Seems that every poker book I read contains a chapter about poker tells. And, somewhere in that chapter will be a tribute to Caro's Book of Poker Tells
But, Mike was not the first. I ran across an ancient book awhile back that (with the help of illustrations) predicts player behavior based upon the size of their ears, placement of their eyebrows, and other facial features. We players can be mighty creative when trying to get an edge over our opponents.
If you are strictly an on-line player you might think Caro's book useless. After all, it is hard to read someone's body language over the Internet. (At least, in most forms of poker.) Thus, the emphasis on reading betting patterns for on-line play. Some players argue that the ability to read an opponent's betting patterns is more important than reading body language, even in live play.
I believe we benefit by expanding our knowledge of both disciplines, reading players and reading betting patterns. For me, it is a matter of fine tuning our empathy. The more empathetic we are, the better we are at observing our opponents. And, spotting any kind of tell, in person or on-line.
Some of Caro's lessons have proven timeless, and apply to all poker games, both live and on the Internet. Here are a few.
1) "Experience has taught most players that an instantaneous bet looks suspicious and is not likely to succeed as a bluff." Page 117.
2) "...strong players are less apt to provide you with tells than weak or average players." Page 132.
3) "When players go out of their way to act weak, it's because they hold strong hands." Page 133.
4) "Never forget that players will not waste energy making you think they're strong when they really are." Page 166.
5) "Players who bet gently are likely to hold big hands." Page 222.
6) "When in doubt, sit behind (to the left of) the money." Page 242.
Order a copy. Even if you don't read it, it is good to own an important piece of poker history.
See more books by Mike Caro, and more books about poker tells located bottom of this page. And, before you place a book order, look at the Free Offers page.
R. Steve McCollum
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Copyright 2009 R. Steve McCollum
