Do you believe in poker reads?

Do you believe in poker reads? Can you confidently tell poker reads?
For live poker, I find if the poker player is recreational, he/she will get nervous with a bluff or the nuts. And it's very difficult to tell which one it is.
And then, professional players have no reads. Also, in online maybe the size of the bet is a read.
How did you get better at reading players or looking for poker reads?

GrannySmit77 said:

Do you believe in poker reads? Can you confidently tell poker reads?
For live poker, I find if the poker player is recreational, he/she will get nervous with a bluff or the nuts. And it's very difficult to tell which one it is.
And then, professional players have no reads. Also, in online maybe the size of the bet is a read.
How did you get better at reading players or looking for poker reads?

Click to expand...

Practice & experience which in turn will develop one's intuition to where they'll gain more confidence in their reads both live & online.

Hey there,
yes, professionals can provide valuable information about an opponent's hand strength, bluffing, or confidence. While relying solely on reads can be detrimental, combining them with solid strategy and focusing on a player's specific tells can give you a significant edge, especially when a decision is close. poker tells can be physical (like a player's posture or eye movement), verbal (changes in speech), or behavioral (like how they stack chips or how quickly they act).

I think poker read is more about patterns than magic instincts. In live poker, I’ve noticed that body language and timing can reveal a lot, but it’s tricky because nervousness can mean either a monster hand or a bluff — especially with recreational players. So, I try not to rely on one single read, but instead combine several small clues: betting speed, chip handling, eye contact, and how consistent their actions are with the story they’re telling.
Online, I focus much more on bet sizing, timing tells, and overall tendencies — like how often a player continuation-bets or defends the blinds. I got better at reading players mainly by reviewing hands and taking notes during sessions. Over time, I started noticing repeating behaviors that helped me make better decisions. Reads aren’t always right, but they definitely add a valuable layer to your game.

This is a game of deception, sometimes the readings don't mean what you think you saw, the bets have more value in determining if someone is lying or not

GrannySmit77 said:

Do you believe in poker reads? Can you confidently tell poker reads?
For live poker, I find if the poker player is recreational, he/she will get nervous with a bluff or the nuts. And it's very difficult to tell which one it is.
And then, professional players have no reads. Also, in online maybe the size of the bet is a read.
How did you get better at reading players or looking for poker reads?

Click to expand...

Reads are definitely true.
Have picked up quite some tells on players from my region.
Just stay in the game and focus.
Cheers!

Better believe it, since there's a whole proffession about it.