Detecting a Tell

[Ace-Ex]

Excuse me for being a newb, but I don't know how to post hand histories or if this is the correct forum for tells, but here goes.

No-Limit freebie tournament at a bar. Usually 5 or 6 pretty good players and a lot of recreational players--70 or so in the tournament, start with $500. I know I played this hand terribly, but I'm mainly interested in the tell I observed.

Hero and Villain each have about $600. Blinds are 50/100. Hero UTG with 9 9 raises to $150. Villain in MP calls and BB calls. Flop comes 8 K 8.

BB checks, then I look at Villain and see he is already grabbing at his chips, so I decide to check to see what he does. He bets $100. I deduced he put out a small bet looking for a call, but his grab at chips indicated he hit something really good on the flop. So I go against my better judgment and call the $100 (BB folds).

So my question is, is this an accurate tell: when somebody grabs at their chips immediately on a flop then gives a small bet does that tend to indicate strength? I've had a problem of getting sucked into pots with small bets on the flop and having to call all-ins by the river. This seems to be a big leak in my tournament game.

Rest of hand below:
<font color="white"> Next card is a K, so I check and Villain bets. I call $100 again. Next card is a blank, so I check and call the all-in bet by Villain for my last $300. Villain has A-8 for the full house. I go home having learned something new at least. I assumed he had a King, so I was even wrong on that count. </font>