Poker Dynamic

Anyone who plays poker for a living knows that the worst thing that can happen to a player is to have another pick up on a tell of his or hers. A tell allows another player to play better based on knowing what sort of cards an opponent has. It allows them to fold when they think someone has an unbeatable hand and to call when they think someone is bluffing. It is much harder to win money or a tournament if there is someone who has your number sitting nearby.

Most people think that tells are something obvious. Something that can be easily seen and noticed by all. The truth is, however, that tells are very subtle and often are down unconsciously. Many players have no idea that they have a tell at all.

The best way, naturally, to figure out you have a tell is to check whether or not you are winning consistently. Poker is a game in which a player will always have bad nights with the good, but players with good skill expect to win a higher percentage of the time than when they lose. If you think you are losing more often than you should against a certain player or table, you might have a tell that is giving your hands away.

Watch yourself in the mirror. Play poker in front of a video camera and analyze what you are doing differently during big hands and bluffs. You may stop talking altogether when you want to get serious in a hand. You may play with your chips more when you have a bluff going. It might just be a small twitch that only the guy from Psych, who just happens to be playing with you, could notice.

Either way, its not easy to lose a tell. Opponents will almost never tell other players what tells they saw. Why give up an advantage on a player you may see again? Watching yourself play poker, through a video, is a good way to start. Give it a try and see if you pick up anything.

Filed under: Tells