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 he Guardian G2 Poker Column |
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| Victoria
Coren |
| Monday March 12,
2007 |
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Judi James, the TV body-language expert, has written a book about
poker tells. I'm sure she is a nice lady, but I must warn you to be careful of
this tome. I don't deny that poker tells exist; I am a mass of them myself.
Throughout the filming of Premier League Poker, I was constantly advised to
stop talking during hands because I give too much away. The problem is, if I
don't talk at all, I feel guilty about making boring television. So I always
risk losing a few extra chips, here and there, for the sake of a light
conscience.
Inexperienced opponents will often have very simple tells.
Some players, when they hit the flop, cannot resist glancing at their chips -
revealing that they intend to make (or at least call) a bet. Some people
actually lean forward when they are interested in a hand. |
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A lot of players act nervous with good
cards, while trying to imply physical and verbal confidence when they're
bluffing. Sometimes this is not even acting: people can truly feel more nervous
with a big hand, because they know it's going to get expensive. Many amateur
players will actually shake, visibly tremble with adrenaline, when they're
holding a monster.
But "fake tells" are all the rage, so I'd caution
against putting too much faith in this stuff. It is always more useful to
observe people's betting patterns than their physical mannerisms. Keep watching
for how much they bet, with what kind of hand, at which point in the action.
The reason to beware James's book, however, is even simpler. Its title
is Poker Face: How to Win Poker at the Table and Online. The phrase should be,
of course, "How to Win at Poker". From the title alone, my read on Judi is that
she may be a body-language expert, but she's completely unfamiliar with the
game.
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