Speaking at the table – what do your opponents mean when they say what they say?

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People give away a lot more with their chatter than they realize when they’re playing live poker – especially in tournaments, where people tend to loosen up with those around them (since they’re expecting to be there for a decent amount of time). While it’s impossible to ever be 100% sure of what a person means when they engage in table talk, there are a few general principles and generic situations that can help you properly interpret the words of your opponents.

– When people make a point of how willing they are to defend their blinds, especially if they have more than 10 BB’s in a tournament, they are generally tight and willing to fold their blinds without a very strong hand. By announcing their intention to defend, they’re tipping you off to how important the chips are to them. Raise it up if you have the chance.

– When people guess your hand, they’re giving you a lot of information about how they think about poker in general and more specifically about how they view you as a player. Pay careful attention to what hands opponents think you had in a particular spot. If you can start a friendly game of ‘guess my hand’ with your neighbor, great – just be sure not to give away anything useful.

– When people talk about their specific cards or hand, they’re usually telling a version of the truth. For example, if someone calls for a certain suit on the turn, it’s likely that they’re on some kind of draw but probably not the flush draw. If someone calls for certain cards to not hit on the river, they usually have a made hand already, but probably not a very strong hand.

– People are willing to comment on how hands played out if you’re a good neighbor. By starting a conversation about a particular hand, you can often get your neighbor to give up information about how he or she did play or would have played in a similar spot- especially if they’re a little chatty or proud of a play they made. .

– When people tell you the ‘truth’ about a hand more than a few hands after it happened, they’re usually actually telling you the truth. The further away you get from the hand, the more likely it is they’re actually telling the truth. This is extra-super-true if they were on tilt when the play in question happened.

– Some people always say ‘nice hand’ if you take down a pot without a showdown. Some people always say ‘nice bet’ in that situation. Some people choose between the two. Pay attention to those people, because which one they say to you in a given spot speaks volumes about how they are viewing you, and it’s information you’ll probably be able to use in the immediate future, especially in a tournament.

These are just a few quick examples of how to convert your opponent’s words into useful information at the poker table. The next time you play a live tournament, take off your ipod every few hands and strike up a small conversation with your neighbor. You might be surprised at what they’re willing to teach you if you’re just willing to listen.

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