Stian Kjellhov - How To Read Your Opponents in 5 Minutes or Less

How To Read Your Opponents In 5 Minutes Or Less
The Best Guide To Reading The Minds Of Poker Players

By: Stian Kjellhov
Copyright2006EasyPokerTells.com

Disclaimer: No promises of money or winning is made.
This book is for entertainment purpouses only.
Table of Contents

Introduction......................................................................................................................... 1
Understanding Body Language........................................................................................... 2
Body Language Is Spoken By Everyone....................................................................... 2
Words May Not Be Enough............................................................................................. 2
Body Language Is A Subconscious Language ................................................................. 2
Its Hard To Hide The Truth............................................................................................ 3
The 7 Signs Of Deception................................................................................................ 3
The Basics Of Reading Poker Tells .................................................................................... 4
The Heat Is On................................................................................................................. 4
Catching The Weak Player............................................................................................... 4
Cracking The Tells Of The Master Poker Players.............................................................. 6
Signs Of A Good Hand .................................................................................................... 6
Signs Of A Weak Hand.................................................................................................... 7
Signs Of A Drawing Hand............................................................................................... 7
A Step-By-Step Guide To Reading The Table ................................................................... 8
How To Read The Table ................................................................................................. 8
A Step-By-Step Guide To Reading Tells.......................................................................... 11
How To Identify Tells....................................................................................................... 10
How To Validate Tells...................................................................................................... 12
How To Test Tells ............................................................................................................ 12
How To Test A Winning Hand Tell ................................................................................. 12
How To Test An Uncertain Or Weak Hand Tell .............................................................. 13
How To Test A Bluffing Tell........................................................................................... 13
How To Fake Your Own Tells.......................................................................................... 14
How To Erase Your Natural Tells .................................................................................... 14
How To Create False Tells ............................................................................................... 15
Time To Put It All Into Practice ....................................................................................... 16


2006 EasyPokerTells.com All Rights Reserved 1

Introduction

When a player at a poker table involuntarily gives away the quality of his hand by some
physical movement or body language, thats called a tell. Dont believe in tells? Youd
better because they are the real thing.

Well take a look at how to interpret tells, along with an in-depth look at body language
in general, so you can use your newfound skills both in and out of the game.

Lets get started.



Understanding Body Language

Body Language Is Spoken By Everyone

The three forms of communication that most humans use in everyday life are the spoken
language, the written language and body language. Body language is also called non-
verbal communication because we do not use our actual language skills when
communicating this way. We use our body.
Words May Not Be Enough

One of the problems with the written language, including e-mail and on-line chat, is that
both parties to the conversion are not able to see the other persons body language
during the exchange. As a result, we miss out on the little hand gestures, eye contact,
smiles, etc., that subconsciously reinforce what the other person is saying. Thats why
weve invented little symbols and use terms like LOL (Laughing Out Loud) to
augment our e-mail and online communications. Humans need that extra body language
touch in order to communicate clearly.
Body Language Is A Subconscious Language

Except for people who have learned how to control their body language, and youll find
some of them around the poker table, the use of body language occurs subconsciously.
Nonetheless, it is an important part of our daily communication process.

In fact, according to language experts, the majority of the communication process is non-
verbal and works like this:

55% of a normal conversation consists of body language.
38% of a normal conversation consists of tone of voice.
7% of a normal conversation consists of the actual spoken words.

This means that an amazing 93% of normal conversation is non-verbal with the majority
consisting of body language! Its no wonder people are so easily misunderstood when
communicating via e-mail.


Its Hard To Hide The Truth

Many law enforcement personnel and professional interrogators have learned how to tell
whether or not someone is telling the truth by interpreting their body language instead of
their words. That makes sense when you consider that body language in involuntary and
makes up 55% of what a person is saying.

There is a formal methodology taught by body language experts called Behavior Analysis
Interviewing (BAI) which teaches an interviewer how to decipher what is known as the 7
Signs of Deception. These body language signs can tell you when someone is lying
regardless of how loudly he proclaims that he is telling the truth. Since these signs are as
valid around the poker table as they are in the police interview room, its worth knowing
how to recognize these signs and what they mean.
The 7 Signs Of Deception

1. Lack of eye contact.
2. Change in voice tone or pitch.
3. Fidgeting, finger or foot tapping.
4. Excessive touching of the face, chin, mouth or nose.
5. Blushing or ears turning red.
6. Feigning of disinterest.
7. Excessive humor or sarcasm.

