READING POKER TELLS
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF LIVE PLAY
Reading poker tells has long been considered the holy grail of live poker—part science, part sorcery, and usually dramatized with a slow-motion zoom and suspenseful music in the movies. But in the real world? The truth is a little messier… and a lot more useful.
Tells aren’t magic bullets. You won’t suddenly start calling down bluffs with ace-high just because someone glanced left. But when combined with sound fundamentals—math, position, ranges—tells can tip close decisions in your favor and sharpen your edge in ways most players never consider.
Now, before we go too far, let’s make one thing clear: Zachary Elwood is, in my opinion, the world’s leading expert on poker tells. His books—Reading Poker Tells, Verbal Poker Tells, and Exploiting Poker Tells—are the gold standard in this space. Much of what we’ll cover in this and future articles owes a nod to his work. I highly recommend reading them all.
This article will serve as your foundation. Whether you’re a seasoned live grinder or just transitioning from online to brick-and-mortar games, we’re going to explore what poker tells really are, how they work, when they matter—and just as importantly, why most players completely miss them.
And hey, if you’ve ever misread a tell and made a hero call with second pair… you’re in the right place. We’ve all been there.
WHAT ARE POKER TELLS?
At their core, poker tells are behavioral cues—physical, verbal, or otherwise—that give insight into a player’s hand strength or intentions. They’re often involuntary, sometimes subtle, and occasionally pretty entertaining. But a true tell isn’t just any odd behavior—it’s a deviation from a player’s baseline pattern that, when interpreted correctly, adds valuable information to your decision-making process.
Some tells are simple: a trembling hand when someone moves all-in. Others are so nuanced they can only be spotted after hours of careful observation. And some? Well, they’re red herrings—just noise in a game full of distractions.
Now, that doesn’t mean every yawn, chip shuffle, or exhale is immediately useful information. But in theory, it could be. The challenge isn’t that tells don’t exist—it’s that we often lack the observational tools, context, or memory to make use of them in the moment.
That brings us to something I want to emphasize: tells are not absolutes—they’re tendencies. You’re not looking for a flashing neon sign that says “bluff.” You’re looking for subtle shifts, patterns, and moments of inconsistency that tip the balance. As Zachary Elwood puts it:
“Tells are something a specific player is more prone to do, than not to do.”
Some tells are statistically insignificant—just habits or quirks. But others, when recognized and paired with situation-specific awareness, can become powerful signals. And even a slightly reliable tell can be incredibly useful in close, break-even spots—where your decision could go either way based purely on math or ranges.
Tells aren’t meant to replace strategy. But when you train yourself to observe, catalog, and recall patterns over time—they can absolutely sharpen it.
ELWOOD'S THOUGHT REGARDING THE IMPORTANCE OF READING TELLS IN POKER
In his book “Reading Poker Tells”, Elwood says: “I believe that everything a poker player does at the table means something… every movement, every spoken word, every little twitch. With infinite knowledge, I believe we could interpret every action and discover exactly what a player is holding. Of course, this is only theoretical. Infinite knowledge is impossible. But we should strive to absorb as much important information as we can.”
THE THREE CORE SITUATIONAL CATEGORIES OF POKER TELLS
When it comes to interpreting poker tells, context is everything.
The same action—staring, sighing, looking away—can mean one thing in one moment and the complete opposite in another. If you don’t understand the situation in which the behavior occurs, even an accurate tell can lead you to the wrong decision.
To help structure this chaos, we turn to the framework introduced by Zachary Elwood, widely regarded as the world’s leading expert on poker tells and the author of Reading Poker Tells. His model of classifying tells by situation is, in our view, the most practical and accurate structure ever developed on the subject.
At Pokerrailbird, we fully agree with Elwood’s framework and use it as the foundation for all of our tells-related content. It divides tells into three core situational categories:
WAITING FOR ACTION TELLS
DURING ACTION TELLS
POST-BET TELLS
Tells a player exhibits while waiting for an opponent to act. Often seen when the action is on you.
Examples:
- A player staring at you when it’s your turn
- A player avoiding eye contact
- A player holding chips as if preparing to call
Tells that occur during a player’s own action—while checking, betting, or raising.
Examples:
- A player waiting a long time to bet
- A player saying “I bet” in a confident voice
A player throwing chips forcefully into the pot
Tells that emerge after a player has made their move—often while observing you.
Examples:
- A player smiling slightly after betting
- A player avoiding eye contact
- A player’s eyes widening subtly
TELLS REFLECT FEELINGS-NOT CARD VALUES
It’s important to remember: tells don’t reveal specific cards. They reveal emotional states—a player’s feelings about their hand in a given moment.
