NotRealNameNoSir
4 of a Kind
Fantastic book series on live behavior tells at the poker table. Will briefly review the books and what separates them; spoiler alert, I think they are fantastic and a solid buy. Very few times will it be the KGB oreo or the Casino Royale Eye-Bleed, but it can help make or break a decision.
He tangentially mentions timing or bet sizing tells which can help online, but majority of the information is for in person games. This is what draws me to poker, the tells and psychology and mindgames at the table. No, its not always the most optimal strategy and my time would be better served with a solver, but they are great reads and I've found them useful as a whole. If you've never given much thought to behavior/speech/body language at the table, I guarantee some 'woah' moments.
1st book: Reading Poker Tells
Book that started it all. Excellent breakdowns of people's tells in different situation. Its not simply 'if he says X, then Y', or the classic strong-sigh, it instead breaks down the related action and context to the tells. Very impressed, you could tell he worked hard on this book and it shows. If you're only buying one, grab it.
2nd Book: Verbal Poker Tells
I was surprised how much I liked this one! Thickest book of the three and definitely has the most real world examples of speech tells. This was my favorite part; again, broken down by relative context and not just an if-then table. The more you play live, the more recognizable some of the phrases and actions become.
3rd Book: Exploiting Poker Tells
After the first two blew me away, this one was a bit of a disappointment. It gave real examples of using and exploiting the tells laid out in the other two books, and did it effectively, but didn't seem enough to warrant an entire new book. Maybe I was just spoiled with the first two in quick succession, but much of it felt re-hashed and just another way of showing the information from the first two. Im still happy with my purchase but wanted to warn that this book is the one Id skip if I had to pick 2. Plus the cover is eye-roll worthy, felt embarrassed carrying it lol. Looks like one of those LinkedIn classes about mastering business negotiations or something.
That's all! Just quick review, couldn't find one and wanted to share. Couldnt put them down, enjoyed them and was shocked how many of the tells just show up unannounced at low stakes. This isnt clickbait lol, not sponsored, just very impressed by this work. Feel free to ask follow up questions, clarify anything or give your own opinions.
He tangentially mentions timing or bet sizing tells which can help online, but majority of the information is for in person games. This is what draws me to poker, the tells and psychology and mindgames at the table. No, its not always the most optimal strategy and my time would be better served with a solver, but they are great reads and I've found them useful as a whole. If you've never given much thought to behavior/speech/body language at the table, I guarantee some 'woah' moments.
1st book: Reading Poker Tells
Book that started it all. Excellent breakdowns of people's tells in different situation. Its not simply 'if he says X, then Y', or the classic strong-sigh, it instead breaks down the related action and context to the tells. Very impressed, you could tell he worked hard on this book and it shows. If you're only buying one, grab it.
2nd Book: Verbal Poker Tells
I was surprised how much I liked this one! Thickest book of the three and definitely has the most real world examples of speech tells. This was my favorite part; again, broken down by relative context and not just an if-then table. The more you play live, the more recognizable some of the phrases and actions become.
3rd Book: Exploiting Poker Tells
After the first two blew me away, this one was a bit of a disappointment. It gave real examples of using and exploiting the tells laid out in the other two books, and did it effectively, but didn't seem enough to warrant an entire new book. Maybe I was just spoiled with the first two in quick succession, but much of it felt re-hashed and just another way of showing the information from the first two. Im still happy with my purchase but wanted to warn that this book is the one Id skip if I had to pick 2. Plus the cover is eye-roll worthy, felt embarrassed carrying it lol. Looks like one of those LinkedIn classes about mastering business negotiations or something.
That's all! Just quick review, couldn't find one and wanted to share. Couldnt put them down, enjoyed them and was shocked how many of the tells just show up unannounced at low stakes. This isnt clickbait lol, not sponsored, just very impressed by this work. Feel free to ask follow up questions, clarify anything or give your own opinions.
Last edited:
