one
step below full blown tilt. A steaming player will tend to loosen
up his starting hand requirements, and start betting with everything
an anything, in a futile attempt to win back the money he just lost
in the big pot. These players are easy to spot, as well as the ones
that continue betting after winning a big pot, falsely thinking
they have achieved some momentum. It is at times like this you should
remember that patience is a virtue, and there is no shame in waiting
for a good starting hand.
Editor's note: Matches Malone has been writing
for us for a couple years
now, and you can read his blog notes at @
PokerAllStar.com
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