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How to Improve Your People Reading Skills |
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December 2007
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At every WSOP Academy seminar, an attendee always comes up to me and asks "Joe, I've read your book, Mike Caro's book, and many others that focus on deciphering nonverbal tells, but I still have trouble reading my opponents. What if I've read all there is to read? What more can I do?" My answer is always the same: Try putting in a little more effort. Sometimes you need to step away from the books and venture into the real world.
If this applies to you, don't feel like you are alone. This isn't just an issue for poker players either. I've taught law enforcement officers and FBI agents for years and, no matter what department, there are always a few who struggle. First, there are those who immediately get it, no matter the subject, but those are few. Then, there are those who get it and forget it; there are those who get some of it and forget the rest; and, of course, there are those who just never get it at all. I think it’s like this in any learning situation. The thing to do, no matter where you fit it, is not to let it get you down.
I can think of four simple ways to improve your skills at reading people, but they all require effort; so if you aren’t dedicated, there’s no need to read any further. However, if you really care about the game and you really want to improve, read on.
Recommendation 1: Obviously reading books on nonverbal behavior or “tells” are a must. Don’t just read one, read them all. People ask me why I encourage people to read books other than my own. My answer? Without a doubt, there is good information in each of those books, and sometimes one will go deeper into a specific topic than another. While Read ‘Em and Reap is setting records in sales, Mike Caro’s book also has a lot to offer (as do others). But, I would also look at books that aren’t poker related. In April, my new book What Every Body is Saying comes out, and it talks about nonverbal behaviors in general, not specifically related to poker. Books like this and Desmond Morris’ classic Body Watching can help you to develop a broader knowledge base of human behavior that will help you interpret tells when you see them.
Recommendation 2: As my friend and fellow instructor Greg Raymer mentioned in an article earlier this year, if you care about improving this area of your poker game, you should attend a seminar that specifically focuses on this area. The WSOP Academy (www. wsopa.com) runs great seminars where you can learn from the most talented experts on a variety of topics. The seminars are very simply a great opportunity to share and learn together. In addition to what I can teach you, you’ll learn from the other instructors and students as well. The professional poker-player-instructors bring a vast amount of knowledge and experience from their own playing experiences, which is absolutely invaluable. Not only do students learn first hand, but I too benefit from their experiences and incorporate their input into what I observe and decode. The feedback we get from these seminars is tremendous and we are sure that everyone will learn something new from attending. We’ll make sure you understand the theories in depth and come away prepared for all future sessions.
Recommendation 3: Get out of the habit of going to the casino just to play poker. Do what I do: Go to the casino at least a couple of hours a week just to read people. I know it’ll be tough, but don’t play. Walk around, watch, learn, observe, analyze, and decipher; repeat. It’s free, it’s fun, and it will improve your ability to read others. Those of you who have seen me in casinos anywhere from Atlantic City to Las Vegas know I’ll study tables for two or three hours, trying to pick up and learn everyone’s tells. Now, this won’t come easy, so put some effort into working out your observation skills. The casino is your gym and you should utilize it in that sense as often as possible.
I see people come off the street, enter the casino, and go right to the table. They never take the time to read the people at their table; they just get in the action. A key in poker is to know your enemies, and there’s no better way than to watch them play first, at no cost. After an hour or so of observation, take your seat and use what you’ve already learned to your advantage.
Recommendation 4: From time to time, I accept private clients whom I teach on a one-to-one basis how to decode nonverbal behavior at the poker tables and how to conceal tells. I did a private session in Las Vegas with a very well-known and accomplished professional poker player. He’s a terrific player, a very funny man, and a great observer at the poker table. We spent a full day together, splitting it up into two parts. The first half we focused on what to look for at the tables, and the second half we focused on his game and the tells he was giving off.
At the end of a very successful day, we went out to dinner. While at dinner he pointed out a couple at the next table and asked me what I thought about their relationship. He had noticed that they were no longer talking, instead merely staring into the distance. At first they were leaning into each other, but as the dinner and conversation progressed, they both leaned back in their chairs away from each other, seldom speaking. My client thought things were going “sour” between them. I said, “Don’t just look above the table; look under the table as well.” This was easy to do, as there was no tablecloth or other obstacle blocking the underside of the table.
“Notice how their feet are very close to each other,” I pointed out. “If they weren’t getting along, their feet wouldn’t be that close together. The limbic brain simply would not allow it.” Now that I had him focused on the couple’s feet, we noticed that every once in a while their feet touched or brushed against each other and neither person’s legs retracted. “That behavior is important,” I noted. “It shows they still feel connected.” When the couple got up to leave, the man put his arm around the woman’s waist, and they walked out without saying another word.
Why do I mention this anecdote from a day focused on poker? Because I find that poker players turn on their “tells” radar when they are at the poker table, if at all, and turn it off when they leave the poker room. If you want to increase your ability to read others, you should be practicing it all the time. I’m asked routinely if I ever turn “it” off. No! “It” is always on! And neither should you turn it off if you want to become a pro. It’s not a burden, I promise; it is a more nuanced and enriching way for observing the world around you.
I told you in earlier articles that the feet are the most honest part of the body. That’s everywhere from the poker room to the drawing room. If you play poker, your game skill will increase if you practice reading people outside the game arena. Comfort, discomfort, strength, weakness, emphasis, confi dence, all manifest day in and day out in the outside world. Once you learn to always look for tells, it becomes second nature when you get to the poker table. The bottom line: If you wait to use these skills in the poker room, you are doing yourself and your poker game a disservice.
Any of the above recommendations will improve your game if you’re ready to take the next step and become dedicated to the goal. A little effort is all that’s needed, so get out there and practice. If not, hey, it’s only your money.
Joe Navarro served as a Special Agent for the FBI for 25 years. He is
the author of Read ‘Em and Reap [Harper-Collins] and teaches exclusively
at the WSOP Academy (WSOPA.com). Poker players interested in
receiving Navarro’s training can contact him at NavarroPoker.com.
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