Re: Poker Tells
Hello,
Reading Caro's book is a great place to start, although it is geared for casino play. Also if you can get your hands on his video it gives most of the same information in a condensed visual fashion (I liked it better).
I play in a home game as well. One thing i have noticed is that newer players tend to show the most tension when they have a really strong hand (not actually when they are bluffing). Caro talks about this in the "hands shaking" tell (means strong hand). I haven't seen hands shaking yet but i have seen guys stiffen up, act a little more nervous, stop talking as much or more, or just act a litte stilted in thier converstation. Especially in small limit games as it doesn't seem like there is enought riding on any one bet to put make a bluffer really nervous (vs NL). Caro talks about a bluffer being the better who sits really still, not wanting to invoke your call.
One of my opponents has a habit of lightly tossing his cards onto the table when he has a folding hand, versus when he places then on the table.
Finally, it is amazing how the people's speech can give a clue to their hand (whether tone, or unusual idioms, etc.). With one opponent i always try and spark up a conversation if i think he is strong and if his resonse is stilted it often indicates a solid hand (i.e., he gets too tense to converse fluidly).
cheers,
the Real Macoy+
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