learning tells?

[DONKEYJAWS]

For the 3 years ive been playing poker, ive been playing in a home game with mostly the same 8-10 players. i like to think that im pretty good (but its most likley a case of big fish small pond) and am hoping to get in on different games. the crippling problm with my plan is that i have only been playing with the same few guys, and have barely any experience with other players.

i can pretty much read most of the people i play with, but before moving up i would like to get a little heads up as to what to expect. are there any "classic" tells that you have noticed on several players? is there a set of generic tells that many people have? also, is there a good way to look for a tell within yourself?

[asdf1234]

I'm no expert on tells, but I rarely pick them up and think they're a little overrated. This isn't as good a way to read hands as analysis of betting patterns.

That being said, some people have really obvious tells. For example, somebody may have a token or something that they put on their cards before the flop only if they're going to play. If they don't have that on their cards and they're acting after you, then you have one less player to worry about.

As far as tells that take place during later stages in the hand, shaking hands/arms when they are betting or raising is usually a sign that they have a monster hand. I've picked this one up on many players. If you don't have the nuts or close to it, you're likely beaten. Beware in older players, however, as they may simply shake all the time.

[bernie]

caro (book of tells) has some great stuff on this. but keep in mind, what is a tell for one is not a tell for others, and these are just ideas. you have to confirm it patternwise before you really can use it. dont force yourself into seeing a tell. sometimes it's just not there. even something simple like betspeed, which i use a bit on many casual players. though not all of them do it. and tells can change from session to session with the same players. i was playing with a guy who in one session, when he had a good hand, his head would vibrate a little. ive only seen it that one session, and in that session it was rather reliable. but havent seen it since. but i am aware that he is capable of it. so if he starts doing it again, i have to reconfirm that session it to use it again. and (re)confirmation takes more than just one or 2 hands. usually by 4+ the pattern is formed. and many LL/casual guys arent aware enough to really be throwing fake tells. unless theyre kind of obvious about it. basic strong means weak and vice versa stuff.

being observant of your own is a great way to start. for example, you may bet a strong hand and notice you bet a wee too quick on that one. the excitement may have caused it. this is also why others will tend to bet faster than normal. you can also see this in calling speed.

however, make sure the rest of your game is very solid before really exploring tells. they do add to the game but are not really a primary part of play. though it can save you some chips at times, if your main game is flawed, no amount of tell play will help. id suggest getting used to playing with strangers/other players other than your normal group. if that's what your aiming at. get comfortable, then expand.

hope this helps

b

[DONKEYJAWS]