Tells are such a major part of PKR tournament play. They even let you stop playing the game to get a read on someone. Makes sense, we’re talking about anywhere from hundreds to millions of dollars. You’d probably want to take your time and make the most informed call before committing one way or another. So that brings me to my top here – tell tips. A few to keep in mind when reading or trying to prevent others from reading you.
If you think someone is watching your moves (you eyeballin’ me boy?), stay aware of it, but don’t try to counteract it by throwing breadcrumbs to lead him or her down another trail. Meaning, don’t guess what tell you think you’re giving away and then do the opposite of what you think they’re reading. As we can see from Daniel Craig in Casino Royale (yes, a very valid example), all that gets you is a swift thrust in your junk. Seriously, though, this is a juvenile and meaningless reaction, and one that can lead to the opposite of your desired result. Going out of your way to throw someone else off the scent will not only expose you, and open you up to further scrutinization now that others know you can be so easily affected, but while you’re playing your own wise guy game with someone else, you’re probably not paying full attention to the hand, and are either missing another opportunity or falling into a well-set trap.
It’s not the right movements that protect you, it’s the lack of movement. The stone faces are what conceal your tells. There’s a reason for those funny glasses, hats and more. It’s very “telling” that this year’s WSOP tournaments had a new rule that basically said they have to be able to see your face. You can cover your eyes, but you can’t wear a ski mask over your head, that was the gist of it. I like that rule, it forces players to implement some actual discipline into their emotional and physical response, which needs to be part of everyone’s game.
And, study relentlessly. Poker is not only a game about gut feelings and statistics. While those two play a large part, knowing your opponents as best you can is such a fantastic weapon to have in your arsenal. Most of us aren’t playing with folks on television to the point where you can watch tape of them (and if you’re taping guys in your buddy’s basement, you’ll probably end up kicked out of the game!), but you get my point. When you’re out of a hand, after you’ve folded, do nothing but watch the other players. Study how they bet, how they hold their chips, where they look, how they arrange their cards, how they breath, anything you can think of. It’ll pay off in the long run. After all, you can’t call someone on a tell if you haven’t learned it yet.
As the PKR Poker WSOP enters it’s final round, try this exercise. Don’t watch the players for tells. Watch how they watch the other players for their tells. It’ll be an eye-opening experience for you, I promise, and you’ll definitely learn a thing or two. And if they catch you watching, don’t worry about it. You’re not doing anything wrong. It’s all part of the game.