In Texas
hold’em,
especially the no limit variety, you will significantly improve your
chances of
success if you are able to run the occasional bluff. Some people bluff
with
reckless abandon while others are afraid of revealing their bluff with
“tells,”
subconscious actions that give them away. Here are a few bluff tells to
be
aware of.
Strong Means
Weak
The most basic tell in poker is the “strong means
weak” tell. What this
essentially means is that novice poker players try to disguise the
strength of
their hand by doing the opposite of what their hand would suggest.
If their hand is strong, they will try to act disinterested, as if they
have
nothing. If their hand is weak, they will act overconfident. If you are
dealing
with an inexperienced player and he makes his bet very forcefully while
staring
you down, this is an indication that he may be bluffing
Talking
Talking is not necessarily a sign of a weak hand. However, if a player
is
normally very quiet and suddenly starts talking, or is usually a
chatterbox and
suddenly goes silent, it means something. Whether it means weakness or
strength, you will have to determine through observation of earlier
hands.
Offering to Show
Occasionally a player will ask “if I fold, will you show
me?” This is sometimes
a legitimate question from a player who wants to satisfy his curiosity.
However, it may just as easily be a test to try to determine whether
the bettor
wants a fold or a call. Be very wary of how you answer this question,
if you
answer it at all.
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