Gulp!

Whilst sitting on the rail after a tournament exit (thinly veiled "I entered a tournament at least once" brag), I read an article in a magazine by a chap who has written a fair bit about live tells, amongst other things. This particular article was about gulping: whether it means strength, weakness, nervousness, anticipation, beverage consumption, acid reflux, whatever.

I could give my own thoughts on this particular oddity or on tells in general and I'd be here all month, you'd be fed up half way through and blonde would end as we know it. In basic summary, live tells are something I'm a strong believer in, but I don't think they are understood or interpreted well in general because it is critical to be subjective and take each case on its merits. Already you can see how a Tal essay on this could get boring. In an act of almost unbridled compassion, I shall spare you further digression.

What I'm interested in is your experience of The Poker Gulps and what you think when you see a villain in a hand swallow hard. Do you change your action? Has it ever been a decisive factor in a hand? Do you notice yourself swallowing when an opponent is tanking after you've unleashed a monstrous bluff? Do you balance it by swallowing before you show aces? Do you tank a little longer against a known gulper to wait to see if their throat swells like a randy bullfrog? Are huge tells only reserved for LeChiffre in Casino Royale?

You tell me.