Poker – What’s a Tell?
Poker is a game of people played using the medium of playing cards. A tell is a behaviour that outlines the relative strength of an opposing player’s hand. If you bet on web-based poker, common tells are comprised of betting patterns and time to react. Real life poker at the casino provides a better opportunity to id tells. In addition to time tells and betting sequences, players have physical tells. Players often announce the strength of their hand through actions, eye movements, heart rates, and voices. Poker is a game of feelings and most individuals can’t constrain their emotions when cash is involved. In order to notice a tell you need to accurately watch your competitors on every single hand. Watch for any kind of wagering sequence or body tell that relates to the strength of their hand. If a challenger constantly breaths deeply when he has a big hand, that is a tell for absolute strength. If a challenger constantly stakes his weak hands with a flick of his wrist, that’s a tell for absolute weakness.
Tells allow you to see further than your own cards and into your opponent’s mind. Focus on everything that your opponent does while he plays a hand and attempt to link each play to a given strength of their cards. With the ability to notice tells on your opponent, the playing cards really don’t matter. If your opponent shows you that they are weak, you can raise them with any hand with the knowledge that he’ll drop out. If your competitor shows you that he is strong, you will be able to fold very strong hands. There is a lot more to poker than just the cards you’re given. Focus on your competitor’s body language and your winnings will soar.