Let’s say a player is dealt Ace-King suited. Preflop, they may exhibit confidence. On the flop, they pick up a flush draw—tension rises. The turn bricks, confidence may shift. The river misses, and their energy dips. At each stage, their emotional cues evolve with the board texture and their perception of hand strength.
Tells are snapshots in time. They’re not declarations of holding top pair or bottom set—they’re glimpses into how a player feels right now. And that moment-to-moment insight is what makes tells powerful—when combined with the situation, the betting line, and the player’s tendencies.
These three situational categories—Waiting-for-Action, During-Action, and Post-Bet—aren’t rigid rules. They’re flexible frameworks to help you notice and mentally organize the behaviors you see at the table.
And in a game where information is everything, simply noticing is a competitive edge.
In the next section, we’ll build a basic database of common tells, grouped into these three categories. We’ll keep it simple: just the behaviors, no interpretations yet. Over time, we’ll expand each into its own article and video, where we’ll explore the psychological, strategic, and situational meanings in much greater depth.
INTERPRETING TELLS: UNDERSTANDING FEAR, RELAXATION & EMOTIONAL CUES
Before diving into specific tells, it’s important to understand what you’re really seeing at the table. A tell is not a rigid signal; it’s an expression—an emotional fingerprint. And at the heart of nearly every tell is one powerful force: fear.
Not all fear is the same. In poker, fear takes different shapes depending on the situation. Sometimes it’s fear of being exposed. Other times it’s fear of being challenged. That’s why we don’t just categorize tells by the stage of action—they must also be viewed through the emotional lens of the player in the moment.Â
Let’s explore the two primary types of fear you’ll see expressed at the table:
WAITING FOR ACTION FEAR: THE FEAR OF BEING ATTACHED
POST-BET FEAR: THE BLUFF UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT
Now consider a player with a weak hand, who’s waiting for you to act. He fears your aggression—not because he’s bluffing, but because he’s vulnerable.
This fear isn’t about being exposed, it’s about being challenged. It’s defensive.
If this kind of fear had a feeling, it would be the quiet tension of someone walking alone down a dark alley—aware of danger, hoping to avoid it.
Imagine a player makes a bluff—chips committed, story told, and now he’s under your scrutiny. His biggest fear? Being caught. His demeanor is tight, his breathing shallow, and he avoids your gaze. This fear is about exposure.
It’s the fear of someone hoping you won’t see through them.
If post-bet fear had a face, it would be that of a guilty suspect in a police interrogation room.
These two expressions of fear—post-bet and waiting-for-action—are why categorizing tells by situation matters so much. The same behavior (say, avoiding eye contact) can mean very different things depending on when it occurs.
RELAXATION IS THE BASELINE
TENSION HAS A LANGUAGE OF ITS OWN
To understand tension, you must first recognize relaxation.
When a player is truly confident—often holding a strong hand—you’ll notice:
- Looser, fluid body movements
- More spontaneous or playful speech
- Genuine smiles (with the eyes, not just the mouth)
- Comfortable posture and slower breathing
- Eye contact that is unforced or even absent (because they’re unbothered)
These are the “control samples.” This is how people look when they’re not under pressure. Everything else should be measured against this relaxed baseline.
Stress leaks out in dozens of ways:
- Constricted throat or dry swallowing
- Jerky hand movements or chip handling
- Forced or artificial smiling
- Overly aggressive or under-aggressive chip placement
- Stiff posture or frozen expression
This stress-based behavior—whether subtle or overt—tells us not what a player holds, but how they feel about it.
WHAT TELLS "TELL" YOU
COMPETENCE MATTERS
STUDY RELAXATION FIRST
This is critical. Tells do not whisper, “I have pocket queens.”
They whisper, “I want you to fold.”
Or, “I hope you don’t call.”
Or even, “I don’t care what you do.”
Your job is to interpret those whispers in the context of the hand, the board, the player type, and the situation. The tell gives you emotional data. But the meaning—that’s on you.
It’s also worth noting: tells only become meaningful when a player has a basic understanding of poker strategy.
For example, an inexperienced player might act proud and confident with pocket threes on a king-high board—because to them, any pocket pair feels strong. Misreading that could cost you. So always factor in skill level. A tell is most useful when it comes from a player who knows what they should be feeling, and can’t help but feel it anyway.
Whenever possible, study players when they’re relaxed and holding strong hands. That gives you a personal baseline to measure against later.
