If you are thinking of trying out your excellent online poker skills in live games or if you got so lucky to win an entry to the World Series of Poker®, then you should know that one of the methods to maximize your winnings is by knowing how to observe your opponents. Even though the possibility to play multiple tables online might lead you to believe your are earning more, this only adds up to the deficit in the long run. Live poker on the other hand, sees a higher number of poor players and because you can focus on a single table, your hourly rate should be bigger in these games. Let’s evaluate what to look for in your opponents in live poker games.

Look when they think you’re not looking

In general, each behavior that seems out of the ordinary has a certain cause and demands a specific action on your part. Let’s say for instance that after the flop your opponent checks his hand again. In the event that he already had a pocket pair, then he would have remembered and this wouldn’t have happened. Alternatively, it is also likely that he completely forgot what his kicker was or that he doesn’t have any of the cards on the table and he feels the need to check again.

In addition, by observing the reactions of a player when they think you’re not looking you can figure out whether they are interested in the action at the table. For instance, if a player seems like he doesn’t care anymore then it usually means that he has already decided to fold.

Look when they know you are looking

Some find it funny, but when a player acknowledges he is being watched, he usually starts acting strangely. Since they are under a lot of pressure, you are very likely to observe nervous laughs, an increased heart rate, sweating, heavy breathing, so on and so forth. Even though it’s not always so, in the vast majority of cases this is a sign they are holding a good hand.

Nonetheless, you should learn to differentiate between actual behavior – also exhibited by experienced players – and acting, since an advanced player will eventually start putting on bizarre shows when he knows he is being watched. Naturally, in this case if you figure out their intentions, you should do exactly the opposite.

Induce reactions in other players

The simplest way to determine where your hand stands at the table is to induce a reaction from the other players at the table. The preferred methods of professional poker players is to ask questions, make simple comments, projecting actions or by showing their cards to an opponent. In addition to these simple tricks, pros also try to read their opponents by:

• Watching their stack size (a bigger stack usually means a better player).
• Whether they adopt a tight play style and the reasons why they do so.
• If they have a visible tell, such as always betting when a certain card pops up.