Real poker tells aren’t magic tricks. They are habits.
Movies make it look easy—eat a cookie, hold the nuts. In reality, “Tells” are boring, repetitive, and subconscious behaviors. This guide focuses on reliable betting patterns and timing tells that work against recreational players in low-to-mid stakes games.
Context is everything. Before you read a soul, read the player. Does he shake his leg all the time? That’s not a tell, that’s just a nervous habit. A true tell is a deviation from their normal “Baseline” behavior. Observe how they act when they are not in a hand first.
2. Live Poker: Strength vs. Weakness
Recreational players generally follow one rule: “Weak means Strong, Strong means Weak.” Note that professional players (regs) often use “Reverse Tells” to fake these signals, so use this mainly against amateurs.
3. Online Poker: The Art of Timing
Online tells are about Timing and Sizing. These are highly reliable at lower stakes but less effective against balanced GTO opponents.
| Pattern | Meaning (Low/Mid Stakes) | Reliability |
|---|---|---|
| Snap Call | Usually a Draw. They call instantly because they don’t need to consider raising; they just want the next card. | High |
| Tank then Check | Weakness. They thought about bluffing, decided against it, and now just want a cheap showdown. | Medium |
| River Tank then Shove | The Nuts. Amateurs rarely think for 20 seconds before launching a suicide bluff. This is a value bet 90% of the time. | High |
| The Min-Bet (1bb) | A “Blocker Bet.” They have a marginal hand and are terrified of a big bet. Punish this by raising. | High |
4. The Hero Call SOP
Tells are just the tiebreaker. A successful “Bluff Catch” starts with logic.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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