Remember that when a player is trying to disguise the quality of his hand he is, in effect,
telling a lie. And that lie is going to be revealed in his body language or his tell if you
know how to read it.

Keep in mind that many of the best players have worked hard to developed a poker face
which makes it harder to interpret their body language. Keep your eye out for players
who exhibit no body language at all. The have become the consummate poker player and,
perhaps, the ultimate liar as well!

The remainder of this book will focus on using body language to gauge the quality of
other players hands.


The Basics Of Reading Poker Tells

Whether you are playing a friendly neighborhood game or youre betting it all in the last
hand of The World Series of Poker, theres a lot more going on at the table than the ear
can detect. If you listen with your eyes instead of your ears, it may be possible to figure
out what your opponent is holding.
The only way to end up walking away from any table with the most chips is knowing
when to bet, when to call and when to fold. A lot of study goes into learning how to
calculate pot odds and other poker statistical information, but not as many players take
the time to learn their opponents tells. Lets correct that mistake.
The Heat Is On
Even experienced players can give away a tell when the pressure is building and they are
fully committed to a deep pot. The better the player, the more subtle the tell. Thats why
you have to keep your eyes open.
I was in a game of Texas Hold 'Em and was pondering whether or not to call what I
believed might have been a bluff. I hadnt committed yet and the other player was
watching me intently. Too intently, perhaps? As my hands moved towards my pile of
chips I caught him momentarily stiffening in his chair. Thats when I knew I had him. I
called and I won. His tell had given away his weak hand.
Very often you only get a fleeting moment to see and interpret a tell. You dont have the
luxury of gazing around the table trying to read everyones mind when the heat is on.
Thats why its important to build your tell-reading skills. It can often mean the
difference between winning a hand and losing one.
Catching The Weak Player
In most cases youll find that weak players tend to act aggressively when they have
a bad hand, and sad or disinterested when they have a good one. Its a subconscious
reaction and theyll have to gain years of playing experience before they break the
habit.



When an inexperienced player is dealt a good hand he will almost always look
away from the table for a moment or two in an attempt to hide his excitement.

Weak players who are trying to bluff will often stare directly at the other player.
This is another sign of aggressiveness that is actually hiding a weak hand.

Weak players will often make a sad clucking sound with their tongue when they
are dealt a good hand. This is an effort to convey the impression that they are
disappointed with how the cards fell when, in fact, the opposite is true.

When a weak player drops his bet onto the table with an extra little flourish or
drops the chips from his hand one at a time with a bit of showmanship, you can bet
he is hiding a weak hand.

The weak player will momentarily freeze or hold his breath when faced with a big
bet against his weak hand.

When a weak player is dealt a strong hand he often looks down quickly at his stack
of chips.

Catching a weak player is easy. Its figuring out whats going on in the minds of the
strong players that makes you a master tells reader.


Cracking The Tells Of The Master Poker Players

While it is always possible that from time to time youll catch strong players giving away
some of the same tells as weaker players, you should also be on the lookout for these:
Signs Of A Good Hand
Acting Disinterested In A Hand While Still Playing It
The player is trying to draw your attention away from him by making believe that
his hand is no big deal.

Slight Hand Shake
If a players hands tremble a bit when placing a bet, its usually a sign of a hand
thats so good that even he cant believe it.

Sighing, Shrugging Or Acting Disappointed
When a player shows signs of disappointment, or says things like I guess Ill stay
in for one more round or Ill call but I dont know why Im doing it or uses
any similar phrases, watch out. Hes holding a hand that makes him proud.

Looking At Their Chips After Seeing Their Hole Cards
Players who do this are sizing up how much they can afford to bet on their
unbelievably good hand.

Asking Obvious Questions
If the player asks questions like Is it my turn to bet? he is trying to act
disinterested which means, of course, he is very interested.

Acting Rudely
A player who makes rude comments after placing his bet is trying to aggravate the
other players in an attempt to make them call his strong hand.

Smooth Conversation
When a player is able to hold a smooth and flowing conversation during a hand,
its usually because he is very confident in his hand.


