Bluffs are often talked about and discussed in the Casino scene. Do you have a good bluff? Do you know someone who has a bad bluff? Or is there a certain player who makes one of the most obvious tells you have ever seen? Having a good bluff is crucial to a lot of Casino games, especially in Poker and all its variations (known as poker tells).
Sometimes it can be the difference between winning and losing a lot of money. Some bluffs are easy to spot, some tells are difficult to conceal. Even on online platforms such as Paddy Power Poker a bluff can be difficult to hide, but here are some key points that you should be made aware of when it comes to bluffing.
The first thing to be concerned about is your bluff because if you can’t conceal your reaction, it isn’t going to matter if you can read someone else, even if you have the winning hand. One of the best ways to learn how to disguise your tell can be asking another poker enthusiast to watch you during a game.
You can set this game up or go into a casino, but the idea is that every move you make and hand you reveal is recorded for analysis. This can be anything from an instant smile or smirk after looking at your hand to a disappointed face when the cards are no longer in your favour. By doing this you can learn what your immediate tells are.
Another way to create a good bluff would be to work on it yourself. You could look in the mirror and listen to some comedy acts while trying to keep a straight face, a great way to practise hiding your emotions. Another good way is to try and speak in a neutral tone about events that you’re passionate about, for example, sports.
Discussing the highs and lows of sports can really bring out different emotions in someone’s voice, so try talking to someone else who is passionate about sports in a neutral tone – this way you can control your voice when speaking during poker, whether you’re lying or telling the truth, the idea is it all is said the same way, so nobody can figure out your emotions towards your hand.
The other side of bluffs is to watch out for them, they might be hinting that someone is lying or trying to conceal something from the other players. A lot of casinos have the people who gossip a lot, meaning that you might hear about other player’s tells before you play against them. On the other hand, you might have to study them during a game and quickly figure out when something is wrong.
Some of the most common tells when someone is bluffing is body language. Their body language can be positive or negative and come in many forms. From a slight eye twitch or hand movement to a large burst of excitement. They might tap their fingers, or scratch their head, the key is to try and follow the movements people make during a game. Not only is a physical movement the easiest one to spot, but it is also the most common.
Another great tell is during conversation. When talking, does the player hesitate? Are their words quickening when being questioned? Is their breathing becoming faster and shorter? When trying to figure out if someone has a verbal tell, you will find it can go one of two ways. The first is that they will stay quiet and not ask many questions, leaving the talking down to other players. Alternatively, perhaps they are overly confident, boisterous and loud. This is a difficult one to analyse because a player can just be confident about their hand, but usually, you will notice when someone is being genuine or not.