A tell in poker is a change in a player's behavior or demeanor that is claimed by some to give clues to that player's assessment of their hand. A player gains an advantage if they observe and understand the meaning of another player's tell, particularly if the tell is unconscious and reliable. Sometimes a player may fake a tell, hoping to induce their opponents to make poor judgments in response to the false tell. More often, people try to avoid giving out a tell, by maintaining a poker face regardless of how strong or weak their hand is.
Poker face definition: 1. An expression on someone's face that does not show what they are thinking or feeling: 2. But Riggio found something that's not so obvious: Charisma also requires the ability to not show emotions. He calls it 'emotional control.' It's what I'm calling a 'poker face' because when you play poker and you get an exceptionally good hand, you don't want anyone else to know.
Examples[edit]
A tell may be common to a class of players or unique to a single player. Some possible tells include leaning forward or back, placing chips with more or less force, fidgeting, doing chip tricks, displaying nervous tics or making any changes in one's breathing, tone of voice, facial expressions, direction of gaze or in one's actions with the cards, chips, cigarettes or drinks.[citation needed]
An underlying rule to many tells is: 'weak means strong, strong means weak.' Thus, players who hold weak poker hands attempt to convince other players at the table that they are strong: staring down an opponent, throwing chips down forcefully into the pot in an effort to discourage others from calling. Alternatively, players who hold strong hands tend to try to disguise their hand as being weak. They attempt to fly under the radar by being a passive player at the table - not making direct eye contact, softly tossing the chips in, being friendly and talkative. They are deliberately trying not to come across as intimidating, so as to entice a call.
Online tells[edit]
Non-physical tells exist in both casino and online poker, but tells like speed of play, betting patterns, the quantity of chips that a player plays with, and player chat can be particularly revealing online.[1][2]
Reliability[edit]
A player's tell gives information only about that player's assessment of their own cards, and hence is reliable only when that player has accurately assessed their own hand. An unskilled player may misread a weak hand as a strong hand and thus their tells will only indicate this misinterpretation.
Players can also make mistakes that may seem like a tell, like fumbling chips out of clumsiness or betting the wrong amount online when clicking the wrong button.
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^PartyPoker.com: The Ultimate Guide to Online Poker Tells
- ^Pokernews.com: Introduction to Bet-Timing Poker Tells
References[edit]
- Mike Caro (1994). Mike Caro's Book of Tells. Carol Publishing Corporation. ISBN0-89746-100-2.
He Has A Poker Face Song
External links[edit]
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OTHER WORDS FROM poker face
pok·er-faced, adjectiveBritish Dictionary definitions forpoker face
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He Has A Poker Face Video
Idioms and Phrases withpoker face
A visage lacking any expression that can be interpreted, as in Whenever Betty attended one of her children's performances, she managed to keep a poker face. This term alludes to the facial expression of a poker player who is expert at concealing his feelings about his hand. [c. 1880]