Everyone enjoys a friendly game of poker, and of course, it’s more fun when playing against family members. However, they know you so well that you might be giving away your hand with your familiar “tells”.
What Is a Tell?
Via Flickr by Snap Happy Brent
A tell is a small gesture or other unconscious habit that may provide information about your poker hand. These little signals will give your opposing players a look at whether you are holding a weak or strong hand. These tells can be detrimental whether you are playing at a gambling city casino in Vegas, with your family or online.
Tells can be something as minor as a little smile or frown, all the way up to something major such as squirming in your chair or coughing. Many times players think that by smiling they can cover up a weak hand and vice versa. These tells often are read by the more experienced players so use these tips if you want to win.
Use the Same Routine
Hiding these tells is not that difficult. For instance, each time you play poker, maintain the same routine and movements. This can include how you handle your chips, how often you check your cards and at what speed you play.
Keep Your Movements in Check
Little movements such as staring too long at the flop cards may give away your hand. Looking at the cards too long may indicate that you have a poor hand and need extra time to evaluate. Alternatively, looking away too quickly from the flop may indicate that the cards are just exactly what you need for a winning hand. Betting too quickly is also another tell that should be avoided. It can either be read as a bluff to a poor hand or a sure sign of a terrific one. Also, don’t immediately reach for your chips when betting—it’s a sure tell.
Watch How You Speak
Another tip for hiding your tell when playing with family is to not to talk or speak frequently. Your silence can disguise many tells and will not provide hints as to your hand.
Wear Those Glasses
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We’ve all seen the professional poker players on television who wear hats and dark glasses. Well, these are very effective methods to prevent others from letting others see your tell. Eyes are especially expressive, so hiding behind a pair of dark shades is a very effective method of disguising your tell.
Don’t Appear Too Confident
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You may feel that appearing supremely confident at all times is a way to throw off your opponents. In fact, the opposite may be the case. Others may perceive this as your way of bluffing a bad hand, or just trying to psych out your opponents. It’s best to remain neutral as much as possible.
Playing Online
Now if you play poker online, it’s obvious that other players won’t be able to “see” your tells. However, there are other tells that can be perceived online. These include the speed of your play. Keep it consistent and it will reduce the opposing players ability to “read” you. Also, don’t forget about online perks. For instance, a good way to enjoy casino games is get more with Europa casino bonus code programs.
No matter how you choose to gamble, just make sure you are aware of your tells and work to disguise them.
