What Are Some Common Poker Tells?

By Jerry Smith Staff Writer Updated: 07/03/2023

Jerry Smith Staff Writer See Full Bio

Jerry’s greatest advantage is his extensive experience on the casino floor. His time as a casino manager taught him everything about what makes a player tick. Besides being a skilled poker player, he has deep knowledge of all live table games and gambling regulations in the US.

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The Most Common Poker Tells

• Common Poker Tells
• Reading Poker Tells: A Beginner’s Guide
• Behavioral Poker Tells
• Betting Patterns as Tells
• Poker Tells: The Art of Deception
• Physical Tells at Poker: Hard to Control
• Frequently Asked Questions

Poker is the most popular card game in the world, and this exciting form of gambling is a lot more than just luck; you must be able to read your opponents, analyze their behavior, and learn when they’re bluffing and when they’re strong. The best will also be able to pick up on poker tells, and the ability to read these tells can be a game-changer, turning an average player into an unstoppable force.

In today’s blog, we’re going to show you the most common poker tells and teach you how to start identifying them in your opponents.

Common Poker Tells

So, what are poker tells? A poker tell is a subtle sign that players accidentally give off, which can indicate their hand strength or intentions. Common poker tells vary depending on the format of poker you’re playing, but in a live environment, they can include physical changes like nervous ticks, changes in posture or facial expressions, or even verbal ones, like changes in the pitch or volume of a player’s voice.

Learning to identify common poker tells can improve your game immensely, and it gives you a huge amount of valuable information to take into every pot with a player. Read on to become better at popular games like Razz online poker. If you want to learn more about the different variations, check out our dedicated articles like the one about Five Card Draw Poker here.

Reading Poker Tells: A Beginner’s Guide

Understanding poker tells is all about being a keen observer. For example, a player who has a strong hand might instinctively look at their chips right after the flop, thinking about how much they can bet.

On the other hand, a player who is bluffing might stare down their opponent, trying to intimidate them into folding, basically compensating for their bad hand by attempting to look strong. Of course, poker body language can be used as a double bluff, so it’s important to get a good understanding of a player before attempting to read their body language.

Reading poker tells can seem impossible at first, but it’s one of those things that you develop with practice. When you first start trying to read poker tells, you should focus on looking for changes in a player’s behavior. A player who is usually chatty might suddenly become quiet when they have a strong hand, or vice versa. The less experienced the player, the more notable the effect of this is likely to be.

Another example of a poker tell is a shaking hand. Some players, when they have a strong hand, might get excited and their hands may visibly shake as they place their chips in the pot. Paradoxically, this shaking hand phenomenon happens more when players have a strong hand than when they’re bluffing. Of course, that’s not a golden rule, but it’s been shown to be the case in most players.

Of course, reading poker tells isn’t just about recognizing these behaviors, but also understanding when they’re likely to occur and what they mean. It’s important to remember that not every player will have the same tells, and some experienced players might even fake tells to throw off their opponents.

We should also point out that reading poker tells like these only applies in a live environment. If you’re playing online poker, you’ll need to rely on other methods to get an insight into what your opponents are thinking, as you can’t see or hear them.

Behavioral Poker Tells

Behavioral poker tells are unconscious, often small changes to body language that players display without their knowledge that give away information about the strength of their hand. If you know what to look for and how to interpret them, you can get a huge edge over your opponent. There are hundreds of behavioral poker tells, but we’ll look at some of the most common in this section.

Firstly, one of the most common is a player’s physical reaction when they first see their cards. Some players may widen their eyes, raise their eyebrows, or even give off a slight smirk when they receive a strong hand.

On the other hand, players might unknowingly sigh or look away quickly when their starting hand is weak. These are probably the most obvious behavioral poker tells, but they’re also the easiest to fake, so don’t give too much weight to them alone.

Another good example of a behavioral poker tell is hand movements. For example, you may find that a player shuffles their chips more when they have a good hand, something you can detect over the course of a session by analyzing all cards displayed during the showdown. This information, while not instantly useful, can help with the bigger picture, and it’s especially useful when you’re playing against opponents who live locally – people you’ll likely play against in the future.

Another good example of a behavioral tell is the rate of a player’s breathing or blinking. When many players are involved with big pots, physiological responses can be harder to control. A player with a strong hand might unconsciously hold their breath or blink less frequently, while a player with a weak hand is more likely to try and appear strong.

Remember, context is key when looking for poker tells. What you see displayed in one player could mean the complete polar opposite in another, and this is why poker tells should, generally, be used only as part of your decision-making process. Be patient and make sure you’re always analyzing your opponents for valuable information you can use at a later date.

Here’s a quick breakdown of some of the main tells to look for:

Betting Patterns as Tells

Believe it or not, betting patterns can be as revealing as behavioral tells. They reflect a player’s tendencies, strategies, and sometimes, even their emotions. If you’re disciplined enough to pay attention to how your opponents bet, you’ll gain valuable information about their playing style, and how they usually play. Here are some key things to look for:

Firstly, consider the speed at which a player bets. An immediate raise, for example, can sometimes indicate a bluff, as they may be trying to portray confidence.

On the other hand, a quick call could suggest a drawing hand, offering you a chance to take down the pot with a big raise. Again, somewhat paradoxically, a player with a very strong hand may hesitate before making a big bet or call as they’re trying to work out how to make as much money as possible.

Secondly, take into account the amount of money a player bets. Players who consistently bet small with weak hands and bet large with strong hands can be very easy to read. Some players are a lot more predictable than you’d think, and you might even be guilty of this yourself.

Remember, however, that experienced players may use their betting patterns to mislead you intentionally, using what we call reverse tells. As a result of this, you should never base your decisions entirely on a player’s betting pattern.

Instead, use this information in combination with all other information you have to make an informed decision. Don’t rush, take your time, and stop and think about how that player has acted previously before acting.

Poker Tells: The Art of Deception

Deception is an integral part of poker, and it goes far beyond simply bluffing your opponents. Experienced players can fake tells or change their betting patterns to mislead their opponents. However, these techniques may not be applicable if you play Seven-Card Stud poker online, for example, at some of the top platforms.

For instance, a player might fake a tell of weakness, such as looking disappointed after a flop, to bait opponents into betting. Some players might intentionally play slowly when they have a strong hand, trying to pretend like they have a really tough decision on their hands, while others may do the opposite, playing quicker than normal to try and appear confident when they’re bluffing.

Recognizing deception requires a solid understanding of poker tells and psychology. It’s important to consider your opponent’s skill level and the benefit they could get from deception. If the pot’s tiny, for example, there’s little reason why they’d waste time faking a tell and giving away valuable information about their playing style.

Physical Tells at Poker: Hard to Control

Physical tells can offer invaluable insights into an opponent’s state of mind, and the strength of their hand. Physical tells are involuntary reactions that can give away what state of mind a player is in. For example, a player who’s making a big bluff may show genuine signs of nervousness like fidgeting, avoiding eye contact, or even sweating.

On the other hand, a player who has a strong hand might try to suppress their excitement, but subtle signs like a quick pulse in the neck or a slight twitch of the lips might give them away. While similar to behavioral tells (some players even argue there’s no difference), others claim that physical tells are more intense and noticeable.

However, remember that physical tells can vary significantly between individuals, and experienced players do special training specifically to minimize their physical tells at the poker table. As with all poker tells body language points we’ve talked about, you should use physical tells as one information source, not the sole one.