Don’t Play with your Chips!

I’m no Mike Caro. I don’t use physical tells very often, especially at the limit table, where players cannot bet more than $16-$30 on a single bet. People generally don’t sweat and cringe at the idea of losing $30, as they would at losing, say, $300. I do, however, use physical tells to break ties, and help make marginal decision-making easier.

Observing the way players maneuver their chips while in a hand is the most important physical tell I use at the limit hold’em table. A lot of times, players don’t even realize they’re doing it.

For example, I’m in the big blind at the 15-30 game. Three or four players fold as I notice the button look at his cards, and gather a stack of chips into his palm. Remember, the action is still four players away. Each of these four players, as it turns out, folds their hand. The button quickly raises. The small blind folds, and I look down at A-4 off suit.

Now, in a typical game, a button raise is always suspect, and an Ace high in the big blind may in fact be worth playing; however, in this scenario, the button player showed interest in his hand well before he was the last man standing, and it appears he was going to raise if other players had limped or not. If your button player is a somewhat reasonable person, and your read is in fact accurate, and Ace rag cannot be played. I folded.

Pre-flop is a great place to catch these tells in general. I like to play a little more slowly than some, just to see what will happen. Half the time players will act blatantly out of turn, and irritating as this can get, it does give you additional information. Again, it’s useful on the marginal decisions. Say you’re under the gun and look down at A-7 of clubs. This isn’t a great hand, but pause, take a moment to survey your opponents and see if you spot a man reaching for his chips in an aggressive motion. If so, fold your hand, as you don’t want to pay two bets for a hand out of position that probably isn’t good anyway.

Pre-flop chip action is different than post-flop chip action. Pre-flop, players are not trying to hide the strength of their hand, as they will be folding most of the time, and generally want to thin the field anyway. They reach for chips early. Post-flop, players try to act more coy, and as Mike Caro says, if they look weak, they’re probably strong.

Reading your opponents advantageously post-flop will look more like this:

You get heads up with a player who has called both your flop and turn bets. The river falls, completing a possible straight draw, and it’s on you to act. You have A-K, and the board now reads, A-6-7-2-10. You think for a moment, and notice your opponent grab his stack of chips, dangling them over the betting line, waiting for your action. Now, pre-flop, this really may signify strength. Here on the river, however, this is great news! If he had 8-9, the nuts, there is absolutely no way he makes this motion. What he wants the motion to signify is that he is strong, and that he is coming in with bets and/or raises. What it’s actually saying is, “Please don’t bet! I may call, but I really would rather see a free showdown!” Value bet that A-K all day!