The top areas to watch for these poker tells are:
- Face and Eyes - glancing or staring at someone for a long time can often be the sign of a bluff. A player who looks away or eyes their chips could be the sign of a powerful hand and a major poker tell. Watch for nervous twitches or a scratching of their nose or head but beware these are the easiest to fake.
- The Chips - watch for chips being stacked neatly or randomly splashed on the table. Do the players pick up and fiddle with their chips or pick up a huge pile when they think you might be betting - to try and scare you off. Watch how people react to their hands by how they handle their chips.
- Props - Do people eat or drink at your table and are there any signs that this indicates nervousness or impatience. Anything else they have bought to the poker table which you can study their interaction with.
- Betting Patterns - consider if a player always raises or bets a regular amount or does it tend to vary. Think about whether they bet too much or at higher levels when they have a better hand or are obviously trying to bluff.
- Posture - folding of arms, checking cards again and again or just generally acting nervous can be great poker tells
Ultimately, the psychological secret of the understand poker tells is to study a player and watch for patterns. Watch for deviations from these patterns such as rubbing their hands and learn what this means for that player.