Every individual displays tells of some sort. Even the best players have them - Phil Hellmuth Jr. would usually hug himself when bluffing, and when betting for value would bring hands to his mouth (but you can bet he doesn't do that anymore). But when people are looking for tells they usually look an opponent right in the face and stare. You are very unlikely to find any reliable tells by doing this. Tells are often an instant response, so you should be watching your opponent rather than the community cards when they come down. The cards are not going to go away but your opponents' tells are.

Before I tell you about the tells, it is better to know how the brain responds to activities. There is the limbic part of the brain and this part of the brain cannot lie (unless you are a top Hollywood actor, but most of your opponents are not going to be). When we see something, it is the limbic part of the brain that responds instantly without you even thinking about it. When someone shouts 'BOO' really loud, it is the limbic response that makes you jump. Also if you touch something really hot, your hands withdraw instantly. This is also the limbic response. These responses are instantaneous; you do not think about these actions. Thats why you should pay attention to your opponent. It is their instant response you should be looking for, because these limbic responses almost never lie.

Humans have an instinctive reaction called freeze or flight. When a human meets a danger such as a wild animal, we have the tendency to either freeze and stay very still, or all your blood rushes to your legs and you just want to run. Poker players are not going to run from the table so they will freeze when they see something they don't like.

The hands give away a lot of tells

You should pay attention to what opponents tend to do with their hands. If your opponent moves his hand forward after seeing his hole cards he likes what he sees and you can expect some action from him. But if his hands withdraw after seeing his hole cards, then it is the complete opposite and a bluff would be in order.

If your opponent covers his cards after seeing them he is being protective as he likes his cards. If his fingers are interlaced, this is usually a sign of low confidence and he doesn't like what he sees. But, if he has interlaced fingers with his thumbs up, he has high confidence. Some other hand actions to watch:

- If he reaches for his chips right after looking at his hole cards he is very rarely bluffing - this is due to the fact that if he was going to bluff he would have to think about it, and wouldn't instantly bet.

- If while betting, his hand is shaking uncontrollably, then you best believe he is holding the nuts or close to it.

- Before it is a players turn to act, watch to see if his hands move closer to his chips, because that shows intent to raise.

- An opponent twiddling his thumbs usually likes the situation he is in.

You should also look out for pacifying behavior. These actions are due to stress, such as an opponent has just bet and is bluffing. The longer you wait, the longer he is going to be uncomfortable and it will show if you are paying attention. If your opponent is touching or stroking his neck, he is feeling uncomfortable. Also if he pulls his shirt away from his neck to allow air in to cool him down - people usually feel the temperature has gone up after they just bluffed.

Any touching or stroking usually shows signs of stress, such as touching one's face, stroking or playing with hair. Same goes for touching, licking or rubbing lips, whistling, puffing out cheeks then slowly exhaling, hugging yourself and even rubbing your legs. All these are pacifying behaviors that show that your opponent is uncomfortable.

If I were to ask you the most reliable place to look for tells you would most likely reply with the face. That is what most people think but they are wrong. The part that shows the most reliable tells are your feet and legs. People tend to hide their emotions from their face, but no one seems to hide the emotion that your feet and legs show (more on this in part 2 of this article).

Remember it is the instant response you are looking for. Also if you see one of these tells, don't just put your opponent all in. You have to notice what your opponent does normally and one tell is not enough to go on. You have to associate more than one tell. If you see three different tells that show your opponent is weak, than that is more reliable that just seeing one. An opponent can throw in one fake tell, but very few can throw in three fake tells.

Check back on the PokerSavvy articles because in Part 2, I will tell you about the tells your feet show plus many more. Until then, just pay close attention to what your opponent does.