Poker tells are very dangerous. You might not know how yours is giving you away. They are very dangerous because most of the time, players who really study them wind up losing a lot of money because they don’t know how to use the information. Here are some mistakes when it comes to poker tells:

Being too proud

When you know a thing or two about poker tells, the best thing to do is just shut up and play. One big blunder you can make is to show pride of any good knowledge or mastery of reading poker tells.

When you see something wrong with your opponent, zip it. The biggest mistake you can do is blurt out what your opponent has revealed and then act on it. It is an ego boost for sure but your opponent also learns and will avoid the same mistake the rest of the game. Never brag.

Looking for phantom tells

Do not be too paranoid and consider every gesture of your opponent as a poker tell. You will see unreliable tells in most hands. You will see phantom tells which really do not mean anything and it will cost you a lot of money if you will be governed by them. Keep on looking for real poker tells.

You react too soon

When you observe a poker tell, it will be a mistake to act too quickly. Hesitate for a bit and ponder. Act based on what you just saw reluctantly. This way your opponent will not link your decision to a possible read that you just made, and will not fix it through the game.

I love Mike Sexton but I love Greg Raymer even more. The man has had great success in tournament poker, so when he gives you a piece of advice – i suggest you take it!