I have a problem that when I have a monster and when setting out chips to bet, my heart rate spikes and I can see my hands shaking a bit. I'm sure it's a major tell and I'm not sure what to do about it. Other night I flopped top boat and kinda made a fool of myself gathering my chips, it was kind of embarrassing and everyone folded.

Interesting enough when I'm on a stone cold bluff this doesn't happen. So what causes this and how can I avoid doing this? I would think it would be the reverse...when I'm bluffing I'm definitely nervous and praying they don't call but for whatever reason my heart rate doesn't spike and I'm not shaking. When I have the nuts I can literally feel my heart beating. How do you calm yourself down?

This tell is usually by scared money, so stop being scared and get more money. This tell is also from people not use to seeing a full house. It will go away after a hundred full houses, or the first time it gets beat by quads. It'll pass in time imho.

It will pass with time, you will be ok��

Each person has their own way of reacting to 'exciting' situations. It's one of the key reasons that poker tells need some basis before implementing them into decisions. When you bluff you may be doing a very good job of mentally releasing those chips from your stack as 'part of the game' whereas we all love to win big pots .. maybe you are already spending those chips on dinner in your mind!

I agree you will get used to these spots as you are in them more often. Although it can open a 'new' tell door as I've discussed in other threads, you can either announce your bet size first or just slide your chips out rather than lifting a stack. Once you announce your bet size the next opponent may not pay attention to 'how' you get your chips out there as much. The obvious tell here is that you may only do this when you are strong and/or you may give away something in your voice tone. GL

You could tell the table you are being looked at for a neurological condition. In my case, that is the truth. Sometimes my hands shake so bad, you would think I'm a drummer in a rock and roll band.

great advice, thanks all!!

On drink is OK in NL imho, but just one. It'll calm the nerves.

That's an adrenaline reaction. You can't control it -- but the advice above about minimizing the display is all good. (And, despite your experience after flopping the FH, you'd be surprised how many players are oblivious.)

The statement that it does pass with experience is also quite true. After a while you just stop getting excited.

However, depending on the individual, that may take a good many hands.

Do watch for it in others, as it's one of the most reliable of tells. (I saw a player try to fake it once, but it was pretty unconvincing.)

True.

Playing limit HE, having stacks ready that are call AND raise size.... will help. Simply dragging a stack is much better than counting out a raise (call) in the betting area with all eyes on you. Prestack as the dealer is preparing the next board card....no one will notice you handling you chips as they are all focused on What the next card will be.....

You can kinda do the same thing in NL.... you just have to be more creative.

The reason you feel okay when bluffing is that your fate is sealed. If the stake is high for you make an effort to conciously breathe instead of automatic deep/shallow breathing. It's probably your other tell, lol. Shallow breathing while bluffing is a tell. Reading tells is about finding contrast.

People tell me that all the time. I never believe them and the tell is among the most reliable, a lot of people especially older/live only players get the shaking hands=nuts tell and it tends to be 100% reliable

One thing to consider is if you learn to tense your muscle between your elbow and hand in just the right way you can make your hand shake and look identical (I find this easiest to do with my right hand personally) and you can balance out the real tell with an identical looking fake tell. You'll need to keep your other arm off the table as I can personally at least only do this with one arm at a time

I don't actually have the shaking hands = nuts tell personally, but it's a good fake tell to have in your arsenal. The muscle i'm referring to is the triceps brachii I think according to google.

As previous posters have said it's an adrenalin thing, as you play more and getting a big hand becomes less exciting and more normal because you've seen it a lot it should pass, but until then i'd recommend learning to mimic the adrenalin reaction and to do that with all of your hands in spots where a potential big hand gets there to balance

Although it is very reliable, I will also note that when I first start playing for (what was to me) high stakes, my hands shook steadily for about 15 minutes after I first arrived at the table -- no matter what my cards were.

I wish I was lying as it is not fun, is tiring, and I wish I did not have these episodes. I should say that my tremors involve more than my hands.

