Texas Hold 'Em: Reading Hands
Ok, let’s play mind reader (somewhat) and discuss “Reading hands” in Texas Hold ‘Em.
While actual mind reading isn’t possible (so we think), there are definitely ways you can improve your hand reading ability in all manner of poker games, especially Texas Hold ‘Em. There are also tactics you can employ to make your own hands harder for others to read.
As you know, Poker is a game of trying to get the best hand. Poker is also a mental game of fooling your opponent into making moves in your best interest. Make your opponent fold because you’ve convinced him or her that you have a better hand, and you win against that person. The better hand doesn’t matter anymore to the folded player because they left the game.
Observation and memory are the keys to reading hands. Observe the game – what Tells do you see? What happens when Sally Southfork gets a good hand? What does Big Al do when he’s winning? Do they tap their hands, smile, cough, or do something they don’t do during losing rounds? Observe everyone EVERY round – Hold ‘Em, unlike many other games, has lots of opportunities to read people, because it has a lot of rounds.
Check how they bet – did they bet low pre-flop, but then bet big after the flop? Look at the flop cards – why did they bet big after the flop? Is a straight or flush possible?
Equally as important is what people do when they get a bad hand. If Sally always fumbles her chips a round before folding, you know she didn’t have very good cards. Later, when she tries to bluff, you see her fumbling her chips… hmmm, this could definitely be a bluff.
Like with all strategies, there are a few exceptions. Most veteran players are very aware of their body language and playing style. They’ll change strategies to keep you guessing and from knowing what’s in their hand. If Texas Pete raises the max every time he gets a full house or better, then the other players are going to know they should probably fold. Therefore, he’s not going to be so obvious. Another consideration is that you may be playing against new players to the game. Novices won’t have concrete playing styles and may switch from aggressive to passive play depending on their mood.
So now that you know what to look for, you know what to hide. Make sure you aren’t giving out any clues to other players about your own hands.
The last hand reading tip is to consider the probability of remaining cards. Whatever cards are in your hand and on the table are out of the deck and cannot be dealt. For example, if you have two aces in your hand and see one on the table then that leaves one ace to be split among the remaining players. This should give you a clue on what hands other players might have or could be trying to get.
While not a primer on mind reading, these tips should give you a solid foundation in regards to reading hands and looking for tells in Texas Hold ‘Em. Good luck out there.