Signs Of A Weak Hand
Staring Down Other Players
If an opponent is staring you down, hes trying to make you think he has a strong
hand. Usually though, he has a weak hand or a hand that needs to be drawn in
order to win.

Holding Breath
Often, inexperienced players will hold their breath if they are bluffing.

Acting Too Polite
When a player engages in polite conversation, or makes polite comments while
they are betting, its usually the sign of a bluff.

Choppy Conversation
If a player has trouble keeping up with the conversation around the table, or he
gives short, choppy answers, you can bet that his mind is on his terrible hand.
Signs Of A Drawing Hand
Checking Their Hole Cards After The Flop
When players check their hole cards after the flop they are usually trying to
determine whether they think they have a chance of drawing to a straight or flush.
They obviously havent made their hand yet because, if they did, they wouldnt be
checking.

Taking Too Long Before Calling a Bet
When a player waits too long before calling, chances are he is either praying or
trying to calculate the pot odds as quickly as possible. Either way, you know he
hasnt made his hand yet, so play accordingly.

Staring At The Flop
When a player stares for too long at the flop, his mind is reeling trying to figure
out whether he has a hand to play or if he should fold.



A Step-By-Step Guide To Reading The Table

So far we have discussed the most common tells and how to recognize them. Now we are
going to develop a war plan that leads you through the process of identifying the harder
to detect tells and how to create a personal tell guide for players that you encounter.

Reading the table refers to the act of observing the other players that you will be coming
up against once the game starts or once you sit down to a game that is already in
progress.

How To Read The Table

Observe how each player is acting and what each is doing before you sit down at the
table. You can learn a lot about each players personality even before the first card hits
the table. These personality insights are the first tells a player gives off. Even players who
carefully control their tells are usually able to be read before the game actually begins.

Tip: Keep a notebook that lists the players you encounter frequently. List each player by
name. As you learn more about each personality, write down your observations. Make
note of each players tells as they are revealed. Update the notebook after every game and
refer to it before each game.

1. Identify the players who appear confident. They may be talking and interacting
with other players, but they wont be boisterous. If alcohol is being served at the
table they either wont be drinking, or they will be drinking in moderation.

These are your serious players. Youre going to have to work extra hard to
identify their tells because theyll have their poker faces ready when the cards
start to fall.

They will probably also be tight players which means that they may not play
every hand and they are likely to fold if the hand is running against them. If you
see them raise and re-raise, you can usually be sure that they are not bluffing. A
tight player is one who doesnt play a lot of hands, and will fold when
circumstances and pot odds are not in their favor. They do not live on a steady



diet of raises, preferring to call or fold, picking their spots to mount a vigorous
offensive. There are also a couple separate varieties of passive players as well.

2. Identify the players who seem impatient to get started. They may be playing with
their chips, drumming their fingers, or fidgeting.

These are players who are on a mission to win. They may be attempting to recoup
losses from previous games, or they may have to leave the game early and theyre
anxious to get started.

These are likely to be loose players who are willing to take risks if the rewards
are high enough. Learn their tells and you can usually call their bluff.

3. Identify the players who are loud and boisterous or drinking more than the
average player. They may be telling jokes, slapping other players on the back or
tossing around playful jabs and insults.

These are likely to be your aggressive-loose players. They are the reckless players
that will raise and re-raise when they should fold. Theyll often stay in just to see
your cards even if they dont have a chance of winning.

They bluff in an attempt to scare other players out of the game. These types of
players are hard to read unless you learn their other tells. Thats because they are
just as likely to have a good hand as a bad one and you wont be able to tell by
their bidding.

4. Make friendly eye contact with each player. Dont stare. Smile and nod your head
or say hello and then observe how the other players return your greeting.

Players who stare you down are trying to intimidate you. If they also stare
you down when youre thinking about calling, they may be bluffing.

Players who avoid eye contact with you are unsure of themselves or
nervous. These player will be easier to read when the game starts.



Players who casually acknowledge your greeting in a sincere and friendly
way are likely to be the same players we identified as the tight players.
Keep a good eye on them.

Dont forget to record these observations in your tell notebook. The next time you
encounter any of the same players, check to make sure that their behaviour is
consistent with what you already know about them.