How do they move?
Do they talk more?
Do they sit back, smile, or get quiet?
Once you know what relaxed looks like for them, tension will become easier to spot—and interpret accurately.
THE LENSE OF INTERPRETATION
Understanding poker tells is less about memorizing signals and more about learning to observe emotional contrasts.
If you forget everything else, remember this:
“Tells are not what a player does—they are how a player feels.”
And the best poker players in the world aren’t just mathematicians. They are emotional detectives. Observers. Listeners. Strategists.
You now have the lens. Next, we’ll begin exploring the signals.
COMMON POKER TELLS BY CATEGORY
Framework adapted from Zachary Elwood’s Reading Poker Tells
Zachary Elwood’s work forms the foundation of how we understand and interpret poker tells at PokerRailbird. His three-part framework—Waiting-for-Action, During-Action, and Post-Bet—offers an incredibly useful lens through which to organize and analyze player behavior. We highly recommend his books (Reading Poker Tells, Verbal Poker Tells, and Exploiting Poker Tells) for anyone serious about mastering this side of the game.
Below, we’ll outline five of the most common tells in each category, with a brief description of the behavior. Future articles and videos will explore each of these tells in much greater depth.
WAITING FOR ACTION TELLS
INDICATORS OF WEAKNESS
INDICATORS OF STRENGTH
These are tells that occur when a player is waiting for you to act. Often, players with weak hands exhibit subtle signs of concern or discomfort, hoping to avoid further action.
Players with strong hands often act differently while waiting for you to make your move. Their confidence may manifest in efforts to downplay strength.
- Looking directly at you
When it’s your turn to act, a player staring at you may be trying to appear strong—while actually holding a weak hand. - Grabbing chips defensively
A player who grabs chips as if preparing to call may actually be bluffing—hoping to discourage your bet. - Indicating a fold before action
Some players visibly signal their intent to fold pre-flop or in multi-way pots with shrugging or card tilting. - Staring at bad board cards
A player fixating on cards that didn’t improve their hand may be unintentionally revealing weakness. - Staring at weak hole cards
Prolonged looks at unimpressive starting hands can be subtle admissions of disappointment.
- Looking away from you
Players who are relaxed and strong often avoid eye contact, attempting not to appear threatening. - Looking disappointed
Some players intentionally (or instinctively) act disinterested or unhappy about the board when they’re actually very strong. - Glancing away from helpful board cards
Quickly looking away from favorable cards is sometimes an effort to conceal positive reactions. - Pre-loading chips
In multi-way pots or pre-flop, a player setting up their betting chips before action reaches them may be honestly indicating strength. - Strange behavior early in the hand
Unusual behavior before much is at stake—especially early in the hand—can sometimes hint at genuine strength.
DURING ACTION TELLS
These are tells that occur while it’s a player’s turn to act—from the moment they begin considering their action to the moment they make it. While they can signal strength or weakness, this category is better viewed as a set of behaviors to observe and interpret case-by-case.
- Bet timing
How quickly or slowly a player bets or checks may reveal internal comfort or tension. - Betting motion
The way a player physically pushes chips forward—smoothly, abruptly, forcefully—can offer clues. - Announcing the bet
Tone, volume, and confidence in how the bet is announced might correlate to hand strength. - Looking at the dealer
Players with strong hands sometimes fix their gaze on the dealer, subtly projecting detachment or readiness. - Aggravated expression while betting
A player betting with a frustrated or annoyed look may have a marginal hand or draw—though not always a bluff.
POST-BET TELLS
INDICATORS OF WEAKNESS
INDICATORS OF STRENGTH
After a player bets, their behavior can often reveal whether they’re hoping you fold. Weak hands tend to produce subtle discomfort.
Players with strong hands often display comfort and openness post-bet—sometimes even a little flair.
- Stillness
Some players freeze up entirely after bluffing, attempting to “stay invisible.” - Avoiding eye contact
Bluffers frequently avert their gaze—unable or unwilling to look at you after betting. - Physical rigidity
A tense posture, clenched jaw, or tight arms may be indicators of stress or fear. - Silence
A sudden shift to quietness can signal anxiety about being called. - Looking down after betting
Glancing downward, especially right after betting, can sometimes reveal insecurity or doubt.
