They are not wearing sunglasses because it’s too bright!
Tells are anything a player does to reveal his or her position on a given wager. It is virtually impossible to hide everything you are thinking and winning players are not necessarily the ones who were dealt the best cards but generally the ones who read their opponents best while revealing least.
Eyes
The eye truly are the windows to the soul. Nowhere is this more evident than at a poker table. Hence the shades. Even the very best players have tells. Finding them is something else and in really good players beware the false tell.
Glance at poker chips
It is common for a player who connects to glance at his poker chips. He is already planning his attack.
Body Language
A player’s body language is usually a major tell and can often be seen if you pay close attention. Players who aggressively lean forward a lot tend to bluff a lot. A finger to the chin or change in posture could be telling you volumes about the other players.
Betting Patterns
This is usually the easiest to recognize. Many poker tells are based on the manner in which a player normally bets in a given situation.
Poker Chip Stack
Generally, a neat and orderly stack would indicate conservative play while disorganized stacks tend to be in front of loose, aggressive players.
Opposites Apply
Poker is one of the few games where you are required to be deceptive. You may find some people look more relaxed when you would expect them to be tense and vice versa.
The Bottom Line
What you are looking for is stress or anxiety. Poker is all about confrontation. People experience anxiety in a confrontational atmosphere. It’s that “fight or flight” instinct that shows and it’s almost impossible to hide.
Many physical changes take place when we are under stress and confrontation or expected confrontation is stress on the hoof. How we deal with that confrontation will likely determine whether we win or lose more than the cards we are dealt