If it isnt, be sure to watch how they play very closely that night. Analyse any
differences and try to extract new tells out of their modified behaviour. Continue
this process for every game and youll end up knowing what to expect from these
players nearly every time.

A Step-By-Step Guide To Reading Tells

You already know the most common poker tells and it would be great if thats all there
were. Unfortunately, not every player follows the mould. In fact, if you are playing
against more experienced players, chances are theyve already learned how to hide those
common tells, so youre going to have to work on discovering the ones that they dont
even know they have.

How To Identify Tells

Identifying a tell is identifying a deviation from the norm. Its like suddenly seeing the
leaves on a tree turn slightly up and knowing that its going to rain. Once you know how
a player reacts when he or she is not under stress, its easy to see if there are any
behavioural changes when that player is under stress.

When does stress exist? Whenever a player has to make a decision and every time a card
hits the table.


Watch the players when they are reading their hole cards. Do you notice a change in body
language? If they were slouching, did they suddenly sit up and pay attention? Did they
look around nervously, lick their lips, hold their breath or raise their eyebrows?

Watch how they react as the common cards are dealt. Do they seem suddenly excited or
interested or, conversely, do they start acting way too casual?

If something changed in their looks or behaviour then you may have spotted a tell. Make
a mental note and then follow that person throughout the hand to see if your observations
were correct.

Identifying a potential tell is step #1 of 2. You have to match that tell with an eventual
outcome in order to both make sure that it was a tell and to determine what that tell is
actually telling you. Sometimes you may not have observed a tell at all. Maybe the
players nose simply itched or he had an eyelash in his eye.



How To Validate Tells

1. If the player is giving off tells that seem to indicate he is excited, and his betting
indicates that he has a power hand, keep observing through the end of the hand. If

2. he had the winning hand, or at least a strong one that could have won, you just
learned a valuable tell. You know now how the player reacts when he thinks he
holds the winning hand. Make sure you write this down in your notebook.

3. If the player is giving off tells that indicate he is worried, and his betting or lack
of it seems to second your notion, watch how he plays. If he checks a lot, or folds,
then you know how this player reacts when he has a weak hand.

4. If the player is acting confident, betting wildly, or otherwise trying to buy, bluff
or intimidate the players, watch closely. If he loses and held a weak hand, or
folded after some wild betting, then you have a good idea of how the player reacts
when he or she is bluffing.

Always update your notebook after every game. Remember that being able to benefit
from tells is a two-step process. Step #1 is to identify a potential tell. Step #2 is tracking
that tell through the end of play to see if you were correct.

How To Test Tells

Besides passively waiting until the hand is through to see if you have observed a valid
tell, you can play into the tell and try to increase the pressure on the player in order to
force his or her hand. Be careful when using this technique though. Your actions could
change the dynamics of the hand enough to force the player into taking an action that he
or she might not have taken otherwise. This action could be counter to what the tell was
indicating. When this happens you run the risk of either invalidating or cancelling out the
tell, or coming to the wrong conclusion about what the tell meant in the first place.

How To Test A Winning Hand Tell

Raise the bet and watch how the player reacts. If he or she was giving off strong hand
tells, but now he is starting to look hesitant or doubtful, you have a little bit of thinking to
do.


You either mistook his tell for a sign of strength when it really was a bluffing tell, or your
response was so strong and unexpected that you caused him to doubt what he had in his
hand.

Either way, you come out ahead because you either know what his bluffing tell looks
like, or his uncertainty tell looks like. Youll know which one it was for sure by the end
of the hand.

How To Test An Uncertain Or Weak Hand Tell

Bet high or raise the bet. Watch to see how the player reacts. If he or she folds, your tell
was right on the money. If the player checks or raises, switch to the winning hand or the
bluffing check.

How To Test A Bluffing Tell

One of the best ways to test whether or not a player is bluffing is to increase the
psychological pressure without actually risking any money for the moment. Heres how
to do it.

1. Watch the player after he or she bets. Observe how he or she reacts to each player
who calls, raises or folds. Look for weakness or strength tells that will give you
more insight into whether or not there is a bluff in action.

2. Casually stack and count your chips, making sure to keep them behind your cards
so they arent considered a bet. Act as if youre contemplating calling or raising
while casually looking for a change in the players reaction or composure. If you
pick up a sign of weakness or uncertainty, call the bluff. If, however, you pick up
a sign of strength or no sign at all, play the hand as the cards in your hand dictate.

