If you’ve seen any professional poker players in action, you’ve no doubt focused in part on their composed appearance. To the uninitiated, this must seem strange, given how emotional the game is and how high the stakes are usually raised. You’d expect these people to constantly shout and gesture wildly, not remain still as a statue and open their mouths only when drinking or announcing their next move. After all, we all know the “poker face” face expression (or the lack of expression). That’s one of the poker player tips.
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In reality, these people are anything but composed but have to give an illusion of such to fool their opponent. The truth is, poker is a game where reading your rivals can give you insight into their current situation and consequently how to best respond to them. But such a skill can be quite hard for beginner gamblers.
To aid you in that regard, we’ve asked Natural8 poker experts for help and prepared a list of the most popular poker player tips and tells, including making eye contact, calling bets rapidly, the way bettors handle their chips, talking during the game, or even impatience, that can help you win the day, or lose it all if it’s you who’s displaying such behavior. Read the article and discover why knowing these simple acts are crucial to securing the win!
Making Eye Contact
First of the poker player tips – when playing poker, you have to pretend that you’re a calm, composed person. But if you’re really a nervous wreck, it can be tough to maintain such an illusion. That’s why many poker players try to use a technique known as making eye contact. They let their eyes drift to the cards in their hands and then look up, directly into the eyes of their opponent.
This is intended to convey how calm and collected (and, hence, confident) they are in their betting. In truth, though, this is an act that can easily be replicated by just about anyone who has the self-control to do so; it’s not necessarily a surefire way of telling what your true intentions are. Don’t forget that this technique works both ways. If your opponent sees you making frequent eye contact, they will know of your strong hand and may plan accordingly.
Calling Bets Rapidly
This is one of the trickiest from all the poker player tips. When a player begins to call their opponent’s bets quickly, it usually means they have a weak hand. They are trying to keep up the illusion of strength but are, in fact, eager to intimidate other players by their rash actions. This tells you that you’re probably in for a victory if you up the stakes.
At the same time, though, this behavior could also mean that your opponent is trying to trick you into thinking they have a bad hand. So be careful how you interpret this information and try to determine whether this action is a bluff or the real deal. Moreover, if this player has been calling bets slowly, you can safely assume that they have a strong hand, and then you should think twice before increasing the stakes.
Handling Chips
Let’s talk about the third of the poker player tips. When a player confidently handles their chips, it usually means that they are holding a good hand. They don’t really care about the money because they will win either way, so they have no reason to hide their actions. However, this is not always true, as a person gambling recklessly will still handle their chips casually, even if they have a weak hand.
So, when you see a player handling their chips with confidence, it’s best to wait for them to fold before placing your bet. On the other hand, when you notice that your opponent is handling their chips in an insecure manner, it’s a good indicator that they do not have a good hand and are just trying to bluff their way out of the situation. And if that’s the case, it can be a good idea to increase the stakes and try to trip them up.
Talking During the Game
Fourth of the poker player tips is about talking during the game. When someone talks during the game, it usually means that they’re feeling quite secure about their hand. They have no qualms about being inattentive because they’re confident they can win, so they don’t even have to think about their actions as much.
Such a person may also be trying to distract their opponents by bombarding them with small talk to distract them from the game and give them time to think. But if this player is talking all the time, it could mean that they are trying to evade suspicion about their hand. As you can see, the meaning of this action depends largely on the intent of the speaker and how well you can read them.
Impatience
And this is the last of the 5 poker player tips, and one of the most important. If your opponent is losing patience and getting irritated and agitated, it usually means that they have a very strong hand and simply cannot wait to make their bet. Even if it is a bluff, they’re going to make sure that everyone notices the action, which is why they tend to get more frustrated when they lose. This makes sense, as it is a classic poker tell. However, you should be careful not to mistake this behavior for nervousness, as that person may not have a hand at all and is simply trying to portray themselves as confident.
Poker Player Tips: Conclusion
It’s hard to win poker without any tells, as you have no way of knowing what your opponent’s intentions are. But if you know some tells, you can get a pretty good idea of what they are up to. After all, you don’t need to be a mind-reader to figure out that a player is bluffing since their body language is often obvious. The most important thing you have to remember is not to overthink your opponent’s actions; instead, keep it simple and focus on the tell itself. If you pay attention to these tells, you’ll start winning more often than not, and your bankroll will soon grow. May the luck be with you!
