Examples of some odd or obvious poker tells you've seen

nabmom · May 21, 2026

Paying attention to other players' behavior at the poker table allows you to pick up on some really obvious or odd poker tells. And yes, there are tells in online poker too.

What are some of the clearest or oddest tells you have actually seen (or done?) playing poker?

Alex Houngan · May 21, 2026

One of the most obvious online poker tells I’ve noticed is when a player has auto check/fold enabled. If they instantly check the flop, they’ll usually fold to even a small continuation bet unless they hit something decent. Another common tell is players suddenly taking extra time before making a strong river raise, trying to look unsure. I’ve also seen people spam fast bets with weak hands but tank forever when they actually have the nuts.

Oxinthewater · May 21, 2026

I can't get the video to work for me.

On the topic though, I've never been a big believer in this, because I think they can also send you wildly off in the wrong direction and distract your thought process away from fundamentals.

That said, there are a few.

In online , snap decisions after a major card (maybe an ace, or flush draw comes in) might indicate a bluff because the player would likely think about what this new card means if they've just hit a monster.

In live games, a player being unusually protective around their cards (pulling them in a little closer, making an unusual effort to not reveal them to surrounding players , and perhaps rechecking a couple of times) can sometimes indicate very strong cards.

Gutshot Gus · May 21, 2026

You are playing against a chatty player and all of a sudden he gets silent and starts to focus on his hand.

He mort than likely is playing a strong hand.

Sunz of Beaches · May 21, 2026

When someone is suddenly minbetting after a scare card is coming in. For example a card that is completing a flush. They normally dont have it and are scared to continue with their usual betting. I consider this a good time to raise most of the time no matter what.

Tero · May 21, 2026

I don't think there really are obvious tells in online poker, at least timing wise. Personally I like to screw with people's heads either spending the exact same amount of time on each hand, or I switch to completely erratic timing.
But sure, then there are these (especially in Spins) who go all-in every hand. Obviously they can't have good cards all the time. So punishment follows...

Lodestone · May 21, 2026

I'm reading the book "Reading Poker Tells" that is being referenced in this video, I think one of the best ones I've read about so far was how long people look at their hole cards for. I never thought that the length of time spent looking would be a tell because I assumed it would be the same and automatic... but that's probably why it works lol

TCeNTuRioN · May 21, 2026

I always observe the size of the bets during the streets played, I think it's a good way to know who we're up against! GL All

najisami · May 21, 2026

nabmom said:
What are some of the clearest or oddest tells you have actually seen (or done?) playing poker?

The one I can never forget is calling an all in on the river with bottom pair after using a trick (a tell) I had learn in Navaro and Helmut book.
When the guy shoved on me, I almost folded, but having some doubts, I got up and looked at his feet, I called and was good.
If someone's feet are on their toes behind the chair's front legs, they're uncomfortable.

nabmom · May 21, 2026

najisami said:
The one I can never forget is calling an all in on the river with bottom pair after using a trick (a tell) I had learn in Navaro and Helmut book.
When the guy shoved on me, I almost folded, but having some doubts, I got up and looked at his feet, I called and was good.
If someone's feet are on their toes behind the chair's front legs, they're uncomfortable.

That’s one I haven’t heard about. Nice!

nabmom · May 21, 2026

Lodestone said:
I'm reading the book "Reading Poker Tells" that is being referenced in this video, I think one of the best ones I've read about so far was how long people look at their hole cards for. I never thought that the length of time spent looking would be a tell because I assumed it would be the same and automatic... but that's probably why it works lol

Timing tells can be really useful. You just have to remember that what they mean can be very player dependent.

SPANKYSN · May 22, 2026

nabmom said:
What are some of the clearest or oddest tells you have actually seen (or done?) playing poker?

