People Who Read People: A Behavior and Psychology Podcast The psychology of poker tells: A talk with pro poker player Dara O'Kearney
Feb 18, 2024
In this engaging discussion, professional poker player Dara O'Kearney, co-host of The Chip Race and author, dives into the intricate world of poker tells. Dara shares how his understanding of tells evolved, particularly after reading insightful literature. He highlights how player interactions and subtle cues can reveal intentions during high-stakes moments. The conversation also covers strategies for manipulating opponents’ perceptions and the challenges of relying on tells in the solver era, blending poker strategy with psychological insight.
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Tells Are The Icing, Not The Cake
- Poker tells are usually a small part of long-term win rate and act as the icing on the cake.
- For serious players, good tell-reading typically adds roughly 1–15% to win rate, often around 10–15% in favorable cases.
Tells Vary By Player Skill And Pressure
- Tells show up much more at lower-stakes and when players face unfamiliar high-pressure moments.
- In tougher or high-roller games, meaningful tells are rarer because players hide them better.
Standardize Your Table Behavior
- Standardize your table behavior to reduce leaks: same clothes, same chip pushes, same words when speaking.
- Hide inconsistencies so opponents cannot form reliable tells about you.