In poker, most of the profit you make comes from successfully reading the tells of your opposing players. By learning to read all of your opponents, you will develop observational skills that provide invaluable insights into your opponents’ future behavior.
What Is a Noncombat Tell?
Most poker tells reveal themselves while players are in competition for a poker pot. Noncombat tells, on the other hand, are tells that can be discerned in players who are not involved in a hand. What happens between hands should be carefully observed, as these things inform and predict future behavior.
Examples of Noncombat Tells
An example of a noncombat tell might be an observation of an opponent’s appearance or dress. A well-dressed opponent will usually be more conservative in play. Players who wear good luck charms or religious amulets may trust luck more often. Other factors such as ethnicity, gender, and age may also offer valuable insights: for instance, and it is more difficult to bluff women than men. You may earn additional profits by making assumptions based on stereotypes until your observations suggest otherwise.
In addition to appearances, other examples of noncombat tells include:
- Arranging chips neatly – This implies that the player is not reckless but will choose carefully, be more conservative in gambling, and rarely bluff.
- Leaving chips unarranged – If your opponent’s chips are uncountable and displayed haphazardly, he may be ready for action, careless, and more liberal. This player may be prepared to lose everything, and often will.
- Secretive wallet – Players who are conservative about their money either have very little or a lot, but the takeaway is that they will likely play conservatively.
- Calling for more chips – A player who is out of chips and is flamboyantly calling for more is unafraid of people knowing he has money to gamble. He may also be feeling liberal or humiliated at having run out of chips, and will likely play aggressively.
- Mind on other things – A player whose expression indicates that his mind is on other things is not in the mood to gamble, but will wait patiently for a good hand. This player will most likely play only good hands.
- Pile of chips after winning – A player with a large pile of chips scattered in front of him because he just won the last pot is not likely to bluff right away. If this player enters the pot again, it will typically be because of a good hand.
Learning from Noncombat Tells
This information can greatly inform how you should respond to these tells. For example, the opponent whose tells suggest that he is conservative is a player you can bluff more often, but should call less often. Conversely, the opponent whose tells suggest he is more liberal is a player you can call more often, but should bluff less often. The opponent who appears to be patiently waiting for a good hand is one that you should generally avoid competing with. Learn from the appearance and noncombat behaviors of your opponents so that you can determine how to maximize your profits against them.