Poker Rakeback Tells

Tells. If you can read ‘em, they’re worth more than their weight in circular plastic. So much so that poker enthusiasts, professionals and newbies alike will try anything they can to get someone to reveal a tell if their not readily volunteering that information to the table already. The bible of poker tells was written by Mike Caro, and is so named Caro’s Book of Poker Tells. This is a book that anybody interested in furthering their game should pick up.

So what are some useful methods? I’ve tried them all, and they’ve all been tried on me. And sometimes being aware of that, and consciously trying to stay stone-faced and stoic actually hurts you more than answering them back.

One of my favorites is when you get asked how many Full Tilt Rakeback chips you have left? Most of the time these guys aren’t even going all-in, they’re just testing you and watching your reaction? Are you quick to check? Have you been keeping track already because you’re losing and want to know how much you have left before you’re done? Do your movements to count the chips reveal defeat? Be careful how you respond to this question, it’s a great one and can work magic on an unsuspecting target.

Many people can tell strength better than weaknesses by betting patterns, so they’ll use tactics like this to try to get you to talk. They’ll listen to your voice and see if they can detect fear, uncertainty, hesitancy or anxiety. The good ones will dissect even a couple words and use the information to their advantage.

Some will crack jokes, tell crazy stories, act drunk when they’re really not. All this is to do one of two things. Either get a reaction out of you and/or to throw you off your game. So even if they can’t read you, maybe you’ll do something stupid and hurt yourself anyway.

What you as the one receiving the bait should understand is that these methods can backfire if you know how to turn them around on them. Whether someone jokes or stares at his hand is just as much of a tell as your reaction to either one. Look for patterns. Watch the level of a drink with a lot of ice to see if that “drunk” person is even drinking.

You’ll run into this in any poker rakeback no-limit or higher stakes game, whether it’s in a basement somewhere or in a casino. But if you’re prepared for it, you’ll be the one with the edge at the end.