Yes, there are some timing and betting tells online, but I prefer the tells you see in live poker and players who try their damnedest to hide tells. Players use various apparatus to thwart tells...sunglasses to hide your pupils, scarves to hide your Adam's apple...the idea is that when you get excited, your pupils dilate and you swallow hard...my problem with that simple assessment is that your physical reaction causing you to swallow hard and dilation of the pupils could be for differing reasons...those physical reactions may happen involuntarily if I am sitting on an absolute monster hand, and I'm about to win the motherlode of chip stacks...on the other hand, it could be me contemplating an enormous bluff, going all-in with nada...how many recreational players, or even pros can make that distinction? So, interpretation of the tells are perhaps no better than a 50/50 proposition, whereas fake tells can be spotted a mile away (or 1.6 km)...the old fake out...acting strong means you're weak and vice versa.

ms_attack · May 22, 2026

A tell that I have observed many times is when a player raises pre-flop and then makes a continuation bet on the flop and you call, and then he checks on the turn, it shows the player's weakness and in most cases he has a hand that did not hit the board.

margmilo44 · May 23, 2026

One of the oddest obvious tells I’ve seen is when someone suddenly starts acting way more relaxed than normal after a big river bet. The fake sigh, shrug, or “well I guess I have to do this” speech almost always ends up being strength.

Another one is players staring at their chips the second a good flop hits them. They don’t even realize they’re doing it. Online there are tells too, like instant river overbets that feel more emotional than logical.

I still think betting patterns are more reliable than physical tells most of the time, but some live tells are just impossible to ignore once you notice them.

miric007 · May 25, 2026

One of the most obvious tells I’ve ever seen was a guy who always acted uninterested whenever he had a strong hand. He would literally start talking to other people at the table or look at his phone, but whenever he was bluffing, he’d suddenly become stiff and stare at the table.
When it comes to online poker, it's hard to spot the signs because we don't know if a player is playing multiple tournaments or just one

Toruk Makto · May 26, 2026

There are clear signs, especially online...
When a player has a bad hand, he takes longer... just to try to prove the opposite.
Exceptions are rare! 😂

hobojim1247 · May 26, 2026

I look out for behavour that is different from their normal. Unusual bet sizing is a common one that gets my attention. One thing is true is that no tell is absolute, especially against smart players of will give off false tells.

mattiebumpo · May 27, 2026

One of the tells I've seen is someone chewing gum. When he had a strong hand, he chewed the gum faster than normal.

nasty bent gorilla · May 27, 2026

Timing tells in online poker are used by pros, have attempted to use them, and also avoid giving them away by playing systematically.

Snap checks, taking a long time after facing a bet, effective hand ranges after flop if they clearly had clearly ticked the check or fold button pre flop.

nasty bent gorilla said:
Timing tells in online poker are used by pros, have attempted to use them, and also avoid giving them away by playing systematically.

Snap checks, taking a long time after facing a bet, effective hand ranges after flop if they clearly had clearly ticked the check or fold button pre flop.

Snap check, is either weak showdown hand, or someone who vever bluffs with air.

Taking long time, is usually weakness if this is rare.

The fast check out of BB gives info on range relative to flop.

shanest · May 27, 2026

love reading all these. make me want to play live again

Eduard0Felipe · May 27, 2026

Constancy, without a doubt, the greatest key to success, but in the broad term, since it is constancy and several different areas, such as study, health, focus...

antonis32123 · May 29, 2026

When sh that I play with hu , at the blinds or any other place , if he starts playing very aggressively a hand and shoves in the end, and he decides and bets instantly almost , it is kinda warning that maybe he is bluffing , possibly he is trying to make me fold . I have made some courageous calls online in such occasions , even with Ace high ))

Greydan · May 29, 2026

1. Player staring too much at the board. Often means he does not like it and tries to find a way to justify continuing or bluffing.
2. Quickly glances at the flop/turn/river and proceeds to stare at his stack. Often has a good hand and calculates how much value to extract with it.

Mario7 · May 29, 2026

Limp-raise with AA. Playing online poker I had noticed only one case the player who limp-raised had something else. Of course they are some cases there is no showdown and you cannot see their whole cards, but anyway in definite most cases they have AA - you can easy-fold EVERYTHING to such behaviour.

G0930 · May 29, 2026

Oxinthewater said:
In online , snap decisions after a major card (maybe an ace, or flush draw comes in) might indicate a bluff because the player would likely think about what this new card means if they've just hit a monster.

True and you can exploit that. I've done it myself , trying to play monsters under the radar.
Although I must say any tactics are almost futile in microstakes. too many calling stations in most games. Ofc you can exploit that when you know who calls constantly. Quite harder when the whole table acts this way.
such tactics begin to be really effective at low stakes level from my experience

Examples of some odd or obvious poker tells you've seen

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