It is recommended you first read my article 'Physical tells, Part 1' to understand how tells work. Otherwise this information will not be as useful to you.

Let's Start with the Eyes

If the person blocks his own vision, then he doesn't like what he sees - such as if he places his hands so they are covering his eyes or even if he shuts his eyelids for a long time. Try to notice this tell right when the community cards come down. That is why it is so important to look at your opponent when the cards are coming down rather than the cards itself because the cards are not going to change. The instant response is what you are looking for.

If your opponent squints his eyes, he is looking for something that is not actually there, showing he has low confidence in his hand. If you are close enough to see your opponent's pupils, then try to notice pupil dilation which shows great strength. The opposite is true also - pupil constriction means low confidence in his hand. This tell is usually only reliable when the amount of money involved matters to the opponent. If your opponent has been taking drugs that will also effect his pupil movement. If you see your opponent raise his eyebrows, then he likes his hand. If he seems to lower his eyebrows then he has a weak hand.

Gravity Defying Tells show High Confidence

If your opponent's heel is raised off the ground, you can expect him to bet or raise. If a player sits erect after seeing his hole cards or community cards, you can expect action from him. If your opponent is a smoker, check to see if he exhales his smoke upwards - a sign of confidence. If your smoker inhales, makes a bet then doesnt breathe out, well then he is usually bluffing. An arch chip toss into the pot usually shows confidence - but beware the casual player who does this all the time.

The Mouth

If your opponent bites his nail, this is usually a sign of stress and he doesn't like the situation he is in - but beware people who just have a habit of nail biting. Lip biting is also a sign of stress. Lip compression is a sign of low confidence, while showing full lips usually means a strong hand. When your opponent smiles, it is relatively easy to see if it is a fake smile because he is bluffing, or a genuine smile because he likes his hand. A real smile involves the corner of your eyes - look in the mirror and smile like you mean it, you will see that the corner of your eyes come together. Then just try a fake smile and see how the corner of your eyes do not come together.

Players usually tell you what they are going to do before it is their turn to act. They show a lot of intent. Here is what you should be looking for:

- Nose flaring means he has a very good hand and really can't wait to play it.

- If your opponent's torso leans towards the table, it means he wants to engage in action.

- Fidgeting with one's fingers means impatience and your opponent can't wait until he can bet and raise.

- If your opponent's feet move to a running position - 1 foot in front of the other with the rear foot having its heel raised - it shows intent to get into the action.

- If your opponent tilts his head to the side he is showing high confidence.

The Feet

The most reliable tells that a human can express is through his or her feet. When 2 people are talking and a third person comes along, the 2 people will turn their body slightly towards the person out of courtesy. But their feet will tell you if they want the person there. If the 2 people's feet are still pointed towards each other, they do not want the third person there, but if they open up their feet towards the person they are accepting them into the conversation. These feet movement are subconsious and that is why they are very reliable.

Of course it is hard to look at people's feet when at the table, but you just have to try your hardest to see, so try and pick a table position that will give you the best visibility. So if your opponents' feet are turned away from the table inwards to each other, they are not accepting the situation like in the example above, so they do not really like their cards. If their feet were bouncing and then they suddenly stop - this is the freeze response talked about in part 1 - they are not liking what they are seeing. Its hard to see if their feet are bouncing but try to notice movement in their shirt because that is an indication that the feet are moving.

If you manage to see that your opponent's feet were flat but then he raised his heel, that shows intent and you can expect him to bet or raise. If your opponent withdraws from the table, then he usually doesn't like the situation. If you can see his legs stretched out and crossed, that shows he is very calm and is probably holding a very good hand. If your opponent makes a bet and has his body close to the table, that usualy means he has a good hand. But he may have his body close to the table because he has his feet wrapped around his chair leg, and when you see an opponent doing this he is almost always bluffing - it is like the freeze response. If a player suddenly moves his feet from in front of him to under his chair he doesnt like the situation and is withdrawing from it so he is likely to fold.

This is why it is so important to see what your opponents' feet are doing. They can turn a sign of confidence (such as body being close to the table) into a sign of weakness (because he actually has his feet wrapped around chair leg). So next time you're at the table, you will actually know what tells you are looking for unlike most of your opponents.

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