Poker News

James McKenna Ph.D.

Sigmund Freud’s theories on the subconscious and how actions will reveal what’s going on inside of us predates the study of poker tells. Tells are also outside of the player’s awareness. Otherwise, it’s an act designed to mislead. Often, aggressive play reveals that a player is weak. Yet, mild plays say that the player is strong. Of course, veteran players who know this will throw you a curve and pretend to have a bad hand by being aggressive, attempting to trap an informed, unsuspecting player.

Freudian slips are actions full of contradictions. For instance, a person says he’s feeling great and has a frown on our face. When I see this conflict, I usually say something like, “Notify your face!’ Such contradictions occur when we say one thing and are thinking something else. Like the story about the guy who is distracted by a ticket agent with a see-through blouse. He says, “Could I have my change in nipple and dimes, please?’

Poker players are often contradicting themselves. When an ordinarily aggressive player places a bet softly, he or she is usually on a bluff. Similarly, when a quiet player gets “mouthy,’ it is usually a red flag. The important thing is to know what is normal for each player.

A lot of tells have to do with how a player handles his chips. I call these Freudian Chips. They are unconscious nervous habits or signals that tell different stories. Recently, a player wanted to call but threw in too many chips. The dealer said, “Is that a raise?’ The player said, “Oh, uh no. Uh, I mean yeah. Let it be a raise.’ Of course, you guessed it. He wanted to slow play some good cards and ended up winning that hand. Not before I got out of his way, though.

Freudian Chips come with variety. Some juggle, others shuffle chips. Many don’t touch their chips until it’s time to bet or raise the bet. Players will put some chips on top of their hold cards only when they plan on playing the hand. Others will do this routinely whether they are going to play or not.

For example, I noticed a player who routinely puts about five chips on his hole cards. If he likes the flop, he stacks five or ten more on top of them (as if getting ready to bet from the chips on his hole cards). If he is just calling or staying, he will take the bet from the five he has on his cards. Then he will replace the chips from his stake. Needless to say, after the flop, I’d watch how he stacked his chips with a Freudian eye.

Chip nests reveal player attitudes brought to the game. Some players are loose and others are very structured. They usually will nest their chips in the same manner. For some, chips are stacked in high towers symbolizing fortresses or virility. A few will pile all their chips together with no order whatsoever. Others will arrange their chips in stacks of five or ten to facilitate betting and raising bets. Often, players will divide what they brought to the table by what they are ahead to help them manage win/loss goals.

All these chip rituals tell a different story about their chip masters. The important thing is to determine if people are handling their chips in a conscious or unconscious manner. A very systematic player, who likes to parade as a disorganized loser, will randomly pile his chips up. This is deliberate on his part and his strategy to appear loose. The way he bets may reveal that he plays tighter than a bark on a tree. Finally, it’s useful to notice how and when players shuffle their chips. Some only shuffle when they are chasing. Others stop shuffling when they have made their hand. Pay attention and you could slip into some extra chips for your nest.

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