Paying for a tell..

I'm not sure if this is the correct section to post this but o well.

I was playing in a home game and had an A high on a pretty bad board(all low cards). The big blind was in he hand as well as me and he put in a pretty big bet I've played with this guy before and usually he is a weak/tight player but its not out of the question for him to bluff. I saw him do something that i had never seen before, he wouldnt make eye contact, wasnt saying anything and just looking away. I was trying to get a response, asking if he was bluffing and he never changed. the bet was a pretty big bet so i layed it down. he was in the blind and he couldve had anything at that point. In my opinion that was my first mistake. A few hands later the exact same situation came up but there was K high against my middle pair. Now he bets but then just stares me down. completely different reaction to basically the same situation. i lay it down again. I couldnt call at this point because i was low on chips and it wouldve cost be about 1/3 of what i had left.


Now to the question. How much would you risk to get a tell on someone? If i call either bet i know where i stand, instead i lay them both down and now am unsure what exactly he was doing.

I should have called the first one, but the second bet knocks me down alot in that tournament. In a cash game I probably just take the loss of money but this was a tournament that i was trying to place in.

sorry about the lenght of the post...im just wondering in tournament poker will you take a 1/3 chip loss to spot a tell?

[Notorious G.O.B.]

second one sounds like a bluff, unless he's pulling a reverse tell on you.

[Juff]

[ QUOTE ]
in tournament poker will you take a 1/3 chip loss to spot a tell?

[/ QUOTE ]

In a home game with regular players, yes, with regards to gaining an advantage which can be used in all future games.

[bernie]

Are you the only one he's doing this too? You may be able to confirm a read by watching him in a hand that you're not involved in.

It's cheaper that way. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

b

[SpeakEasy]

Let someone else pay for you to learn about his tell. Watch the player carefull when he's in a pot with someone else. Pay attention to his actions before the showdown. Use this information when you are in a hand against him.