Some people think that it is difficult to tell when someone is bluffing when they are playing poker. The fact couldn’t be further from the truth. All but the most advanced players have tells, or subconscious signals, that they send out when they are bluffing. Fortunately, everyone has a foible and most tells are pretty obvious if you know what to look for.

One tell to look for involves the hands. People may start playing with their chips, tapping their fingers, cracking their knuckles, or other such things. Sometimes these twitches indicate a good hand; sometimes they indicate a bad hand. Similarly, people might start playing with their drinks or cigarettes, twirling their hair, or biting on their cheeks or lips. Sometimes it will be more subtle, like shifting in their seat or rubbing their eyes. These are all pretty obvious tells, and can provide a helpful indication that someone is bluffing.

You must be on guard, though. Sometimes people display tells not just when they are bluffing, but also when they are nervous. They could be nervous because they are bluffing, but they could also be nervous because they have a good hand and are nervous because they want to win the pot. It is your job, as the poker player, to figure out what the tells at your table are and what, exactly, each one signals. Fortunately, once you know what to look for, it is usually pretty easy to figure out the tells at your table and what they mean.