Real Life Poker Tells #2

Eyes wide open

There is one tell that is so hard to hide, even the pro's on TV occasionally show it.

It is most powerful when the cards they see give them sudden good news.

A recent hand I watched with Phil Ivey had Phil with 10 7 off, he had taken a stab at the stealing the blinds but was called by the big blind. Probably thinking that he was getting out of this hand pretty shortly with some wasted chips. However, after the flop, he had a clear tell.

When some people unexpectedly hear or see something they really like, their eyes widen with an expression similar to surprise. Sudden good news causes their eyes to visibly open further for a brief period before going back to normal again.

One key way this tell can save you a lot of chips is when a set hits. A set hitting is very good news, on a board with no straights/flushes, only the highly unlikely higher set could have you beat. This is definitely a case where some players eyes will widen on when they hit.

Any powerful hand can can cause this reaction.

Phils eyes had registered surprise at a flop giving him two pair, you hit two pairs when you don't hold a pocket pair about 2% of the time, so his reaction makes sense.

This same reaction can occur in any poker game with players who are focussed and want to win. Its probably time to fold your hand if an opponents eyes suddenly widen.