Poker Tells: Catching a Liar at The Poker Table - The Eyes

This series of articles has been fun for a multitude of reasons. Most prominent among them is the fact that I can just see people now closely studying each other at the poker tables to the point where everyone gets uncomfortable. That would be hysterical. What you should also generally keep in mind is that some people at a poker table are naturally uncomfortable. That is to say they will be putting out all types of cues all the time. This stems from several different causes.

The first reason you may be getting multiple conflicting cues from another player is because they are confused or don't really know what they are doing. This kind of player you will figure out quickly as far as their play is concerned but their physical tells will be perplexing. Other people are just uncomfortable around people but they really enjoy poker. These folks are entertaining just to be around. Eventually they either get comfortable or find another way to entertain themselves. Whatever the case, when a player is giving out confusing signals, you will have to sort it out quickly. It is another important reason for you to pay close attention to your opposition.

In the continuing saga of spotting the misrepresentation at the table, today I will examine an area that you have looked at quite often and is simultaneously the most protected by players in poker. That is of course the eyes. Many players wear sunglasses in their attempts to hide from you at the table, but as I have revealed to you other areas to focus upon, these people will just seem silly to you in the future. The next time you see one of them, you should explain to them that their eyes get plenty of protection from the sun indoors. See if you get a laugh.

For those players who choose not to wear sunglasses at the table with you, there are cues to watch for. The eyes are the windows to the soul and they also indicate misrepresentation. If for example, you ask somebody a question and the eyes go up and to the left, that is a sign that the brain is attempting to recall information, often information that has been recorded as pictures in the mind. When you see the individual's eyes up and off to the left they are "seeing" those pictures in the mind. When something comes up as part of that recall that they don't want to share, their eyes respond by darting right, away from the information. At that point, the misrepresentation is then the construction of a "false" picture that did not come up with the original recall but one the teller believes will help answer the question to their advantage.

For example, your opponent puts in a bet at the turn and you ask them if they made their boat. If you watch carefully, you can see their eyes recall their hole cards momentarily and then they will make a decision about how to answer you or of course, not to answer you at all. You know that if while they are answering you their eyes are darting right, it is a clear indication of some kind of fabrication that they are making up on the spot. That would be quite different than if they are looking straight into your eyes.

These are subtle eye movements that will give you a tremendous amount of information. Again, you will have to get a feel for your opponents to see when they are acting and when they are responding without thinking about it. The eyes will often be great at getting information for quick questions as the movement will indicate sincerity or preparation to fabricate almost immediately.

Keep checking back as I will continue to provide valuable tips on how you can spot all kinds of great tells from your opponents at the poker table.