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What Are the Tells in Poker?

Poker is one of the world’s most popular card games. It is played with a standard deck of 52 cards and has many variants. Players place chips into the pot (representing money) and wager on whether they have a winning hand. They can also bluff, attempting to win by convincing other players they have a better hand than they actually do.

Ante

A small bet all players are required to make before a hand is dealt. Antes help keep the game fair and increase the potential payouts of a winning hand.

Blind

A larger bet made by a player in a betting round. A player who makes a blind bet is said to be ‘in the pot’.

Flop

Once the initial betting round in a poker hand is over the dealer deals three cards face up on the table that are community cards that anyone can use. This is called the flop.

Turn

When it is a player’s turn to act during a poker hand they may choose to call the previous player’s raise, or raise themselves. If they call the previous raise and have a good hand they should raise their own bet.

Tells

Observing a player’s tells is an important part of becoming a successful poker player, however it can be difficult to spot and interpret them accurately. The best way to understand a tell is to watch a player’s body language for subtle changes in their posture, or by looking at their hands and eyes.