Tells and how to spot them

Underhand secrets of spotting poker tells

Tells are an important part of playing poker and you can learn a lot from what people say. A classic example would be the Greatest Tell of All Time.

In the 70's and 80's, it was a pretty good tell if a British Chancellor of the Exchequer said, "We won't devalue the pound." You could pretty much "tell" the neccessity to actually devalue would be just around the corner. A smart financier called George Soros heard this self same remark in 1992 and figured it was the Greatest Tell of All Time. He bet six and a half billion (borrowed) pounds that sterling would be devalued. By September, he was proved right. He paid back the borrowed six and a half billion, with interest, and pocketed his one billion profit.

Watch the chat box carefully when you're playing online poker to read behind what people are saying. The same goes for social poker.

If an opponent has just had an ear-bashing from the wife at home for not having the nerve to approach his boss for a raise, he's a candidate for a bluff. He's already low on confidence. You may as well bring his finanaces down to the same level for him.

One of the best times to read poker tells is when you've folded and the game continues without you. You can give your full attention to what your opponents are doing and use the intel in the next game.

GOOD TELL TIP

This is a social poker tip. When you are dealt your hole cards don't waste precious intel time looking at them until it is your turn to act. Instead immediately read the other player's reactions carefully and follow the play until it comes round to your turn. By then you'll have more info and then you can check your cards.

Fortune Teller

Here's a "tell tip" for the future. Chat and work the online lobby area. That's where the real intel is before any game gets started. Once a game is started, good players are on their guard and more likely to be feeding the chat they want you to hear, rather than what's valuable to you.

>>> Spot the POKER TELLS at: www.DailyStarPoker.com 

FREQUENTLY ASKED POKER QUESTIONS

Our column on "Advanced Terms" provoked numerous questions.

Q: What's meant by "Reverse Implied Odds"?

A: The ratio of the cash in the pot to the amount of cash you will need to call or otherwise invest in the pot to continue from the present round to the end of the hand. The difference between effective odds and reverse implied odds is that the reverse implied odds do not take into account the cash contributed by your opponents remaining in the hand with you.

All The Aces daily poker colum: Saturday, August 27, 2005:
Tells and how to spot them