Hi,
I have always played online but have recently switched to live games. I understand the math involved in poker and have done fairly well online but switching to live is a whole different game I know. I have been playing live for couple months now and have learned some on my own but of course hearing other's input is always good.

What are the common tells you notice at 1/2 and 2/5? I would appreciate insight on tells of novice and of good players, as I assume there are some big differences.

I have done my basic research into the most common tells but I know there are others.

Any insight will be greatly appreciated! Would also be down to meeting up with someone at the Borgota, Tuesday evening and talking if anyone will be in the area then.

The main thing is tells are player specific. Dont get too caught up in the "this means that" mentality. To answer the question my answer is bet sizing, for example- when I see people open bet huge preflop it almost always means jj or 10 10. But for some people they do that with aces and kings. So its always player dependent, dont consider tells until you have a baseline.

Like Volcano41 said, not every tell has a universal meaning.

I see some guys stare down players after they bet. One guy did this with a Q high flush. Another guy did this to me with top set. Another guy did it to a player with complete air.

What's important is remembering or logging what each specific action meant for each specific player (I use Excel).

Good to know you did some research. There are some very good books out there (a couple by our forum host) that can help you as well.

The biggest 'idea' that I would add to your question is that you see a lot more tells at 1/2 than 2/5. And I mean 'more often' as well as 'more of them'.

I don't tend to disagree that all tells are player specific, but I do agree that you need a general baseline to work from for each player to help decide if a tell is strong enough to 'agree' with and then act accordingly.

Obvious tells: (not in any specific order)
1) Bet sizing .. 'go away' bets
2) Bet/call speed after a card(s) come out
3) Passive to very aggressive behavior during a hand
4) Speeches
5) Chip handling ... flip, push, green or red, 'hands on ready to move'

Most actions at 1/2 are of face value. But I play in rooms where 1/2 is the only game quite a lot of the time. So you need to 'class' each player fairly quick in order to decide what they are and aren't capable of 'acting' like since they may be a very good player that is just 'stuck' at this stake due to room limitations. GL

Zachary Elwood just published an Ebook on this

My favorite isn't bet sizing more of betting pattern. Since players naturally do sine things with certain hands

a few at 1/2:

- shaky hands (but watch out for the thinks he's clever guy with the over-shake -- he's trying for a false tell) = monster hand

- the huge sigh before an action (it's a mini-hollywood or a prelude to more hollywooding) = they think they have the nuts

- the "oh well, time to go home I might as well go all in" guy = he has a monster hand (unless he is too drunk to see his cards -- then he could have anything).



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Can confirm!

Last night; saw all 3, and I see them regularly at 2/4 live. One guy was doing #3 so much it became a joke. He'd shove his remaining few chips in, and say "I have to catch the bus home, I just want to go home" and he always won/had a strong hand. Did this about 3 times over 3 hours and we'd laugh.

Shaking hand has never been anything but a monster in my experience. (Unless they are old and are always shaking.)

I saw one last night that I'd like to get some input on.

Let's call the 2 in the hand 'Bill' and 'Ted;

Bill and Ted are HU @ the river.
Board is: Q T 4 3 9
Bill bets big on the river and as soon as Ted starts to tank, Bill says "You know there is always the option to fold. It's there."
Then Bill even starts shuffling his 2 cards back and forth and picks them up and even jokingly goes to throw them in the muck but stops himself, he does this a few times.
More tanking from Ted.
Finally Bill says "Nice hand mate, nice hand" and waits....
Ted calls, has something like 2 pair, and Bill had the straight (K J).

Can't figure it; Did Bill think he was behind to a flush and was truly thinking he was behind and about to be called by a flush? (All the players are "monsters under the bed" types here, they always think someone hit the nuts.) Or was this a tell?

The flush likely didn't worry "Bill". His actions and words speak more like someone angling for a call.

I think it's totally possible Bill has no idea where he stands. What the talk enables is another way to "feel good about the hand" by introducing the possibility that he talked his opponent into folding a winning hand (a baby flush). The opposite side of that coin (i.e. having his talk change his opponent's action from a fold to a call and losing) isn't really something to fear since he can always tell himself he was always going to call anyway.

Very clever interpretation! ^

I like that thinking.

1) Some guys just have shaky hands ... beware. It could also be fear of losing when making a big bet. MONSTER HAND, yes, BUT NOT THE NUTS!!

2) Have a reg who does this, but I have figured out his real sigh as opposed to his fake sigh. Early in the session I have found the sighs to all be 'real', then he feels obligated to mix up his game!!

3) Generally true, but still fun to try and snap off the short stack!!

As far as Bill ...
1) Once the tank starts, Bill knows he's ahead of 'most' calling hands. I don't care if he's drunk, your brain knows!!
2) I have found that if Bill (the bettor/all in player) introduces the 'action' word into the conversation, then he really wants the opposite. He said 'fold' first .. means he wants a call.
3) Once the tank continues (and he didn't get the desired result, a call), he reverses course and shows a fake 'muck' .. again opposite behavior, he wants to show. Adds on the verbal jab as well.
4) Bill pretty much always has an above average hand for the board unless it's between regs, then this is one of the best leveling spots in a cash game (between regs) .. with the board out there and giving your opponent credit for board reading skills. GL

lol...

Ty

General Guideline:

An all-in without pushing any chips forward into the pot indicates strength.

Only works with someone you believe is unexperienced, but it has proven to be correct A LOT for me when the player is a bit clueless. After tanking for a while on the river facing a bet from them, ask "will you show if I fold" and if they offer up an easy affirmation that they will show you, then they are bluffing. I've also had players say they will show, but the seem to begrudgingly do it cause they kind of think you have already decided to fold. If you have been friendly with the person too, they may say "Sure!" and its just a friendly courtesy to them, so you need to be able to spot the difference and see if they want to show to get their discomfort of bluffing over with. Against an experienced player, I just wouldn't even ask this question.

Finally, another one against medium to weak players is, say there is a full house possible, a flush possible. Ask "Do you really have a flush?" and if the respond naturally in the negative, then they are strong. Whenever someone removes a value hand from their range, it skews them towards strength. If they were bluffing they'd say something like "I could have a flush" or "I'm not sure".

That's all i can come up with right now. Have fun!

Well said. Point 2 is worth remembering.

As I said, dont assume things in a vacuum, you need info. If you were "reading" me, I act almost opposite of all the advice given on this thread.