Breaking Down Poker Tells & Live Reads; Are They Still Important?
In the era of charts, solvers and optimal play, seldom attention is given to tells and live reads when it comes to poker strategy. But rather than an antiquated strategy method, live reads remain a great and underappreciated way to gain an edge at the poker table.
Here's a deep look into the world of tells and live reads in poker, from some of the most common tells to the live read masters and literature on the subject that will help you become an expert.
What are Live Reads?
Live reads refer to the information you can gather at the poker table from your opponent's movements, body language, and tendencies at the poker table — things that are impossible to observe through a computer screen. In theory, these tells can be used to help determine whether an opponent is weak or strong, whether they are value-betting or bluffing. When someone makes a difficult call based on a tell, it's often called a "soul read."
Live reads and tells were an integral part of poker strategy in the Texas road gambling days through the earliest poker games in Las Vegas and the Poker Boom of the 2000s. Mike Caro's 2003 book Caro's Book of Poker Tells: The Psychology and Body Language of Poker taught a whole generation of poker players a new type of strategy.
However, they've largely fallen out of fashion in recent years as most poker strategy focuses on Game Theory Optimal (GTO) play and a statistics-based understanding of the game.
The Poker Tells
Some poker players, such as Poker Hall of Famer Daniel Negreanu, gained worldwide fame for their uncanny live-reading abilities, which Negreanu demonstrated time and time again during the Poker Boom on shows like High Stakes Poker and The Big Game.
Daniel Negreanu's Top Poker Tells
Here are four poker tells that Negreanu has recommended players pay attention to:
- Glancing at Chips - If an opponent quickly glances at their chips after the flop lands, Negreanu says this means they like what they see.
- Reaching for Chips - Before you bet, check if anyone behind you is reaching for chips. It could indicate they are either going to raise or call you.
- Agressively Betting - If someone splashes their chips or bets aggressively, it could mean they have a weak hand and want you to stop betting.
- Responding to Questions - Negreanu recommends you ask your opponent a random question like "What's the weather like?" If they give you an answer that doesn't make sense, it might be because they are nervous from bluffing.
But poker reads are about more than observing others. How you act at the table is also relevant, as Negreanu explained in an interview on the High Performance podcast.
"I'm not one of those that's super intense and stares people down," Negreanu said. "I want people to be disarmed and then use some charm in order to beat them, so that when they leave they laugh and they giggle and they go, 'hey, what happened to all my chips?'"
Chance Kornuth's Top Poker Tells
Chance Kornuth, a four-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner with $20.9 million in live earnings, is another player who is considered an expert on live tells. Adding to his expertise in this arena, Kornuth is a poker coach and founder of Chip Leader Coaching, a strategy site that specializes in exploitative play in live poker.
Kornuth broke down three poker tells in a Chip Leader Coaching blog post:
- Looking Early - Inexperienced players will often look at their cards before it is their turn to act, potentially giving away tells to players in front of them. "When inexperienced players look at their cards early, they give away a massive amount of information," according to Kornuth.
- Chips Chosen - Some players will give off tells with their bet sizings, using round numbers with their big denomination chips when they are strong to entice a call, and using more precise sizings when they want you to fold.
- Distancing - When someone is interested in something, they are more likely to lean in. If your opponents look at the flop and are leaning back, they likely aren't interested. If they are leaning forward intently, they might have a hand.
Doug Polk's Top Poker Tells
While Doug Polk is more of an online poker specialist, the legendary heads-up player and content creator also happens to run a poker strategy site, Upswing Poker, and therefore has some advice on live reads.
Here are some of the tips outlined in an Upswing Poker article by author and poker tells expert Zachary Elwood titled "7 Tells You Should Look Out For."
- Defensive Movements - Elwood, who has written several books on poker tells, says an opponent reaching for chips as soon as you start betting is a "sign they probably don't have a strong hand."
- Double-Checking Hole Cards - If a player double-checks their hole cards after looking at a flop, they probably don't have much to play with.
- Goading - Making goading comments to opponents like "I know you are going to fold" usually indicates strength, since players who are bluffing don't want to risk upsetting their opponents.
- Weak-Hand Statements - Players who make comments about their hand being weak (like "I'm on a draw") while betting will generally have strong hands.
Calling an Opponent's Exact Hand
Sometimes, a poker player makes a live read so precise that they name their opponent's hand correctly, down to the suit.
Longtime pro Chino Rheem did this in spectacular fashion at 2022 European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona during Day 1 of a €10,300 EPT High Roller. PokerNews documented the hand, including Rheem's thought process, as follows:
Chino Rheem opened from middle position and both of the blinds called, including Ronan Sweeney in the small blind.
