Poker Lesson 20: Hiding Your Tells

We focus a lot of time trying to figure out the "tells" of the folks we are squaring off against in a game of poker. Unfortunately most players get so caught up in looking for a tiny little facial tick on the face of the person seated across from them, they forget to notice the rebel yell, or profuse drooling they themselves do when a pair of pocket aces finds its way into their hand. Discovering somebody else's tell is not going to do you much good if you don't have a firm grip on your own. In this lesson we have given you a few tips on how to hide your tells from the prying eyes of your opponents.

Let's start with the practice of being repetitive. Learn to do everything the same way every time no matter what is in your hand. Play at the same speed. Check and bet at the same speed, with the same hand motions. If you are emotionless with a pair of twos in your hand, you should be equally emotionless with four aces. If you are naturally boisterous, you need to be that way regardless of what is your hand. The only time repetition will hurt you is when your betting pattern becomes repetitive. That type of repetition becomes a tell itself.

When your betting pattern becomes a tell, players will know what you have in your hand simply by your raises, calls, and checks. The way to hide this tell is to separate how you bet from the cards in your hand. Don't bet in a manner that gives you away. Be unpredictable. Leaning how to disguise a bettering pattern takes experience though, this is something you will learn as you go forward in the sport.

Another tell may be your own words. Your opponents will analyze every word and vocal inflection, especially when the money is big. Take away the words and you take away a weapon that can be used against you. Play mute; it will help you in the long run. Remember high stakes poker is not a social event.

With that said, there are times to violate the rule of playing mute. It takes some experience thought. If you talk a tough, aggressive game, but than play with all the daring of a puritan on Sunday, you might confuse your opponents. This can be risky though, if your reverse psychology is uncovered, than it becomes a tell.

Most poker players look like they were dressed by the homeless. Most noticeable in their numerous fashion mistakes would be the hat and sunglasses they choose to wear. The hat/shades combo does serve a purpose though. It hides the eyes and face, making tells harder to detect. If your going to use this strategy to disguising your tells, please be tasteful.

If you are hopeless; if you cant stop grinning like twit, or sobbing quietly in reaction to the cards in your hand, than you should stick to playing online where your face is not your own worst enemy.