[Homer]

Quick/slow actions can never be reliable.

Not true. They aren't always reliable, but that doesn't mean they aren't ever reliable. If I'm heads-up on the river and have a borderline decision as to whether I should bet for value or check it through, I'm going to lean towards betting when my opponent waits ten seconds before checking, assuming he/she has been acting in a reasonable amount of time for every other decision.

Tells which are very reliable are betting patterns. When you find someone that likes to slow play sets, TPTK, big pairs, etc, a flop bet by that player will be weak - 2nd pair or a draw. This is very reliable.

Betting patterns are not tells. But yes, they are very reliable, much moreso than tells, such as time taken to act. Of course, that doesn't mean that time taken to act should not be considered at all.

-- Homer