Poker Tells: Mike Caro’s Book

Some poker tells may be obvious to the rational player or familiar to the experienced one. Other players may need help reading the body language of their opponents and learning to incorporate it into their play decisions. One resource for these players, that is also useful to seasoned players looking to add an edge to their game, is Mike Caro’s Caro’s Book of Poker Tells: The Psychology and Body Language of Poker. Caro defines his own 25 laws of tell with pics of players engaged in the behavior he’s describing. He even tests you at the end with a “Play Along Photo Quiz.” A few of Caro’s tips, discussed here, will help you become a reader and not a teller, but just like many aspects of poker strategy, tells are an in-depth topic of psychological study and must be learned and practiced to be useful to the average player.

One of Caro’s laws warns players against calling someone who is covering his mouth. Anytime a player is covering or partially hiding his mouth, it’s smart to assume he’s bluffing. In order to avoid other players studying his face and realizing his bluff, he may cover his mouth with his hand. This body language is a textbook tell that someone is not telling the truth. It is unconscious, but it can be developed as a habit by insecure people, so weigh this with other body language and determine whether this is a consistent action, and when possible, test your hypothesis against his hand (81-83).

Another behavioral point of analysis for poker tell readers is player composure and the degree of nervousness that the bettor exudes. It may be obvious to many that when a usually confident player suddenly becomes more uncomfortable with conversation and camaraderie after placing a large bet he’s probably nervous because he’s bluffing. Or maybe that same player steadies his emotions when he’s bluffing and has learned to control himself from showing signs of nervousness.

Now, what happens when this same player is holding a full house? When holding a good hand, confident players become even more confident. With their hand secured, they may let their good endorphins get the best of them. They may exhibit a sense of relief when talking about tough subjects, such as politics (93-95). Caro suggests, “Try asking players questions after they’ve bet into big pots. The ones with the dynamite hands will talk freely; the ones with the vulnerable hands will either remain silent, force their speech, or talk gibberish” (93).

A genuine smile or even a giggle may be impossible for this player to control when he’s trying to find his poker face. Fake smiles and forced friendliness are signs of bluffs. Caro explains, “The reason bluffers are apt to be friendly is that they are afraid to seem intimidating. They are acting nice so you won’t call” (95).

How about this one… the next time you sit down at a casino table with a smoker, watch him smoke. The way the player exhales his smoke is an indication of a bluff. The player who is not bluffing exhales his puff in a big cloud; especially after a big bet, unconcerned with the way he blows out his smoke, a behavior he unconsciously does many times a day. On the other hand, the bluffing smoker with the bad hand, who is trying to remain virtually invisible, will take care not to ostentatiously expel his breath (96).
Caro’s last bit of advice is not to ever reveal your tell-spotting skills or indicate anyone’s tell to them once you have figured it out. Resist the urge to boast; if you tell them their tells, they won’t be useful to you anymore!
Resources:

Caro, Mike. Caro’s Book of Poker Tells: The Psychology and Body Language of Poker. Cooper Station, NY: Cardoza Publishing, 2003.