Real life poker tells #1

The Loudest Guy at the Table

As I learn about tells, I learn the most obvious first. And this tell has definitely been the most obvious of any I have seen at Real Life tournaments.

Quite often, during a poker tournament, one of the players at the table is involved in a lot more of the conversations than anyone else, could be lots of joking, lots of opinions, or just general banter.

This type of player is very easy to pick out from the group.

And it is most obvious, of any of the player types, when this persons behaviour changes.

As with all players that you play at the poker table, we are trying to establish a baseline of behavior, behaviour that represents the players "normal" state.

And if the player is normally loud, social, and involved in a lot of conversations, then they are also the easiest with which to establish a baseline.

When Loud Players Go Quiet

So what happens when the loud player suddenly goes quiet? What does it mean? It depends on the context of the hand.

If a loud player suddenly goes quiet after observing thier hole cards, they intend to play the hand.

How does this help you? If the table is looking at their hole cards in sequence, and the loud player is acting before you, when they go quiet and raise the pot, its probably time to fold unless you have a really strong hand.

And if they are acting after you, you can still associate their silence and bet with strength, tread very carefully or fold if you limped in before they acted.

What about if they go silent after the flop?

This one is key, because the timing of the silence is the key to the strength of the hand.

If they go silent as soon as the flop comes down, they have hit the flop. And are intending to play. Unless you have also hit the flop or are priced in on draws, its a good time to fold.

If they remain loud however after the flop, but after consideration make a large bet and then go silent, then this is a bluffing sign.

Before any real chips are risked on these type of reads, the loud player should be observed in hands that you are not involved in, to see if the theory proves correct. I like to verify a read two or three times before I put chips on them.

But when the loud player goes quiet, depending on the circumstance, you can get out of trouble, or, even better...

... call them on that huge bluff.