Whether you win or lose the hand, you picked up some valuable information for
your notebook. Think of losing a hand but gaining a tell as tuition. You paid to
learn some valuable information about the other player. Use that information
correctly and youll end up winning back a lot more than you paid for the lesson.



There are only two ways to validate a tell. You can either watch how the hand pans out,
or you can take the bull by the horns and meet the tell head on. Its your choice. Do what
you feel most comfortable doing, but dont forget to update your notebook with whatever
it is you lear

How To Fake Your Own Tells

There is a lot to be said for being able to produce false tells. Likewise, there is a lot to be
said against it.

Generating false tells is a lot like lying. When you tell lies you have to have a good
memory so you can remember the lie and not get tripped up by the story you told. Then
theres the fact that you often have to tell another lie to cover up the first lie. The chain
goes on and on until you ultimately lose track of what the truth ever was and you end up
getting caught.

When youre giving off false tells you have to work hard at remembering which tell to
use when so you dont get it wrong and end up tipping your hand.

Of course, the up side of becoming a master of manipulating tells is that you can end up
winning some hands that you surely would have lost if the other players actually knew
what you were holding.

How To Erase Your Natural Tells

Before you can effectively generate false tells, you need to stop giving off any of your
own natural tells. Heres how to do that:

Eliminate all traces of repetitiveness or patterns by following these rules:

Breathe normally at all times.


Always take the same amount of time to bet, check, raise or fold no matter what
cards you are holding.

Dont change your personality or tone of voice no matter what your hand is like.

Dont play with your chips

Dont drum your fingers or tap your feet.

Do keep a blank expression on your face at all times.

Never stare down other players.

Place your chips into the pot the same way every time.

Dont establish a betting pattern. Make an occasional check or raise thats
inconsistent with the cards you are holding. If you have a strong or winning hand,
check now and then.

Dont touch your face, mouth, eyes, or hair, even if you have an itch, until youre
through with your play and all eyes are on the next player.

Once you learn how to erase all of your natural tells you can focus on creating false tells.

How To Create False Tells

The reason for creating false tells is to trick other players into doing something
advantageous for you that they might not otherwise do.

Faking your tells is a dangerous game that must be played carefully. It wont take the
sharp players long to figure out that youre trying to fool them. The easiest way for them
to determine that youre creating your own tells is when the outcome of your hand
doesnt match the signals you were sending. Once a player catches on to you, its easy for
him to apply a reverse tell strategy and play against you the opposite way your tell is
indicating he should play.

Thats why I mentioned earlier that you have to be able to keep track of your lies so
you can switch your tells on and off to keep the other players guessing. Its hard work,
but if youre willing to try, here are some pointers:


1. Raise your eyebrows when you look at your hole cards if you want to create the
impression that youre proud of what you saw.

2. Smile briefly when the flop card falls.

3. Take your time and play with your chips when its your turn to bet.

4. Stare intently at the player when you call his or her bet.

5. Momentarily suck in and hold your breath when an ace falls.

6. Rub your forehead before betting.

7. Briefly stretch back in your chair with your hands behind your head after you
raise.

8. Toss your chips into the pot one at a time when re-raising.

9. Check after raising.

10. Raise after checking

11. Re-read pages 6-7 of this book and practice what I wrote.

The key to successfully pulling off fake tells is to randomly send out those tells
regardless of what kind of hand youre holding. Youll likely escape notice of the most
inexperienced players who dont have enough sense to know a tell when its staring them
in the eyes, but youre just as likely to catch the moderately experienced player who has
read a book or two and thinks he or she does know a tell from an itchy nose. The pros?
Who knows? You may fool some of them some of the time, but you wont fool all of
them all of the time.

Time To Put It All Into Practice

Do yourself a favour and re-read this book several times until you feel secure that you
understand all the concepts Ive presented. And make sure that you take my advice and


start using a tell notebook to keep tabs on the players you encounter regularly. As you fill
out the book it will become worth its weight in gold!

Good luck and I hope you win a lot of money!

Stian Kjellhov
http:www.EasyPokerTells.com

Stian Kjellhov - How To Read Your Opponents in 5 Minutes or Less

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The Best Guide To Reading The Minds Of Poker Players

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