Poker is a game of individuals played through the medium of playing cards. A tell is a pattern that outlines the relative strength of an opposing player’s hand. If you play online poker, general tells include betting sequences and the amount of time to act. Real life poker at the brick and mortar betting house offers a greater chance to spot tells. Along with time tells and betting sequences, individuals have physical tells. Players frequently announce the strength of their cards through body language, eye movements, heart rates, and voices. Poker is a game of feelings and a lot of people can’t constrain their emotions when money is involved. In order to identify a tell you have to accurately pay attention to your opponents on each and every hand. Look for any type of betting pattern or body tell that relates to the strength of their hand. If a challenger constantly breaths deeply when she has a strong hand, that is a tell for extreme strength. If an opponent consistently wagers his feeble hands with a flick of his wrist, that is their tell for absolute weakness.
Tells permit you to see further than your own hand and into your competitor’s brain. Concentrate on everything that your competitor does while she places wagers on a hand and attempt to link every action to a given strength of their cards. With the opportunity to acquire tells on your opponent, the playing cards really do not matter. If your competitor shows you that they are weak, you can raise her with any hand with the knowledge that he will fold. If your opponent shows you that he is strong, you will be able to drop out on very strong hands. There is more to poker than just the cards you are dealt. Focus on your competitor’s body language and your earnings will skyrocket.