Poker is a game of individuals participated using the medium of cards. A tell is a behaviour that outlines the basic strength of an opponent’s hand. If you participate in online poker, general tells are composed of betting patterns and the amount of time to react. Real life poker at the brick and mortar betting house provides a greater chance to notice tells. In addition to time tells and betting sequences, individuals have body tells. Players commonly telegraph the strength of their hand through body language, eye movements, heart rates, and voices. Poker is a game of feelings and most players can’t constrain their emotions when cash is involved. In order to spot a tell you have to accurately watch your competitors on each and every hand. Look for any form of wagering sequence or body tell that correlates with the strength of their cards. If a competitor constantly takes deep breaths when she has a big hand, that’s a tell for absolute strength. If a challenger consistently wagers his poor hands with a twitch of his wrist, that is their tell for extreme weakness.
Tells permit you to see beyond your own cards and into your competitor’s brain. Focus on all the things that your opponent does while she places wagers on a hand and try to link each move to a relative strength of hand. With the ability to notice tells on your opponent, the playing cards really don’t matter. If your competitor shows you that she is weak, you can raise her with any hand with the knowledge that he’ll drop out. If your competitor shows you that he is strong, you’ll be able to drop out on very strong hands. There is a lot more to poker than just the cards you’re dealt. Concentrate on your opponent’s body language and your winnings will skyrocket.