You've called a standard raise in late position with Kd-Qd. The button calls as well, leaving three of you to see the flop. The dealer turns over the As-Qs-9h. The initial raiser leads out with a standard sized bet, and there you sit holding middle pair and a king kicker.
You know the bettor is ruthlessly aggressive and apt to toss out a continuation bet into the face of two opponents, meaning that your queens may be better than his hand. In fact, you're more worried about the guy waiting to act behind you than the loose player who put out the raise. If you could look into a crystal ball to know how he would act, you'd be more confident in your decision. If you had been playing with a keenly observant eye, perhaps you would have an accurate hunch on what the guy behind you intended to do.
Serious poker players are usually very guarded when they know that their opposition's eyes are upon them. When it is our turn to act we know we must remain stoic. But we are not quite as likely to be so focused on masking our intentions when it is not our time in the spotlight. The best poker pros in the world understand this principle, and cash in on it time and again. Rather than peer at each opponent only as the action moves toward them, they observe one step ahead. With shifty eyes behind dark sunglasses, they observe their opponent when they do not know that others are focusing on them. In those critical moments, tells are most likely to ooze.
When players who are set to act late think that the focus is not on them, they are likely to give all sorts of solid hints about the strength of the hand. With their defenses lowered and concentration momentarily on the cards, they may allow their eyes, nostrils, or sitting position to leak a tell. They may try to sneak a peek back at their hole cards, signaling that they are evaluating the status of a drawing hand.
Players who pick up the corner of their hole cards and allow them to linger in their hand are often prepping to toss them into the muck. Players who stare intently at the first player to act are often very interested in the action, showing that they are likely to hang around to play the hand. If the player takes his time to glance at his chip stack, he may be considering how much of his chip stack he's willing to invest in a raise.
Your opponents are likely to react to the cards in the mindless moments when they assume that all eyes are on someone else. There is no need for you to watch the action as if you are following a bouncing ball. Watch the players who have yet to act to gather valuable information to guide your decision making.
In our scenario, imagine that you observe the button slightly furrow his brow in disappointment when he sees the flop. Instantly you surmise that he was not happy to see the face cards on the flop. Knowing that he is not a viable threat, you can play your queens in a tough fashion against the gunslinger in early position.
Timing can be everything in your hunt for tells. Looking for them when your opposition knows your eyes are trained upon him is usually fruitless. But when he thinks others are looking elsewhere he's likely to allow his emotions and thoughts to be exposed. Be one step ahead in your observations and you are likely to come out ahead at the end of the evening.
John Carlisle is a National Certified Counselor with a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology from West Virginia University. Contact John at carlisle14@hotmail.com.
