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Reading Players

Reading the Big Blind for Tells

Poker tip of the day: How to read the big blind for tells as to a poker player's state of mind and ability.

Reading Players

18+ onlyWritten, edited and fact-checked by the All The Aces desk in Britain — how we work and how we correct mistakes. Some links out are paid placements; they are not reviews, and nobody pays for coverage. Gambling in the UK is licensed by the Gambling Commission, and nothing here is advice to bet.

Reading the Big Blind for Tells
Reading the Big Blind for Tells

POKER TIP OF THE DAY:
How to read the big blind for tells as to a
poker player's state of mind and ability

If you see a player who joins a poker table and he doesn’t wait for the big blind to come round but immediately matches the big blind so that he can start playing right away, you’ll know he’s impatient. If he’s impatient to start playing he’ll probably also be too impatient to wait for a good hand to come his way. You’re almost certainly looking at a loose player who you can exploit. Either that or you’re the victim of an excellent piece of “poker theatre”, in which case it’s you who’s about to be exploited. After a few hands you’ll know for sure what kind of spots this leopard is wearing. Similarly, of course, players who do wait on the big blind will be revealing valuable qualities about themselves too. Could be they’re just mean tight-wads or they’re patient players. Thes


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