Since this section of the forum just opened up I wanted to start a broad thread on what everyone thinks the most dependable tells that they encounter are.

The most reliable one that I've come across is when somebody starts saying to me that they think I'm bluffing (or make an exaggerated sigh) after I raise, usually means they have a big hand. This could be used as a reverse tell but most competent players don't seem to do this.

Let me know your thoughts and any tells you guys think are fairly reliable.

Someone shuffling/playing with their cards is almost always weak. If they stop shuffling and put their cards down and put a chip protector on them, they just hit.

"I want you to call"

Weak.

snap check and snap calls are almost always marginal hands.

"Will you show me if I fold?" = I can't wait to fold so pls just give me a damn reason to.

"How much are you playing?" (Preflop) = how do I extract the maximum with this huge overpair?

Or, "I have a small to medium pocket pair and need to know if you have enough to make it worthwhile to set mine."

Some of the most useful and reliable tells are the ones that signal a player's intent to fold behind you. A lot of players who are somewhat aware of these tells fail to exploit the absence of these tells from a player who frequently gives them.

The most reliable one I know comes up all the time in NLHE. The flop has a flush draw and it hits on the turn. If they double check their cards they are usually checking to see if they have one of the suit. Like suppose the flop is K82hh and the turn is the 9h. They have KQ and want to see if one their cards is a heart. The reason they don't have a flush is people generally remember if they flopped a flush draw. So when it hits on the turn, they don't need to double check since they would remember they flopped a flush draw.

This tell is best against weaker players or intermediate players. I have seen a lot of good players double check from time to time and they generally don't give off live tells much anyways,

You have a hand were you are not sure if you should call or fold?

Talk to your Villain, if they start talking as well or even are talking when you said nothing they are strong, period.

I see this also to be speculative hands as well. They want to know if you have enough for them to profitable play a spec hand. So maybe if they ask a stick in a raise that could be strong. If they ask and just call... I think you get a spec there some of the time.

Well, I am always interested in people's stacksizes whenever i have a hand that i want to play. May it be AA or 56s. It may be important for sizing issues or if you can call to setmine and so on.

People who play with their chips constantly. . .when they hit and are strong they stop all chip play

When someone flicks their hand to the side as if to say "oh, nobody is betting? Might as well then" they have a big hand. Like the "poker clack" but with their hand. Sorry...this one is hard to explain.

Shoot Im constantly shuffling, I'm going to watch that I don't do this one now

This.

It's also probably a tell that you don't have your chips stacked well and/or are blocking view of them with your hands.

almost always... when you ask how a player how much more he shoved for (over your raise) and he replies, "not much." he's got the nuts.

When you bet/befote you bet and they look at your stack behind usually means theyre strong and want that action!

And is angling.

Go on?

You don't get to lie about the # of chips you have at the poker table.

I don't get it. The term is so general, how could that be enforced? I've never seen it.

On the scale of angles, it's obviously relatively minor.

But if someone asks you for a countdown, the only proper response is an accurate count, or letting the dealer get an accurate count. Misrepresenting your count is like hiding big chips.

I guess if they're like "not that much, about $1k" then NBD. Just seems stupid, which I guess was that poster's point.

I am amazed this one still happens. I still see it frequently. The more disinterested appearance, the stronger the hand.

Also after the hand, when they look sad, they are sad because their monster won so few chips. Once you see the sad look, replay the hand backwards. Then watch for the behavior in the future.

Watching the jaw is another good tell.

Some players in a hand will clench and unclench their jaws as if they are chewing gum. Watch to determine whether they do it from stress of the hand or because they are behind.

If they do it only when they feel behind in the hand, pound away.