Tells are traditionally associated with people’s physical twitches, in which someone inadvertently gives away the strength of his or her hand. Tells exist both in the brick-and-mortar poker world and the online version. Here is a list of common tells which you should, if you notice them, take advantage of:

Online:

1. In limit, a quick call with two flush or straight cards out generally means a draw.

2. In limit, a quick raise on the flop generally means top pair.

3. A poor player who is thinking generally has a weaker holding and is debating a call.

4. Generally, if someone thinks for a while and then raises, it’s not a bluff.

5. Someone who frequently raises the pot pre-flop and then folds at the flop, if someone bets at him, is likely to be on tilt.

Live:

1. When a poor player puts a hand over his mouth, it generally means he has a strong hand. Generally, he is concealing a smile.

2. Shaking hands means a player is nervous. However, it can also mean that he’s bluffing or that he has a very strong hand.

3. A player reaching for a drink is another sign of being nervous.

4. When a poor player “stares you down,” it generally means he’s bluffing.

5. When the flop comes and a player quickly looks at his chips, he’s likely to have a strong hand.