Poker Face - Common Signs to Recognize When Players Are Bluffing

From video poker variants that include Jackpot Poker to land-based casino Texas Hold’em, players have been attempting to perfect the art of playing poker…and with a straight face! The beauty of the game is that players, especially those with a weak hand, will need to bluff their way through the round. Once you are heavily invested in the game and the stakes are high, there is but only one way to win; bluff. There are two aspects to bluffing that players need to focus on. This is when to buff, and when to recognize a bluff. Let’s take a look so that you can get started on a practice run.

When And How to Bluff in Poker

Before learning anything about bluffing, it is important that you understand that you need to limit your bluffs. This is because, just as good as you may think you are at bluffing, your opponent may be able to recognize your tell-tale signs. Therefore, keep it on the down low, play it cool and minimize your risk of being found out.

In order to bluff, one must understand the rules of poker, how the cards are dealt with, and what the winning hands are. This is because you should be able to read the cards before making a mistake, but if you wanted to bluff, you could do so at any time because you know the winning hands. First, choose your poker variant, and go through the rules. In this instance, Texas Hold’em is the name of the game.

Understanding how others bluff will allow you the satisfaction and opportunity to practice these movements. However, as you read on, you may find that the majority of the obvious poker faces may be exactly the ones you wish to avoid.

Take a look below to find the ones most avoidable and the poker faces you may actually already be pulling.

Recognizing a Poker Face Bluff

To recognize a bluff isn’t an easy thing to do. First, you would need to observe the table. Absorb your opponent’s energy and be aware of droplets of sweat, a twitch in the eye, a nervous laugh, and any such signs. Choose the luckiest player at the table, and focus on when they win and when they lose. Soon you will be able to pick on small habits. This is also why poker players use non-reflective glasses, puts caps on, or do both…to hide any tell-tale signs their faces may be revealing.

That being said, here is a list of the most common poker bluffs that players don’t know are their tell signs.

The Defensive Bluff

This type of bluff is one of the most commonly observed bluffs. It is when a player has a weak hand and reveals it by being too eager. For example, a player might go for his chips too soon, or, he might call too quickly. The reason this is an obvious bluff is that a player with a strong hand, or a winning hand, will want others to up the stake and wouldn’t want to reveal their hand. They will purposefully wait patiently for other players to up the stake, and may even up the stakes themselves. However, doing the opposite suggests a weak hand and one they will want to bluff through. Therefore, they will pretend theirs is a strong hand and play on the defence.

The Hesitant Bluff

Another commonly spotted tell-tale sign that a player is bluffing is when they hesitate to raise or stand with their hand. Sitting at the table and noticing an agitated player may give this away. To spot this, a player may quickly call. This means they meet the requirements of the lowest bet in order to stay in the game. This is a bluff to hide their weak hand. However, if they are good at bluffing, this might also be a tactic to get the other players to raise. Therefore, it is important to look for this sign, so that the next round is more predictable based on their previous response to the round.

A pause is a sure sign of a weak hand.

The Double Check Bluff

If a player has to frequently, or even look over twice, to evaluate the hole cards, it’s a sure sign of a bluff should they raise the stakes.

The Weak Hand Poker Bluff

When a player makes a comment, usually about how weak his or her hand is, chances are they are bluffing. They do this so that the other player will “take advantage” and raise the stakes which will ultimately result in a win.

The Goading Bluff

Another popular bluff is a player that goads others around the table. Top online casinos are more difficult to determine in terms of what players say, whereas new online casinos in 2023 most likely have chat rooms. At a land based casino, this is more common, as players tend to be able to goad others in conversation. However, with an online casino, there may or may not be chat rooms.

To goad is when a person eggs another on to make a bigger wager, maybe even a smaller one. Depending on the remark, you will be able to tell which is which and whether or not theirs is a strong or weak hand. Always go in the opposite direction. For instance, a player might be telling others to bet more insinuating a weak hand, this is a bluff. For a stronger hand, a player might suggest they have a weak one, and bet for the opposition.

The Irritated Player

A player who may seem agitated or irritated often spells out disaster. Some players cannot bluff and may get annoyed with a weak hand. This is an opportunity for you to bluff and test the waters by raising the wager. On the other hand, if a player is a seasoned poker player, they may purposefully lead you to believe they are annoyed. Be wary of this type of behaviour as it isn’t something you would commonly see at a casino table game such as Perfect Blackjack.

There are many more types of tells as each person has a unique set of skills when it comes to land-based poker or online poker. Unfortunately, poker isn’t as easy of a game as online slots gaming. However, playing a strategic game proves more rewarding, especially when you can manipulate the odds of winning. Thankfully, these types of casino games can be played at the top casino hotels around the world, leaving you spoiled for choice.

It may seem overwhelming at first, but once you have mastered the art of reading your opposition, you will become a natural at determining a bluff and a winning hand. As the experts suggest, play with friends of friends, ones you don’t know well, to test your ability as well as adopt a poker face that will take you all the way to a win.