Caro's Book of Tells

[joker122]

I just got done reading Mike Caro's book of tells. It is easily the least helpful book I've read on poker (I've read Sklansky's Theory of Poker and Hold 'em for Advanced Players, as well). This is not to Mike's discredit, however. The reviews on Amazon.com were all positive.

Rather, I think it's something with my own thinking. I SIMPLY CAN NOT SPOT A TELL ON ANY PLAYER. I didn't realize how much money this was costing me until a home game when some weaker players were discussing a tell that was "obvious" about a player that had just left. I feel like every other facet of my game is pretty sharp, but most of the time I'm only able to put someone on a hand by their position and bets.

So anyway I try looking for the tells that Caro discusses in his book but with little success. What am I doing wrong? I'm not playing against any pros so I'd think my opponents would demonstrate some pretty profitable tells, but I just can't seem to spot them. Any ideas?

[Mikey]

this book should be used as a guideline and that is all.

Buy the video its a lot better, but like I said use it as guideline.

Picking up patterns in poker is a much better way than trying to find a tell.

[Al_Capone_Junior]

Caro's book of tells isn't a sure-fired way to make a bzillion dollars in two weeks. the book will pay for itself and make you money over the long run. I remember the first time I correctly spotted the "shaky hand tell." It was in a 10-20 game and I saved $40 with a full boat cuz I knew my opponent had quads (I would have raised and he would have popped me back on the river). Still tho, true tells are few and far between. You'll generally spot them when you have played with a player for a while, or several times.

telegraphs, when someone lets you know ahead of time what they intend to do, such as when they count out their chips in advance, are much more profitable.

al

[Al Schoonmaker]

If you know what to look for from Mike's book, but don't see it, the cause is obvious: YOU AREN'T REALLY LOOKING.
You are playing YOUR cards instead of thinking about the other players.
If you are missing tells, you are also missing MUCH more important information: How the others bet.
The central task that you and every other poker player has is to shift your attention from yourself to the opposition. Until you do it, you can't play our game well.
Regards,
Al

[VinnyTheFish]

This book helped me. I am not done yet, but I read (crammed) before my last home tourn. The "Spread chip guy" was at my table and I was more than happy to play with him. The next was the boyfriend/girlfriend showing their hands ... another help.

Now, I get to Atlantic City during the New Year's week. Here, the tells were less and less in a low limit, super loose fixed game. But, I play in a limit Hold'em tourn. I basically sit out for the first two times round the button. For some reason, I have 8 out of the other 9 people at the table nailed. I can see right through them and proceed to rake in the chips. I felt like Tiger Woods at the US Open. The book helped me realize and/or look for things I would have never thought of. It broadened my view of tells.

The bad part of the story. I proceed to knock out (or at least cripple) 7 of the 9 players at the table. They keep bringing in new players that simply throw me for a loop.

My tournaments are simple. I can rock through the first 2 or three hours, then I fizzle at the final three tables. That is my new task for the year, standing strong and working into the money.

[rbenuck4]

Let me know if anyone else has found this to be true, but I see at low limits (2 4 limit or 4 8 limit), that when players reach for their chips before the action is to them, it means that they indeed DO intend to call a bet. Caro writes that this indicates a weak hand, but I find that it represents a medium strength hand, and they expect you to bet, and then they call, cause they want to show down or see another card. Let me know if you guys find this to be true.

[ChipWrecked]

Maybe you're trying to take in too much information at once. Try studying one player at a time for a full orbit to start. Then you can expand the range as you get more used to spotting the tells.

[LetsRock]

No single tell is going to be 100% accurate against every player. If you pick up a tell on a person and find it to be valid, then you can use it against THAT player. While some weak tells may be represented my many weak players, be careful not to overgeneralize tells and apply them generically across the board. You'll be very sorry if you do.

[Al_Capone_Junior]

Excellent response Al.

Suggestion to the poster:

Watch the PLAYERS when the flop is dealt. IGNORE THE FLOP ITSELF. It won't change. But you can get a LOT of good info watching people when the flop comes.

This is especially true once you get to know certain players. There are a few players who I can almost name their hand by watching their faces on the flop. but this took a LOT of observation, it doesn't just show up as obvious right after you read mike's book.

al

[Al_Capone_Junior]

[ QUOTE ]
I can see right through them and proceed to rake in the chips. I felt like Tiger Woods at the US Open. The book helped me realize and/or look for things I would have never thought of. It broadened my view of tells.


[/ QUOTE ]


Don't expect it to be like this very often. Tells are a SMALL part of poker.

al

[VinnyTheFish]

I agree. At a 2/4, a player reaching for or holding chips usually means s/he wants to play. How strong the hand is? ... well that is another argument.

Knowing this, at a 2/4, I try to keep 4 white chips in my hand at all times. My other favorite is making my hands shake when I have middle or low pair, trying to show that I have a monster, then showing a weak one. I try to see who notices.

Answer me this? I also found myself grabbing 5 ships when I had a strong hand. People kept accusing me of stringing, but I was not trying to intentionally do so. Has this tell been seen or characterized? Does it fall into Caro's book?

[VinnyTheFish]

[ QUOTE ]
Don't expect it to be like this very often. Tells are a SMALL part of poker.

al

[/ QUOTE ]

Thx Al. I never expect this to happen again. For some reason, I was in a zone, like Farve on the tundra. It was an awesome feeling, until I shot myself in the foot and freeked out into a semi-tilt.

I know tells are a small part, but that day it gave me an emotional advantage for the time being.

[Al_Capone_Junior]

[ QUOTE ]
I know tells are a small part, but that day it gave me an emotional advantage for the time being.


[/ QUOTE ]

Good. If you see a tell, interpret it correctly, use the info to your advantage, and this builds your confidence, then you've benefitted greatly.

al

[Rounder 24/7]

[ QUOTE ]
Let me know if anyone else has found this to be true, but I see at low limits (2 4 limit or 4 8 limit), that when players reach for their chips before the action is to them, it means that they indeed DO intend to call a bet. Caro writes that this indicates a weak hand, but I find that it represents a medium strength hand, and they expect you to bet, and then they call, cause they want to show down or see another card. Let me know if you guys find this to be true.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've only recently got the book myself and have only read the first 20 tells or so ... but what you must realise here is that Caro speaks so tells from those who are aware and tells from those who aren't ... You have to learn to differentiate between the two for example is the player going for his chips in an advertising way or is he simply just acting out of turn (fairly common amungst begginers) ... The former would more likely to be an act ... the player may do this in an attempt to prevent u from betting and give him the opportunity to check for a free card.

Anyway lets see how good the rest of the book is.