- Looking at you
Confident players with big hands may make and maintain eye contact comfortably. - Looking away from you
Some experienced players with strong hands will avoid eye contact, not out of fear—but to reduce pressure on their opponent. - Physical looseness
Relaxed shoulders, easy gestures, and casual posture are signs of low stress. - Genuine smiling
True smiles involve the eyes—and confident players might crack one after a strong bet. - Acting strangely
Players sometimes exhibit unique or odd behaviors after betting big hands—unusual movements, expressions, or chatter that don’t align with their usual rhythm.
GENERAL VERBAL TELLS
🗣️ Section VI: General Verbal Tells
While most poker tells are physical in nature, verbal tells can be equally revealing—especially in live cash games where table talk is more frequent. This section outlines five key verbal behaviors that can offer insight into an opponent’s mindset. These are not tied to any specific timing category like “waiting-for-action” or “post-bet,” but they are worth observing and cataloging just the same.
Much of this framework is inspired by the work of Zachary Elwood, whose book Verbal Poker Tells offers one of the most thorough treatments of speech patterns in poker. We’re simply distilling some of those concepts here with plans to dive deeper in future articles and videos.
Here are five commonly observed verbal tells:
DISCLAIMERS
OUT-OF-HAND COMMENTARY
LIES VS TRUTH
Statements like “I was going to fold anyway,” or “I guess I’ll donate some chips” are often meant to appear casual or dismissive. These disclaimers may signal strength and are attempts to disarm or confuse opponents.
Players who have folded will sometimes comment on the hand, hint at what they folded, or speculate on what others may have. While not directly involved in the action, these remarks can influence remaining players—or reveal patterns about the speaker’s tendencies.
Contrary to popular belief, most players rarely tell outright lies. Instead, they often lean on vague half-truths or indirect statements. Understanding who tends to mislead, and how, can give you a major edge over time.
EXPRESSED FEARS
SHIFT IN DEMEANOR
When a player openly expresses concern—“You probably have a flush,” or “That card helped you, didn’t it?”—they may be fishing for reassurance or trying to mask the strength of their own hand. Sometimes, this shows they’re more comfortable than they let on.
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A player who has been complaining all session but suddenly quiets down or becomes cheerful may have hit a strong hand. Sudden behavioral shifts, especially in tone and speech, are worth noticing.
In future pieces, we’ll unpack each of these tells with real-world examples and deeper psychological insight. For now, just know: What players say—and how they say it—is often just as telling as what they do
WHY MOST PLAYERS EITHER MISS, OVERLOOK OR DISREGARD TELLS
Despite the value of poker tells, most players overlook or misinterpret them. Why? Because observing and interpreting human behavior requires focus, mindfulness, and patience — traits that many players neglect at the table I have even heard players so that learning to read and interpret poker tells is “too hard”. This leads me to believe that anything difficult, should just be forgotten. An interesting concept for life!
DISTRACTIONS KILL OBSERVATION
In today’s poker world, distractions are everywhere. Players scroll their phones, watch TVs on the wall, or engage in small talk with the cocktail waitress. While they’re doing that, they’re missing goldmines of information. The best time to observe opponents is when you’re not in the hand. That’s when you should be studying behavior, betting patterns, and physical cues — so that when you are in a hand with them, you’ve already got a read.
Another reason tells are missed? Players confuse being in the hand with being focused. But observation is a separate skill. It requires watching with intent — even when you’re not part of the action.
Some players miss tells because they don’t know what to look for. Others think tells are unreliable or don’t matter — until they get bluffed off a big pot. Recognizing tells requires a blend of humility and curiosity. The more you watch, the more you learn. The more you learn, the more you win.
Pay attention. Stay present. Study opponents constantly — especially when you’re not involved. And never forget: the more you understand human behavior, the more edges you gain in poker. Tells don’t replace sound strategy, but they elevate it.
READING TELLS IS A SKILL: NOT A SUPERPOWER
Reading poker tells isn’t about mind-reading or movie-style intuition—it’s about observation, patience, and understanding human behavior under pressure. The best players don’t rely on tells as their only weapon—they use them to confirm or challenge what the math and betting patterns already suggest.
Tells are contextual, subtle, and often situationally dependent. They won’t always scream “I’m bluffing!”—but they will whisper clues to the observant. And that’s the difference between a good player and a great one.
The structure we’ve used here—the Three Core Situational Categories of tells—is inspired by the work of Zachary Elwood, the leading authority on poker tells. His insights helped shape this article, and we strongly recommend checking out his books:
Reading Poker Tells, Verbal Poker Tells, and Exploiting Poker Tells.
This article is just the beginning. We’ll be releasing detailed follow-ups on each individual tell listed here—along with videos, real-world breakdowns, and additional tools to sharpen your edge at the table.
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