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A Player Glances at his Stack
What’s the tell?
A player glances immediately down at his chips for a split second as soon as he sees his cards. This almost always means that your opponent’s hole cards are strong. He is taking an inventory of his chip stack because he intends on betting or raising.
What to do when you spot it?
Play only premium hands! Your opponent is almost always strong in this spot.
A Player Suddenly Awakens with a Hand
What’s the tell?
A player who has been slouching in his chair suddenly seems alive and vibrant, as if he’s totally interested in what’s about to transpire. He goes from the slouch to the lean forward. This too almost always means he or she is strong! He has been revived and expects to in the hand.
What to do when you spot it?
Again, play cautiously and be ready to throw away cards you might otherwise go to war with. Someone who is leaning in to you, toward the table, means they are interested in the hand. It’s genuine strength High Rollers.
Showboats Bet Too
What’s the tell?
A player makes a large bet by throwing or splashing his chips into the pot in an over-the-top manner, a fashion that indicates he is strong but in actual fact is trying to hide his weakness. The player's hand is weak or marginal at best, and he is trying to bluff you out of the pot by drawing as much attention to the large bet as possible. It’s an act meant to scare you folks.
What to do when you spot it?
Call this player with even a marginal hand, and raise a hand you might otherwise just have called with. In Mike Caro's classic poker book, The Body Language of Poker, he categorizes this tell with perhaps the best poker body language tip ever: “Weak means strong and strong means weak.” In other words, you fold if the player is trying to look weak and call/raise if the player is trying to look strong.
The Disinterested Party
What’s the tell?
While waiting for an opponent to act (to call, raise or fold), the player in question is deliberately staring away from the table, as if he/she doesn’t care about the action. The player has a strong hand and wants his opponents to enter the pot.
What to do when you spot it?
If you have the option of checking, you should definitely do so and wait for this actor to make his move. If he bets, you should fold a weak or marginal hand. You checked in order to save yourself money. If, however, you have a very strong hand, you might still want to check, let him bet and either call or raise.
The Stare-Down
What’s the tell?
Your opponent throws some chips in the pot and then stares right at you. This is the exact opposite of the previous tell. He is trying to scare you out by appearing confident and strong.
What to do when you spot it?
Don't fall for it. Call or raise and show them that you are in charge at this table!
Story Time
What’s the tell?
A chatty player is telling a story at the beginning of a hand but stops talking or seems to lose track of his story when he looks at his hole cards. The player has a very strong hand and his thoughts on how to maximize his winnings have interrupted his monologue.
What to do when you spot it?
Do not bet into him unless you have it! Even a mediocre hand would not have sidetracked table-talker so be careful. The story doesn’t matter anymore, the hand does.
Mr. Shaky Hands
What’s the tell?
A player’s hands appear to tremble as he/she puts chips in the pot. This guy has a monster hand and is trying very hard to control any outward signs of emotion. Unfortunately for them, they’re so wound up and nervous that they’re actually shaking.
What to do when you spot it?
Get the hell out of Dodge, because this guy is rock solid.
Ever spotted a guy's tell at the poker table? Ever used it against him? Well, High Roller Radio examines some of the more common behaviour during a hand and offers you ways to explout that and build your bankroll.
"Basic Poker Tells"
Did you know?
Mike Caro wrote chapters in Doyle Brunson's Super System 1 & 2
“Poker isn’t a game that requires cards. Really, it doesn’t. The nature of poker is brilliant. It is simply this: (1) There is something wagered before the battle begins, igniting the conflict; (2) There is something owned temporarily by each contestant that has comparative strength; (3) There is wagering, leading to a possible showdown in which strength is compared to determine a single winner; and (4) Any wager can win without a showdown, if nobody calls. poker. You can quibble that in high-low split there are multiple winners, not a single one. But, not really. There are actually two pots – one for the high hand and one for the low hand, each having a lone winner, barring a tie. In keeping with this “nature of poker,” cards are unnecessary. The nature itself is the great idea, the brilliant concept. As such, you can wager over the weight of secret stones that you possess – or myriad other things. Cards aren’t required, and poker in some form will endure, always.”
- Mike Caro, the 'Mad Genius' of Poker.
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