Both players checked on the flop of A♣5♦2♥ and Rheem bet. Only Sweeney called. Sweeney checked again on the 10♣ turn and Rheem checked back.
The river brought the K♠ and Sweeney led out for 1,800 into the pot of 5,500. Rheem then attempted to guess his opponent's holding.
"I need you to show me ace-eight of diamonds," he said as he tossed in a call with A♥9♥.
Sweeney then held up his cards for the table to see and, incredibly, it was A♦8♦, precisely as Rheem had predicted down to the suits.
"I might have to call the floor after that one!" Sweeney laughed.
"You like that one, huh?" Rheem replied after raking in the pot. "It's the only hand I beat ... I gave you respect, I know it has to be suited when you call out of the small blind."
"You're like Daniel Negreanu!" someone at the table exclaimed.
Are Live Reads Still Important?
So, are live reads still a relevant aspect of poker strategy? PokerNews asked this question to several top pros at the 2021 WSOP, and all agreed that live reads continue to play an important role in the game.
That includes Ryan Leng, who said live reads "add a ton of equity into my game overall," as well as eventual 2024 WSOP Player of the Year Scott Seiver, who used live reads to dominate his way to winning three bracelets in a single summer.
Matt Berkey: "Live reads are worth something. It's a psychological game, we're looking everyone in the face. So as you gather more information, you're able to make a more informed decision. So a lot of hands that may mix one way or another can kind of lean into a call or fold based on body posture or tells people give off."
Max Silver: "I think that they should never be the main factor in a decision. But I think there's a lot of times when decisions can be really close like fifty-fifty and kind of pick up something small that kind of tips it into a call or fold."
Ryan Leng: "For me, they are very, very important. I've always been really big into live tells. I started working with Chance Kornuth for a while... and he really helped kind of polish my life reads. I use them all the time."
Scott Seiver: "I think live reads are extremely important. They have been in the past, they still are now. The game at the end of the day is a combination of math and people. And you're just never going to succeed only caring about one aspect of it ... Everyone thinks that they're not going to feel pressure or they're going to be able to act cool as a cucumber in every situation, but it's just human nature not to. So being able to get a feel for other people and their emotional state at any time, that's what poker's all about."
Suggested Reading & Listening
This article has covered just some of the aspects of tells and live reads in poker. To go deeper, PokerNews recommends several books and resources on the subject.
- Caro's Book of Poker Tells: The Psychology and Body Language of Poker by Mike Caro (2003) - Written at the start of the poker boom, Caro's Book of Poker Tells is considered a landmark work on body language and other tells in live poker.
- Ultimate Guide to Poker Tells by Randy Burgess (2006) - Another Poker Boom-era resource that delves into table talk, chip moves and other common tells.
- 200 Poker Tells by Joe Navarro (2011) - Former FBI agent and body language expert Joe Navarro wrote a book breaking down 200 different poker tells, providing an expert perspective from the world of behavioral psychology. Navarro had previously written Read 'Em and Reap: A Career FBI Agent's Guide to Decoding Poker Tells with Phil Hellmuth.
- Reading Poker Tells by Zachary Elwood (2012) - Behavior and psychology podcaster Zachary Elwood's 2012 book Reading Poker Tells offers an updated look at live reads as poker advanced in the 2010s. Elwood followed up with the books Verbal Poker Tells and Exploiting Poker Tells.
- Crush Live Poker by Bart Hanson - California poker pro, commentator and Crush Live Poker founder Bart Hanson is an expert on mid-stakes cash game strategy, including live reads. Hanson frequently discusses live tells and dedicated an entire segment to the subject.
Poker Etiquette FAQs
What are live reads in poker?
Live reads refer to the information you can gather at the poker table from your opponent's movements, body language, and tendencies at the poker table.
What are tells in poker?
Tells are tendencies by players at the table (movements, body language, facial expressions) that convey information and allow other players to gain reads.
What poker players are best at live reads?
Poker players who are considered experts on live reads include Daniel Negreanu and Chance Kornuth. Negreanu in particular gained notority for guessing his opponent's hands during televised appearances.
What are the best poker books about live reads?
There are several strategy books on poker from different eras at the game. Some of the most popular live tell strategy books include Caro's Book of Poker Tells: The Psychology and Body Language of Poker by Mike Caro, 200 Poker Tells by Joe Navarro and Reading Poker Tells by Zachary Elwood.