If you look at someone and their hands are shaking even when they are not in a hand, they are more than likely telling the truth about the cause.

In my experience, in Australia anyway, outside of older people with a medical condition people who say their hands 'always' shake are lying at least 80-90% of the time and it's a tell. I have encountered a few players who shake all the time but far, far more who only do it as a nuts tell and if anyone points it out to them (not me obv) then they lie and say they shake all the time

In my experience, in Australia anyway, outside of older people with a medical condition people who say their hands 'always' shake are lying at least 80-90% of the time and it's a tell. Hence recommending learn to make your right hand at least shake in the same manner, I don't have the tell myself and I learned to do it (along with learning to fake a few other tells, one of which mimics an actual tell I have when i'm bluffing)

I had this problem alot when I started playing, It will pass like everyone says...What I did to combat it was I would just toss my bet (no splash like a douche) in the middle instead of placing it in, if you move quickly the shakes are not noticeable...I can go into more detail if you would like but it would be a bit of a novel so start here and if you need more info let me know.

You could try verbalizing all of your bets before cutting out the chips and that will take attention away from your hands and you will likely feel a little more relaxed.

At least it's better than your nuts shaking when you have a hand

Sounds like your research could sprout of in another direction here, Z

theres a reg i play with that has the MOST hilarious shaking hands.

its obviously when hes strong, especially preflop with AA and maybe KK.

like yesterday it went a bunch of folds, 1 limp, and his hands shaking and hes trying to stack like $40-45 in chips to make a preflop raise. (the normal raise has been like $20-25) and theres not tons of limpers so its AA or KK all day. Hes quite tight, so this is an act exactly 0% of the time.

the other large man regular across the table comments on his preflop raise as hes making it. "Like whooaaa bill slow down maybe not that much!" etc i think he got in 2-3 comments before the $40 hit the felt.

i mean it took the reg like 10-15 seconds at least to stack his $40 and bet it, chips sliding and shaking off his two 4 chip redbird stacks he was attempting to make. everyone folded obviously. it was so ****ing comical.

but ya its rarely anything but the nuts.

There isnt anything you can do about it except play more and not be scared money.

i usually bring like $5k-$7k in my pocket for just ONE session of 2/5 or 5/10 so im never nervous or scared of potential outcomes of various hands. I usually quit if i drop 3 buyins so the amount really is negligible, its just for my own psychological gains.

As others have said.. it takes time. No matter what limit you play at, there is going to be some nervousness when you're involved in a big hand. Whether it's your first monster in a $200 pot playing $1/$3, or your first monster in a $100,000 pot playing high stakes. Second time it happens it gets easier. Third time a little more easy, and by the time you've played lots of them it becomes nothing.

I have the same problem, whether I'm bluffing or have a huge hand. Just try to focus on your breathing before you do anything, and it should stop (or at least not be as noticeable) after a few seconds.

At least you're more balanced, so harder to read than if you always had the nuts. You're probably thinking, "Gee, isn't this exciting", and the excitement should wear off.

I am curious as to whether doing something like skydiving would remove this tell somewhat, because then the thrill of the gamble doesn't match the skydiving. I do not have a degree or anything, I just wonder sometimes crazy ideas.

My hands always shake when I'm counting out chips or something similar. Probably sending off all kinds of confusing tells, but they can't mean anything as they always shake.

What's it generally mean? Very strong hand? So if I notice somebody staring at my hands I might reasonably assume they think I'm strong?

I'm somewhat the same. I found I shake whenever I'm in a big pot, nuts or not so doesn't give the tell the think it does. I still try to spot when it's happening and just keep my hands away from sight or play with my chips less when it's happening just in case.

I remember playing live last year in pretty big pot and the guys shoves on me because he says I'm sweating and I'm pretty animated so he's got me. He shows a pretty medium hand, top pair or something and I've got him dominated. Another guy points out on the table I'm eating a VERY spicy chicken pasta behind me which is why I'm sweating and animated. How we laughed....