Tells

[winky51]

I've been getting a lot of flak because I feel I read players well. I combine betting patterns, tells, conversation, reactions, and pot odds to determine the right play. I have had several players on 2+2 "pashaw" that tells are as effective as I claim them to be.

I feel that some players are great at reading math patterns like betting, doing odds analysis based on previous play, and calculating percentages X player will fold compared to how he played his last 20 hands if I bet Y amount.

But then I know there are players that have this amazing instinct for people. They see patterns in a player's emotional state, know when to play hands in a certain way due to other players frustration, overconfidence, or style. They pick up little instinctive habits of other players and use them against them. They can tell when someone is lying or get them to give a tell that they are. The smell traps and lay them well.

Now mind you I have not played pros so I don't know how they would be, I assume in much more control and the value of tells go way down. But when dealing with mostly with weak players live and I feel they go up in value. Usually I can tell if X player has a weak hand, strong hand, are going to fold, are playing a monster. I can get information out of them, get them to show a hand after a play with a little ego stroke. I constantly watch players hands, movements, body language. This all can't be as insignificant as others say? I don't think so.

Some tells are simple like X loose player always tossing in his chips in play and when he has a monster he places them instead. Or the man who never talks during a hand now babbles when you nail him on a bluff. Another player talks as he bets when he is strong and is a quiet when he is not.

Some more complex like a player that looks at the flop when he is strong and looks at the players when he is weak. A poker friend I know purposely alters his body language and speech to induce a call from others when he is strong but normally plays quiet (this guy has amazing instincts). Took me several sessions to notice this in him.

I feel that the math oriented players might not have as good psychological instints as others. I don't have the super math insticts as the math players. I much rather play live and do better live.

So what say ye who feel like I do? And those who don't?