Everyone has heard the expression about putting on a poker face. Keying in on a player’s tell-tale signs can be a tricky and unscientific venture, but there are a few time-proven methods that can increase the odds of sniffing out a big bluff.

Focus Points

The eyes are the biggest truth tellers in the game of poker. Many people have trouble looking other players directly in the eyes and bluffing. Players often appear shifty eyed and nervous when bluffing. This is why many top players where visors or sunglasses as an attempt to circumvent any attempts from other players to gain information from the eyes. The facial expression can tell a lot about a player’s hand strength. Players often have inadvertent signals of confidence or weakness that can be displayed through the face. This is why many expert players prefer to wear hats or other apparel that disguises the face. As a general rule, players who appear weak are usually strong and players that appear strong are usually weak.

Poker players like to act and many times a player who has a strong hand will act as though he does not have his mind on the action. Players that are trying to bluff will often be very forceful with bets and try to exude confidence in an attempt to steal pots with weaker hands. With money on the line, many players experience increased heart rates and breathing rates. Expert players will look for veins that are pulsating or deep breaths as signs that a player is in a weak position and is nervous about the events unfolding. Shaking hands does not always mean that a player is nervous in a bad way. Often, shaking hands are the product of having a monster hand. Thus, it is a toss up as to whether shaking hands are a good or bad sign but as a rule, avoid players with shaking hands. The best way to get a read on an opponent is to examine betting patterns. Some players tend to check when they have big hand while others bid string when they have good cards.