Observation and tells @ the table

[ifm]

If tells are important (or even exist at all) how do some online players earn more per day than i do in a year at work??

[TightEnd]

because they play at levels where you can win a fortune

and of course have great maths/theory and gamble

[MANTIS01]

Poker is a game of incomplete information. As such discounting ANY information that is freely available at a live table is a little foolish. Betting patterns and behaviour are pieces in the jigsaw of information. The most important aspect of any type of information gathering is how it all relates to the history of your opponent. How does the present behaviour relate to previous behaviour when a hand was shown?

That said the most important advice for any live game is to pay maximum attention at all times. If you don't know how people usually behave you wont know what their behaviour means at any single given point in time.

[thetank]

if i reraise I have the nuts.  Fold.

pot

[KingPoker]

if i reraise I have the nuts.  Fold.

pot

lmao

[Moskvich]

I haven't played enough live to really have a view on this, but my suspicion would be that if the average player consciously goes looking for tells he/she is likely to end up confusing or second-guessing themselves. Everyone "reads" people on a daily basis, not just in poker. But they do so instinctively and subconsciously. Rationalising those subconscious thought processes is usually very difficult, because there's so much information and experience that has gone into your "gut feeling" about the other person. My guess would be that poker's the same. People make good reads based on instinct, not on some sort of consciously applied checklist. Just making sure you're paying attention and watching people with an open mind, and not trying to override your instinct by deliberating about what this or that mannerism might mean might be the best way to go.

[Claw75]

if i reraise I have the nuts.  Fold.

pot

ah - the old blonde PLO rebuys.  I learnt from the master

[madasahatstand]

I haven't played enough live to really have a view on this, but my suspicion would be that if the average player consciously goes looking for tells he/she is likely to end up confusing or second-guessing themselves. Everyone "reads" people on a daily basis, not just in poker. But they do so instinctively and subconsciously. Rationalising those subconscious thought processes is usually very difficult, because there's so much information and experience that has gone into your "gut feeling" about the other person. My guess would be that poker's the same. People make good reads based on instinct, not on some sort of consciously applied checklist. Just making sure you're paying attention and watching people with an open mind, and not trying to override your instinct by deliberating about what this or that mannerism might mean might be the best way to go.

very good advice:)  you can get it wrong when you over analyse so letting the instincts take the lead sounds sensible.

[ACE2M]

Tells very much exist and they should be looked out for constantly.

Take the world series final this year when Rahme check raised Jerry Yang all in with KK on an Ace high board, it looked strong until he for some reason decided to open his mouth. I immediately said he looked so weak it was alarming, yang called and he said bye bye, if you watch it watch yang perks right up as soon as rahme speaks, he knows straight away.

My biggest live win i can attribute about 50% to one tell i picked up. The guy looked at his cards as he got them, if he squeezed the 2nd one, then the first one was good and he just looked the straight at the 2nd one the 1st was crap, i took his blinds many times and knew when i could expext some action when i had a hand.

People are less calm when they have a monster with hearts pumping and jugular veins throbbing, its helped me lay down many hands i could have busted with.

[TightEnd]

I was playing a festival event and got AA UTG with 30 or so left, having struggled to find a spot for ages to get some chips

I limped and waited for the raise. None came. At the end of the day a friend on the table said to me that she could see my heart pumping when I limped and that she made her mind up then to fold

One weekend comp a few months back I received a magnificent turn card giving me a full house in a multi way pot. The friend on my immediate left told me, post comp, that my breathing completely changed when the card fell. Fortunately the third player in the pot didn't have a scooby, lol

I consciously now have worked on controlling breathing and the like in such situations, and have a few mind tricks to stay relaxed and not alter my physical patterns


Tells may not be for everyone and I respect that. I use them a lot on certain players, not at all on others.

Each to their own

[ACE2M]

i absolutley cannot look at the cards as they come out, i stare at the opponents chin or something, wait a little bit then check the cards on the board. If a card comes out that makes my hand and i see it hit the felt my heart starts pumping and is to much to control, something about the drama of the card being dealt gets me going.

check out rahme on 3.09

http://www.pokertube.com/ShowMovie.aspx?movieID=b2e6e483-c4b2-4b96-ac74-87df62265819&comeFrom=Search&StartPage=4&pIndex=4&PageView=0&FreeText=world%20series%20of%20poker%202007&OrderBy=Latest

[madasahatstand]

I was playing a festival event and got AA UTG with 30 or so left, having struggled to find a spot for ages to get some chips

I limped and waited for the raise. None came. At the end of the day a friend on the table said to me that she could see my heart pumping when I limped and that she made her mind up then to fold

One weekend comp a few months back I received a magnificent turn card giving me a full house in a multi way pot. The friend on my immediate left told me, post comp, that my breathing completely changed when the card fell. Fortunately the third player in the pot didn't have a scooby, lol

I consciously now have worked on controlling breathing and the like in such situations, and have a few mind tricks to stay relaxed and not alter my physical patterns


Tells may not be for everyone and I respect that. I use them a lot on certain players, not at all on others.

Each to their own

The times Ive played live, and thats not been a lot (maybe 5 times in total), ive always felt more excited when ive hit cards and ive felt my own heart beating. Now this would be a real tell if someone could see through my ribs and see it pumping away. I do wonder however, if there are associated symptons of this excitment such as raised respirations and if anyone would be able to spot it. Im pretty good at controlling myself but that feeling of your heart going like crazy feels at the time like everyone can see it....lol  I have noticed as ive observed live game play, that when players hit, sometimes they appear to take one deep breath as if to compose themselves. This of course may be an assumption on my part and an over analysis of a simple breath or sign...lol  Human behaviour is a very interesting study but we aften dont get it right.
Im interested to know if your heart beat has calmed down over the years when you hit big or is this excitment every  bit the same as when you first started playing?

[Laxie]

Online, everything is mostly done by instinct without much fear or concern.  But live, I have a HUGE problem with my breathing patterns when I'm in a hand.  Been working on controlling it a bit better, but the problem still exists.  Might have to find some mind tricks for meself as well. 

[ACE2M]

for those with problems on heart beating and breathing. I really recommend not looking at the board for a while, even better if you haven't got to act first, be thinking about what your action will be if the card is good/bad. Then when you look you will feel calmer about your decision with a good idea of your action already decided.

[RED-DOG]

Online, everything is mostly done by instinct without much fear or concern.  But live, I have a HUGE problem with my breathing patterns when I'm in a hand.  Been working on controlling it a bit better, but the problem still exists.  Might have to find some mind tricks for meself as well. 

Laxie, don't worry about your breathing problems. as long as you do the same thing whether you have the goods or you are bluffing it makes not a jot of difference.

I often shake when I'm in a big pot, but I do it regardless of my hole cards. I used to be embarrassed about it because I thought it made me look like a novice, but now I don't give a monkeys. You worry about your game, let them worry about your breathing.