Joe Knows
After years and years of playing thousands of hands, some players still struggle when it comes to making the right read. When they give up… they email me. Here are some recent emails I’ve received that I hope will not only help the sender but many other readers as well.
1. I read one of your previous columns where you suggest videotaping yourself to see what you’re doing when you play. I felt like an idiot, but tried it out. I knew the camera was on so I’m sure my reactions weren’t natural. Is there anything I can do to get a true reaction?
— Frank,
Brooklyn, NY
Frank, this is a good question which merits attention. The camera is very intruding so it does affect the experiment and, of course, the results. Over years of law enforcement work I have found that only time will make you forget about the camera. The longer it is on the more you will forget it is there. Nevertheless, some people feel unhinged when there is a camera on them.
You can do a couple of things. One is hide the camera as you video yourself playing. Get someone to distract you and interact with you. Or get someone who is familiar with nonverbal communications to watch you... or at least someone who has read Read'Em and Reap. I hope this works for you. You could also hire a trained professional, but I'm sure their presence might also affect your reactions.
2. I feel that as much as I try, I just can’t read people well enough and often make mistakes trying to make the hero call. What do I do when all else has failed?
-Brian
West Palm Beach, FL
Brian, please don’t feel frustrated with nonverbals! It simply isn’t easy sometimes. When I started in law enforcement I was not as well prepared to read body language as I am now. It takes time and work and it is a perishable skill. One of the things I do every time I am at a casino is go to the tables to watch the players. I don’t play, but watch.
I recommend poker players do this at least two hours minimum a week or at least for an hour before you play. Why pay to see behaviors when you can watch them and sharpen your skills for free?
Even today I work at verifying nonverbals all day long. Whenever I see a behavior, I tell myself, “There it is again.” Reinforcing what I’m watching in my mind is important so that when I see it again, I don’t have to think about it. I know what it means and I know it’s accurate. You should do the same. Make a game out of it.
For example, tonight I saw someone do a tongue jut because they got away with a free dessert. The person next to me didn’t see it because she was looking, not observing. Learn to break down all the behaviors you see and ask yourself, “What have I seen and what does it mean in context?” Take out your books on nonverbals and r reread them. I have to go back to the literature all the time, just as a reminder. Even though I have written five books, mostly on nonverbal communications, I still go back to other sources to be reminded of things I may have missed. There is no other way; you have to expose yourself. I hope this helps.
3.How come I continue to fall for fake tells?
— Rob,
Cleveland, OH
There are many reasons why we fall for fake tells. On a much larger and real-life scope, it’s the same reason that people fall for multi-million dollar Ponzi schemes. We tend to believe people and ignore the signs of deception.
One of the best ways to avoid false tells is to look for the immediate reactions that tell us how someone feels genuinely. You then take that information and contrast that with the tells they are trying to project intentionally.
I find a lot of poker players don’t pay close enough attention to other players. Instead of looking for immediate reactions, they are busy studying the flop or their own hands. What they do see are the reactions seconds later when the player has had time to think about what they want others to see. Remember the most immediate reactions are the most accurate and if a nonverbal of discomfort is first seen it is most likely the accurate tell.
4. Some people seem naturally nervous. How can I differentiate their nerves naturally from a hand that they are involved in?
— Beth,
Winston-Salem, NC
Great question, Beth. Age, drugs, and neurological disorders can affect us in ways that make us look nervous. One of the ways we can differentiate tension from a naturally nervous person is by observing the behavior in context.
For instance someone with Parkinson’s disease will shake continually – it is beyond his capacity to ameliorate except with medications. A person who reacts to their cards or a call will respond as a result of that activity, in other words, they will suddenly start (or stop) a nervous behavior. For example, if there is a player whose leg is always jiggling, you ignore that, because it is always present. You only pay attention to it when it stops.
The other thing you can do is look for clusters of behavior. A naturally nervous person will shake their hands (as an example) but you won’t see lip compression or eye squinting until there is something seriously bothering them. When you can combine multiple behaviors, you have a more accurate indication of discomfort. Again, as I relate in my books, focus not on nervousness per se, but rather on comfort and discomfort. If you do that, you will see multiple tells, rather than just one.
5. How many hands do you believe a player needs to determine a baseline behavior?
— Steven,
Wayland, MA
That is a tough question to answer, Steven. In part it has to do with the ability of the observer and the players at the table. I have had students with me and demonstrated how you can read some players in as little as three seconds while I spend over an hour trying to crack the veritable code on another player.
Research tells us that the more time you spend at a table observing the better your observations will be. But there is another factor. Observation is a perishable skill. If you spend a lot of time away from the tables you will lose that skill. That is why, as I mentioned above, I recommend players spend at least two hours a week watching other players and not playing. I spent two years as a supervisor in the FBI and when I returned to be a street agent, my mind was mush. My observational skills had truly diminished. It was an example to me that nonverbals need to be observed daily and your brain needs to be exercised to make it more perceptive.
To answer the question there is no set number of hands, but rather time. The more time you have to observe a player the better, and, of course, the better you are the greater your success.
