Have you heard of poker tells? You don't need to be psychic to be a good poker player. After all, what you will be reading are your opponents, not the future. One of the key skills that separates simply good poker playing from the inspired is the ability to spot poker tells. Poker tells are any physical reactions or habits that reveal information about the hand the player has. It may be a twitch of the eyebrow or a shaking of hand hand. It could be a grim face, or the penchant for whistling. Body language is a powerful giveaway, and to make sure that yours isn't giving your hand away, be sure to watch for the following common poker tells. Poker Tells that Scream of a Winning Shaking Hands If you notice a player's hands shaking while he places a bet, it's most likely that he has gotten a fearsome hand. That, or the spasm is a sign of a heart attack that will follow. Rapid Breathing Most players, especially seasoned ones, are able to keep tight rein on the shakes. Few can control rapid breathing. If you can see a player's chest heave up and down most visibly, they have an excellent hand. This, or they really are going to have a heart attack and you had better call for an ambulance.

Sighing and Shrugging A big show of misery is always suspicious, particularly because bluffing is an important part of poker. Even beginners know the importance of avoiding poker tells. So, a player who puts on such a show of sighing or shrugging or saying, "I guess I've no choice but to call" is most likely overacting and is simply trying to downplay a big hand. Glancing at Chips After Peering at Hole Cards Among poker tells, this is one behavior that sends out double messages. When a player sees strong hole or pocket hards, he may look at his chips just to gauge how much he can bet. While this behavior could be a clue that the player has a strong hand, it may also be a sign that he has been dealt a weak hand and is looking at his chips to see how much more money he can afford to lose. Feigning Disinterest in a Hand while It's in His Hands This is the most common among poker tells. Even beginners will try their hand at this. Expect a player with a strong hand to act uninterested. If he's good, he might be able to pull it off. If he's not, other poker tells are likely to give him away - a tic or rapid breathing, for example. Poker Tells that Scream of a Weak Hand Holding One's Breath Often, inexperienced players are hesitant of their bluffs. In anticipation of results, they hold their breath, cross their fingers, and hope for the best. This is your clue to pounce. Looking at Chips after Glancing at Hole Cards When a player looks at his chips after he takes a glance at his hole or pocket cards, it's highly likely he's measuring how much he can bet. Like all poker tells, however, this particular tell might be sending out the wrong message. Poker Tells that Scream of a Winning Hand Taking One's Time To Call a Bet If a player looks into the pot and then appears to do some Math, he most likely is calculating if he should try to catch the cards he needs to make a drawing hand. A word of caution to the wise: experienced players are adept at repressing or flaunting poker tells, and it's possible the tell you think you're seeing is, in fact, a smokescreen. Thus, the first thing to try to read once you sit down for a game is whether your opponents are experts or neophytes.