Smoking Tell

[DavidC]

If a guy just makes a big bet, and you are thinking about calling, and he lights a cigarette, what does this mean, other than that he's addicted to cigarettes? /images/graemlins/smile.gif

--DAve.

[TimM]

This is like eating the Oreo. Fold.

[BluffTHIS!]

Or it in fact means he is acting strong and relaxed and is thus weak since if he really wanted the call he wouldn't want to do anything to telegraph strength. This is only true if he is not in fact a chain smoker.

[Orpheus]

Well, based on a whopping sample number of one incident, a long time ago: try watching the lighter flame. If his hand is shaking, the flame will amplify it and make it visible from the other end of the table.

Conversely, smoking 2+2'ers should avoid lighting up until the hand's over, unless they've practiced a fake a shake.

[CaptSensible]

As a smoker myself:
If I was bluffing I wouldnt light up till after the hand. I would be to worried about telegraphing a tell. I wouldn't do ANYTHING until the hand was over. If I was confident I was gonna win the hand then I'd light up cause I wouldn't care what I was telegraphing.

If I flopped the nuts and I wanted to draw you in I wouldn't light up yet either.

All that being said, based on what I would do as a smoker, I would say he had a very strong hand.

[Jeebus]

based on a collection of about 5 people, myself included, it normally means that I really don't care what you do. If it seems like you are going to think for awhile I light a ciggarette so that i can do something while you think.
Then again I use the fake shake when lighting it.
The thing to do is to watch what the smoker is doing with the smoke. If they are smoking real deep (deeper than normal if you have been ovserving) it means they are weaker while quick puffs are the opposite.

[James Boston]

I doubt this is a very significant tell. I know I have lit up in the past, regardless of my confidence level, when I knew the would be caller was going to take along time to make a decision. It basically gave me something to focus on so I wouldn't think too much and give anything away.

[FredJones888]

I agreee, I think the smoker thought he had it made and was savoring the moment.

[SNOWBALL138]

A lot of the time it means that they have you beat. However if they try to look tough and do a lot of posing and give you a good staring, I call.

I say fold if the smoker looks natural and relaxed. call if the smoker is looking a bit jittery or mechanical. I use to be an avid chain smoker even more so at the poker table. I noticed that whenever I was dealt a good hand or caught something I would immediately grab a smoke and light up. Mike Caro's poker tells states that if a smoker is blowing the smoke in your direction and is very talkative while smoking and relaxed then the player probably has a monster and you should fold. Just the opposite if the smoker is stone cold and does not respond and just smokes then they are probably bluffing.