Common Poker Tells and How to Spot Them

Poker is an intense game that can be impossible for many to conquer. However, there’s one helpful tool any player can use to know when to make a move - tells. Tells are observable actions by other players that let you in on their cards. These actions are typically an unconscious motion, which means they don’t know they’re giving themselves away,  

Once you know the most common tells in poker, it will be impossible to miss them. Some are obvious, while others take an expert eye to point out in a crowd. You can also ensure you don’t commit any of these yourselves. Read on to learn more about some of the frequent flyers in the poker tell category and how to track them down.

Strong Eye Contact

Eyes give away everything, and they are a valuable tool in poker. How a person looks in poker can reveal what’s inside, even if their face won’t give anything away.

Refraining from eye contact means someone is nervous and lacking confidence in their play. If they’re staring, they have something excellent on their side. Eye contact could also be an attempt to mislead opponents.

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Sounds

This tell can be trickier to find, so it’s vital to watch your opponents. It will take time to locate each unique one. Often, people will emit a sound that makes it simple to tell when they’re bluffing. Once you hear it you can never unhear it.

Some of the most common bluffs include sighs or slightly sad noises. Usually, these indicate a bluff and are trying to throw the table off their trail. A sad noise means they have a strong hand and they’re attempting a cover.

Typically, sounds are a reverse psychology tactic. Keep the obvious noises in mind and be ready to act on them. 

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Stacking/Throwing Chips

How someone stacks and throws their chips is another tell. It’s much trickier for someone to be casual about their chips if they have an excellent or poor hand, so this spot is one of the best places to check out.

Often, if someone has a neat stack, they are a tight player - they don't bluff and call strong. If they have a messy stack, they’re likely more random, and play will be more unpredictable. 

If someone throws with nerves and cleans up their mess, they may be bluffing. If they place them in with confidence, they aren’t. Of course, you should also note experts know these calls and could try to trick you with their actions.

Reaction to the Flop

How a person reacts to a flop can reveal something about their hand. It’s tempting to look at a flop when it occurs, but we recommend watching the other players’ faces instead.

If they stare, they’re likely holding a weak hand. If they look away from the flop or provide a quick look after turning away, they have a strong hand. Take care at this point.

Aggressive All-In

Another common tell is the aggressive all-in. This action is when someone goes all-in on a river or turn. This move is aggressive, so check out body language. If they are making intense eye contact or their action seems wild, it’s likely their hand is worse than they’re letting on.

Often, the all-in will look suspicious because they’ve been dealing with the hand in a certain way, and then the all-in movie comes out of nowhere. It’s an ideal action to call them if their actions seem out of place.

Snap Call

“Strong when weak” is the most common strategy for players backed into a corner with poker hands. In a snap call, you are making aggressive hands. They make a quick call, it fails, you play, and they make another call. Typically, this aggressive move is a front for the other player to show they aren’t scared.

If they continue to push forward in this manner, keep up your pace unless there’s an indication you should stop. It’s always a good idea to consider the possibility that any player pushing forward an aggressive stance is hiding something they don’t want you to see. A snap call is a dangerous action that’s ready to fight.

Request of Chip Count

Another almost instantaneous revelation of a weak hand is the request for a chip count. They might examine your chip stack, and then ask if the dealer will count them. Once they do, they will make a bet that requires a solid chunk of your chips.

Typically, this move happens to psych you out and prevent from losing. If you have at least a semi-strong hand, we highly advise making the bet.

Tanker

If someone tanks in poker, it means they are taking an extensive amount of time to make a choice. There are two ways someone can tank, each producing a different consideration for other players involved.

Someone might act quickly, tank, and place their chips in the center. This choice often means they have a strong hand. If they take a long time right off the bat, they could have a weaker hand. It might take some trial and error to understand tankers.

Chill Player

The final consideration we want to bring up is the chill player. While it’s true that someone with a weak hand will come on aggressively, someone with a strong hand might seem like they have everything in the bag. They could be slouching and not checking out any cards played, seeming unconcerned about what’s happening.

There is only one way to deal with a player in this situation - fold and don’t give in to their scare tactics. The player can go either way, but they tend to have stronger hands rather than weaker ones. 

Final Thoughts

Poker is an intense game that’s part strategy and part chance, so it’s helpful to have everything you can on your side. The more you play, the easier it will be to understand indicators.

Everyone offers a different tell. Master yours, learn others, and victory will be yours.

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