People Who Read People: A Behavior and Psychology Podcast How a poker pro thinks about poker tells, with Dara O'Kearney
Aug 11, 2021
Dara O'Kearney, a professional poker player, podcaster, and author, dives deep into the world of poker tells. He shares how his views on tells evolved from initial overestimation to a nuanced understanding influenced by experience. They discuss the importance of reading subtle physical cues, the impact of stakes on tells, and how marathon running enhances focus during long poker sessions. Dara also reveals strategies around table talk and the psychological aspects of player interactions, emphasizing the complexities of gameplay and decision-making.
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Tells Are A Modest Edge, Not Everything
- Dara O'Kearney moved from overvaluing tells to seeing them as a modest edge after reading Zach Elwood's books.
- Tells matter most at lower stakes or when opponents are nervous, not against top players.
Standardize Actions To Hide Tells
- Standardize your actions to hide tells: move chips and use the same words consistently.
- Simple consistency prevents most players from exploiting you at live tables.
WSOP Final Table Read Saved Dara
- At the 2015 WSOP final table Dara folded AQs after seeing a big blind's excited reaction and avoided an ICM disaster.
- Jason Coon folded pocket eights, showing Dara's read influenced the table action hugely.